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Mechanisms of ocean heat uptake in a coupled climate model and the implications for tracer based predictions of ocean heat uptake
Author(s) -
Banks Helene T.,
Gregory Jonathan M.
Publication year - 2006
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 - 10.1029/2005gl025352
Subject(s) - isopycnal , tracer , forcing (mathematics) , environmental science , anomaly (physics) , ocean current , water mass , deep ocean water , atmospheric sciences , climatology , oceanography , geology , thermohaline circulation , physics , condensed matter physics , nuclear physics
The distribution of tracers in the ocean is often taken as an indication of the ventilation pathways for oceanic water masses. It has been suggested that under anthropogenic forcing heat will be taken up into the interior of the ocean along isopycnal ventilation pathways. This notion is investigated by examining distributions of potential temperature and a passive anomaly temperature tracer in a coupled climate experiment where CO 2 is increased at a rate of 2% per year. We show that interior temperature changes cannot be explained solely by passive tracer transport along isopycnals. Heat uptake is strongly affected by changes in circulation and has a substantial diapycnal component.