Sensitivity of the ocean's deep overturning circulation to easterly Antarctic winds
We investigate the sensitivity of the deep meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the Southern Ocean to changes in the easterly wind stress over the Antarctic continental slope. The deep MOC is driven by export of dense Antarctic Bottom Water from the Antarctic continental shelf, and exerts a s...
Published in: | Geophysical Research Letters |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Geophysical Union
2012
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://authors.library.caltech.edu/35309/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/35309/1/2012GL053099.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20121106-143603024 |
id |
ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:35309 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:35309 2023-05-15T13:37:29+02:00 Sensitivity of the ocean's deep overturning circulation to easterly Antarctic winds Stewart, Andrew L. Thompson, Andrew F. 2012-09-21 application/pdf https://authors.library.caltech.edu/35309/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/35309/1/2012GL053099.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20121106-143603024 en eng American Geophysical Union https://authors.library.caltech.edu/35309/1/2012GL053099.pdf Stewart, Andrew L. and Thompson, Andrew F. (2012) Sensitivity of the ocean's deep overturning circulation to easterly Antarctic winds. Geophysical Research Letters, 39 . Art. No. L18604. ISSN 0094-8276. doi:10.1029/2012GL053099. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20121106-143603024 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20121106-143603024> other Article PeerReviewed 2012 ftcaltechauth https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL053099 2021-11-11T18:51:49Z We investigate the sensitivity of the deep meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the Southern Ocean to changes in the easterly wind stress over the Antarctic continental slope. The deep MOC is driven by export of dense Antarctic Bottom Water from the Antarctic continental shelf, and exerts a strong influence on climate by ventilating the deep ocean with oxygen and storing carbon dioxide. The possibility that inter-climatic modifications of the deep overturning may have been driven by changes in the atmospheric circulation has motivated the recent interest in evaluating the sensitivity of the Southern Ocean MOC to modifications of the mid-latitude westerlies. Using a high-resolution eddy-resolving model of a sector of the Southern Ocean, we show that the deep cell of the MOC is highly sensitive to the strength of the polar easterlies, and relatively insensitive to the strength of the mid-latitude westerlies. Our results highlight that determining the deep ocean ventilation in past and future climates demands an accurate evaluation of the concurrent surface wind stress throughout the Southern Ocean. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Southern Ocean Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Geophysical Research Letters 39 18 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftcaltechauth |
language |
English |
description |
We investigate the sensitivity of the deep meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the Southern Ocean to changes in the easterly wind stress over the Antarctic continental slope. The deep MOC is driven by export of dense Antarctic Bottom Water from the Antarctic continental shelf, and exerts a strong influence on climate by ventilating the deep ocean with oxygen and storing carbon dioxide. The possibility that inter-climatic modifications of the deep overturning may have been driven by changes in the atmospheric circulation has motivated the recent interest in evaluating the sensitivity of the Southern Ocean MOC to modifications of the mid-latitude westerlies. Using a high-resolution eddy-resolving model of a sector of the Southern Ocean, we show that the deep cell of the MOC is highly sensitive to the strength of the polar easterlies, and relatively insensitive to the strength of the mid-latitude westerlies. Our results highlight that determining the deep ocean ventilation in past and future climates demands an accurate evaluation of the concurrent surface wind stress throughout the Southern Ocean. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Stewart, Andrew L. Thompson, Andrew F. |
spellingShingle |
Stewart, Andrew L. Thompson, Andrew F. Sensitivity of the ocean's deep overturning circulation to easterly Antarctic winds |
author_facet |
Stewart, Andrew L. Thompson, Andrew F. |
author_sort |
Stewart, Andrew L. |
title |
Sensitivity of the ocean's deep overturning circulation to easterly Antarctic winds |
title_short |
Sensitivity of the ocean's deep overturning circulation to easterly Antarctic winds |
title_full |
Sensitivity of the ocean's deep overturning circulation to easterly Antarctic winds |
title_fullStr |
Sensitivity of the ocean's deep overturning circulation to easterly Antarctic winds |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sensitivity of the ocean's deep overturning circulation to easterly Antarctic winds |
title_sort |
sensitivity of the ocean's deep overturning circulation to easterly antarctic winds |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/35309/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/35309/1/2012GL053099.pdf https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20121106-143603024 |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/35309/1/2012GL053099.pdf Stewart, Andrew L. and Thompson, Andrew F. (2012) Sensitivity of the ocean's deep overturning circulation to easterly Antarctic winds. Geophysical Research Letters, 39 . Art. No. L18604. ISSN 0094-8276. doi:10.1029/2012GL053099. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20121106-143603024 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20121106-143603024> |
op_rights |
other |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL053099 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
39 |
container_issue |
18 |
_version_ |
1766092199980695552 |