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Shutdown and recovery of the AMOC in a coupled global climate model: The role of the advective feedback
Author(s) -
Jackson L. C.
Publication year - 2013
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/grl.50289
Subject(s) - advection , flux (metallurgy) , environmental science , climatology , thermohaline circulation , climate model , salinity , coupled model intercomparison project , ocean current , general circulation model , climate change , oceanography , geology , physics , thermodynamics , chemistry , organic chemistry
The fresh water advection into the Atlantic ocean by the overturning circulation ( F ov ) has been suggested as an indicator of the stability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) through an advective feedback. This feedback is explored in transient simulations with a global climate model with and without flux adjustments. Flux adjustments are shown to alter the model near surface salinity, changing F ov from a net importer, to a net exporter of fresh water, mainly through correcting an Atlantic saline bias. The AMOC recovers in strength from a collapsed state, however, that in the experiment with flux adjustments recovers much later and more slowly than that without flux adjustments. This difference is traced back to the sign of F ov , confirming the indicator's importance for the AMOC and suggesting that model biases affecting F ov need to be addressed in order to assess the likelihood of irreversible changes in the AMOC.