Open AccessThe Influence of Ocean Convection Patterns on High-Latitude Climate Projections
Author(s) -
Michiel Schaeffer,
Frank Selten,
J. D. Opsteegh,
Hugues Goosse
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of climate
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.315
H-Index - 287
eISSN - 1520-0442
pISSN - 0894-8755
DOI - 10.1175/3174.1
Subject(s) - climatology , convection , latitude , climate model , thermohaline circulation , environmental science , sea ice , geology , north atlantic deep water , deep convection , ocean heat content , sea surface temperature , oceanography , climate change , meteorology , geography , geodesy
The mean state and variability of deep convection in the ocean influence the North Atlantic climate. Using an ensemble experiment with a coupled atmosphere–ocean–sea ice model, it is shown that cooling and subdued warming areas can occur over the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent landmasses under global warming. Different ‘‘present-day’’ convection patterns in the Greenland–Iceland–Norway (GIN) Sea result in different future surface- air temperature changes. At higher latitudes, the more effective positive sea ice feedback increases the likelihood of changes in convection causing a regional cooling that is larger than the warming brought about by the enhanced greenhouse effect. The modeled freshening of deep ocean layers in the North Atlantic in a time period preceding a reorganization of GIN Sea convection is consistent with recent observations. Low-frequency internal variability in the ocean model has relatively little impact on the response patterns