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Atlantic deep circulation controlled by freshening in the Southern Ocean
Author(s) -
Saenko Oleg A.,
Weaver Andrew J.,
Schmittner Andreas
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 - 10.1029/2003gl017681
Subject(s) - pycnocline , thermohaline circulation , geology , oceanography , north atlantic deep water , southern hemisphere , climatology , shutdown of thermohaline circulation , ocean current , zonal and meridional , subtropics , fishery , biology
Numerical simulations with a climate model of intermediate complexity are used to illustrate the effect of meridional moisture transport in the Southern Hemisphere mid‐latitudes on the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) and heat transport in the Atlantic. A novel feature of the model is a diapycnal mixing scheme in the ocean, which ensures low values of diffusivity (about 10 −5 m 2 s −1 ) in the pycnocline. It is shown that the Atlantic MOC, northward oceanic heat transport and the associated air‐sea heat flux anomalies are all proportional to the southward moisture transport from subtropical to subpolar regions in the Southern Hemisphere. The effect of the intensified ocean circulation on sea surface temperature and salinity is also illustrated.