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Impact of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation on the decadal variability of the Gulf Stream path and regional chlorophyll and nutrient concentrations
Author(s) -
SanchezFranks A.,
Zhang R.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl066262
Subject(s) - biogeochemical cycle , isopycnal , oceanography , climatology , environmental science , zonal and meridional , geology , thermohaline circulation , atmospheric sciences , ecology , biology
In this study, we show that the underlying physical driver for the decadal variability in the Gulf Stream (GS) path and the regional biogeochemical cycling is linked to the low frequency variability in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). There is a significant anticorrelation between AMOC variations and the meridional shifts of the GS path at decadal time scale in both observations and two Earth system models (ESMs). The chlorophyll and nutrient concentrations in the GS region are found significantly correlated with the AMOC fingerprint and anticorrelated with the GS path at decadal time scale through coherent isopycnal changes in the GS front in the ESMs. Our results illustrate how changes in the large‐scale ocean circulation, such as AMOC, are teleconnected with regional decadal physical and biogeochemical variations near the North American east coast. Such linkages are useful for predicting future physical and biogeochemical variations in this region.