90 JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY VOLUME 30 Proximity of the Present-Day Thermohaline Circulation to an Instability Threshold
The relation between the mean state of the thermohaline circulation (THC) and its stability is examined using a realistic-geometry primitive equation coupled ocean–atmosphere–ice global general circulation model. The main finding is that a thermohaline circulation that is 25 % weaker and less domina...
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ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.419.2325 2023-05-15T17:33:14+02:00 90 JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY VOLUME 30 Proximity of the Present-Day Thermohaline Circulation to an Instability Threshold Eli Tziperman The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives 1998 application/pdf http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.419.2325 http://www.seas.harvard.edu/climate/eli/reprints/Tziperman-2000a.pdf en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.419.2325 http://www.seas.harvard.edu/climate/eli/reprints/Tziperman-2000a.pdf Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. http://www.seas.harvard.edu/climate/eli/reprints/Tziperman-2000a.pdf text 1998 ftciteseerx 2016-01-08T03:51:50Z The relation between the mean state of the thermohaline circulation (THC) and its stability is examined using a realistic-geometry primitive equation coupled ocean–atmosphere–ice global general circulation model. The main finding is that a thermohaline circulation that is 25 % weaker and less dominated by thermal forcing than that of today’s ocean is unstable within this coupled GCM. Unstable initial ocean climates lead in the coupled model to an increase of the THC, to strong oscillations, or to a THC collapse. The existence of an unstable range of weak states of the THC provides a natural explanation for largeamplitude THC variability seen in the paleo record prior to the past 10 000 years: A weakening of the THC due to an external forcing (e.g., ice melting and freshening of the North Atlantic) may push it into the unstable regime. Once in this regime, the THC strongly oscillates due to the inherent instability of a weak THC. Hence the strong THC variability in this scenario does not result from switches between two or more quasi-stable steady states. 1. Text North Atlantic Unknown |
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English |
description |
The relation between the mean state of the thermohaline circulation (THC) and its stability is examined using a realistic-geometry primitive equation coupled ocean–atmosphere–ice global general circulation model. The main finding is that a thermohaline circulation that is 25 % weaker and less dominated by thermal forcing than that of today’s ocean is unstable within this coupled GCM. Unstable initial ocean climates lead in the coupled model to an increase of the THC, to strong oscillations, or to a THC collapse. The existence of an unstable range of weak states of the THC provides a natural explanation for largeamplitude THC variability seen in the paleo record prior to the past 10 000 years: A weakening of the THC due to an external forcing (e.g., ice melting and freshening of the North Atlantic) may push it into the unstable regime. Once in this regime, the THC strongly oscillates due to the inherent instability of a weak THC. Hence the strong THC variability in this scenario does not result from switches between two or more quasi-stable steady states. 1. |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Eli Tziperman |
spellingShingle |
Eli Tziperman 90 JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY VOLUME 30 Proximity of the Present-Day Thermohaline Circulation to an Instability Threshold |
author_facet |
Eli Tziperman |
author_sort |
Eli Tziperman |
title |
90 JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY VOLUME 30 Proximity of the Present-Day Thermohaline Circulation to an Instability Threshold |
title_short |
90 JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY VOLUME 30 Proximity of the Present-Day Thermohaline Circulation to an Instability Threshold |
title_full |
90 JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY VOLUME 30 Proximity of the Present-Day Thermohaline Circulation to an Instability Threshold |
title_fullStr |
90 JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY VOLUME 30 Proximity of the Present-Day Thermohaline Circulation to an Instability Threshold |
title_full_unstemmed |
90 JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY VOLUME 30 Proximity of the Present-Day Thermohaline Circulation to an Instability Threshold |
title_sort |
90 journal of physical oceanography volume 30 proximity of the present-day thermohaline circulation to an instability threshold |
publishDate |
1998 |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.419.2325 http://www.seas.harvard.edu/climate/eli/reprints/Tziperman-2000a.pdf |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_source |
http://www.seas.harvard.edu/climate/eli/reprints/Tziperman-2000a.pdf |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.419.2325 http://www.seas.harvard.edu/climate/eli/reprints/Tziperman-2000a.pdf |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
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1766131673603244032 |