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A monitoring design for the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation
Author(s) -
Hirschi J.,
Baehr J.,
Marotzke J.,
Stark J.,
Cunningham S.,
Beismann J.O.
Publication year - 2003
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 - 10.1029/2002gl016776
Subject(s) - thermohaline circulation , geology , zonal and meridional , climatology , shutdown of thermohaline circulation , wind stress , hydrography , circulation (fluid dynamics) , ocean current , southern hemisphere , oceanography , north atlantic deep water , mechanics , physics
Current hydrographic data can provide snapshots but no continuous timeseries of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC). Using output from two eddy‐permitting numerical ocean models we test the feasibility of a monitoring system for the MOC in the North Atlantic. The results suggest that a relatively simple arrangement, using moorings placed across a longitude‐depth section and the zonal wind stress, is able to capture most of the MOC strength and vertical structure as a function of time. Being closely related to the transport of energy to the North Atlantic, measuring the MOC would open the prospect of having continuous information about a key element of northern hemisphere climate.