Diapycnal mixing in transient response of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation in an enhanced freshwater perturbation experiment

TitleDiapycnal mixing in transient response of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation in an enhanced freshwater perturbation experiment
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2010
AuthorsYu, L, Gao, Y, Drange, H, Otterå, OH
JournalAtmospheric and oceanic science letters
Volume3
Number4
Start Page201-206
Date Published16/07/2010
PublisherInstitute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Science Press
ISSN16742834
Abstract

It has been reported recently that the simu- lated Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) using the coupled Bergen climate model (BCM) showed initial intensity declines followed by gradual recoveries over a 150-year enhanced freshwater input experiment. Stratification-dependent oceanic diapycnal mixing has been hypothesized as a reason for the simulated recovery of the AMOC. This study investigated the role of diapy- cnal mixing in transient responses of simulated AMOCs. Our results showed that stratification-dependent diapycnal mixing can cause stronger upwelling of deep water in the tropical Atlantic than that produced under conditions of fixed diapycnal mixing. Moreover, simulated AMOCs were more sensitive to active stratification-dependent diapycnal mixing than fixed mixing. However, stratifica- tion-dependent diapycnal mixing cannot be conclusively singled out as the critical cause of the recoveries of simu- lated AMOCs under enhanced-freshwater inputs.

URLhttp://www.iapjournals.ac.cn/aosl/ch/reader/new_year_article.aspx?year_id=2010&quarter_id=4
Refereed DesignationRefereed
Author Address

NERSC

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