Corresponding author address:

• Main Authors: Christopher L. Wolfe, Paola Cessi
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; North Pole; Antarc*; NADW; North Atlantic Deep Water; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.218.6320; http://www-pord.ucsd.edu/~pcessi/WolfeCessi2008.pdf

The effect of the pole-to-pole surface temperature difference on the deep stratification and the strength of the global meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is examined in an eddy-resolving ocean model configured in an idealized domain roughly representing the Atlantic sector. Mesoscale eddies lead to qualitative differences in the mean stratification and the MOC compared to laminar (i.e., eddy-free) models. For example, the spreading of fluid across the model’s representation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) no longer relies on the existence of a sill in the ACC. In addition, the deep and bottom water masses—roughly representing North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) and Antarctic Bottom Water (ABW), respectively—are eroded by the eddies so that their zonal and meridional extents are much smaller than in the laminar case. It is found that if the north pole temperature is sufficiently warm, the formation of northern deep water is suppressed and the mid-depth cell is small and weak while the deep cell is large and vigorous. In contrast, if the north pole temperature is in the range of the southern channel temperatures, the mid-depth cell is large