Passive mechanism of decadal variation of thermohaline circulation

Sensitivity of thermohaline circulation to decadal and multidecadal variability

In this paper, stochastic freshwater inputs with different variabilities are introduced into an Earth Model of Intermediate Complexity to study their effect on the behaviour of the thermohaline circulation (THC). The variability in the stochastic signal was set to be either decadal or multidecadal (70 years), based on intensity modulation of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. T...

15 Decadal Variability of the Thermohaline Ocean Circulation

Decadal Variability in Coupled Sea-Ice–Thermohaline Circulation Systems*

An interdecadal oscillation in a coupled ocean–ice system was identified in a previous study. This paper extends that study to further examine the stability of the oscillation and the sensitivity of its frequency to various parameters and forcing fields. Three models are used: (i) an analytical box model; (ii) a two-dimensional model for the ocean thermohaline circulation (THC) coupled to a the...

The Damping Effect of Bottom Topography on Internal Decadal-Scale Oscillations of the Thermohaline Circulation

By comparing the response of flat and bowl-shaped basins to fixed heat fluxes of various magnitudes, it is determined that coastal topography has a considerable damping influence upon internal decadal oscillations of the thermohaline circulation. It is proposed that this is because the adjustment of baroclinic currents to the no-normal-flow boundary condition at weakly stratified coasts is aide...

Thermohaline Ocean Circulation

The thermohaline circulation is that part of the ocean circulation which is driven by fluxes of heat and freshwater across the sea surface and subsequent interior mixing of heat and salt. The term thus refers to a driving mechanism. Important features of the thermohaline circulation are deep water formation, spreading of deep waters partly through deep boundary currents, upwelling and near-surf...