Response of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation to increased atmospheric CO2 in a coupled model
Changes in the thermohaline circulation (THC) due to increased CO2 are important in future climate regimes. Using a coupled climate model, the Parallel Climate Model (PCM), regional responses of the THC in the North Atlantic to increased CO2 and the underlying physical processes are studied here. Th...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2004
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.549.5506 http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/ccr/ahu/papers/Aixue_JCL_2004_F3208.pdf |
id |
ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.549.5506 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.549.5506 2023-05-15T15:17:12+02:00 Response of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation to increased atmospheric CO2 in a coupled model Aixue Hu Gerald A. Meehl The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives 2004 application/pdf http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.549.5506 http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/ccr/ahu/papers/Aixue_JCL_2004_F3208.pdf en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.549.5506 http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/ccr/ahu/papers/Aixue_JCL_2004_F3208.pdf Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/ccr/ahu/papers/Aixue_JCL_2004_F3208.pdf text 2004 ftciteseerx 2016-01-08T11:26:58Z Changes in the thermohaline circulation (THC) due to increased CO2 are important in future climate regimes. Using a coupled climate model, the Parallel Climate Model (PCM), regional responses of the THC in the North Atlantic to increased CO2 and the underlying physical processes are studied here. The Atlantic THC shows a 20-yr cycle in the control run, qualitatively agreeing with other modeling results. Compared with the control run, the simulated maximum of the Atlantic THC weakens by about 5 Sv (1 Sv [ 106 m3 s21) or 14 % in an ensemble of transient experiments with a 1 % CO2 increase per year at the time of CO2 doubling. The weakening of the THC is accompanied by reduced poleward heat transport in the midlatitude North Atlantic. Analyses show that oceanic deep convective activity strengthens significantly in the Greenland–Iceland–Norway (GIN) Seas owing to a saltier (denser) upper ocean, but weakens in the Labrador Sea due to a fresher (lighter) upper ocean and in the south of the Denmark Strait region (SDSR) because of surface warming. The saltiness of the GIN Seas are mainly caused by an increased salty North Atlantic inflow, and reduced sea ice volume fluxes from the Arctic into this region. The warmer SDSR is induced by a reduced heat loss to the atmosphere, and a reduced sea ice flux into this region, resulting in less heat being used to melt ice. Thus, sea ice–related salinity effects appear to be more important in the GIN Seas, but sea ice–melt-related thermal effects seem to be more important in the SDSR region. On the other hand, the fresher Labrador Sea is mainly attributed to increased precipitation. These regional changes produce the overall weakening of the THC in the Labrador Sea and SDSR, and more vigorous ocean overturning in the GIN Seas. The northward heat transport south of 608N is reduced with increased CO2, but increased north of 608N due to the increased flow of North Atlantic water across this latitude. 1. Text Arctic Denmark Strait Greenland Iceland Labrador Sea North Atlantic Sea ice Unknown Arctic Greenland Norway |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Unknown |
op_collection_id |
ftciteseerx |
language |
English |
description |
Changes in the thermohaline circulation (THC) due to increased CO2 are important in future climate regimes. Using a coupled climate model, the Parallel Climate Model (PCM), regional responses of the THC in the North Atlantic to increased CO2 and the underlying physical processes are studied here. The Atlantic THC shows a 20-yr cycle in the control run, qualitatively agreeing with other modeling results. Compared with the control run, the simulated maximum of the Atlantic THC weakens by about 5 Sv (1 Sv [ 106 m3 s21) or 14 % in an ensemble of transient experiments with a 1 % CO2 increase per year at the time of CO2 doubling. The weakening of the THC is accompanied by reduced poleward heat transport in the midlatitude North Atlantic. Analyses show that oceanic deep convective activity strengthens significantly in the Greenland–Iceland–Norway (GIN) Seas owing to a saltier (denser) upper ocean, but weakens in the Labrador Sea due to a fresher (lighter) upper ocean and in the south of the Denmark Strait region (SDSR) because of surface warming. The saltiness of the GIN Seas are mainly caused by an increased salty North Atlantic inflow, and reduced sea ice volume fluxes from the Arctic into this region. The warmer SDSR is induced by a reduced heat loss to the atmosphere, and a reduced sea ice flux into this region, resulting in less heat being used to melt ice. Thus, sea ice–related salinity effects appear to be more important in the GIN Seas, but sea ice–melt-related thermal effects seem to be more important in the SDSR region. On the other hand, the fresher Labrador Sea is mainly attributed to increased precipitation. These regional changes produce the overall weakening of the THC in the Labrador Sea and SDSR, and more vigorous ocean overturning in the GIN Seas. The northward heat transport south of 608N is reduced with increased CO2, but increased north of 608N due to the increased flow of North Atlantic water across this latitude. 1. |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Aixue Hu Gerald A. Meehl |
spellingShingle |
Aixue Hu Gerald A. Meehl Response of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation to increased atmospheric CO2 in a coupled model |
author_facet |
Aixue Hu Gerald A. Meehl |
author_sort |
Aixue Hu Gerald A. Meehl |
title |
Response of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation to increased atmospheric CO2 in a coupled model |
title_short |
Response of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation to increased atmospheric CO2 in a coupled model |
title_full |
Response of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation to increased atmospheric CO2 in a coupled model |
title_fullStr |
Response of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation to increased atmospheric CO2 in a coupled model |
title_full_unstemmed |
Response of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation to increased atmospheric CO2 in a coupled model |
title_sort |
response of the atlantic thermohaline circulation to increased atmospheric co2 in a coupled model |
publishDate |
2004 |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.549.5506 http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/ccr/ahu/papers/Aixue_JCL_2004_F3208.pdf |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland Norway |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland Norway |
genre |
Arctic Denmark Strait Greenland Iceland Labrador Sea North Atlantic Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Arctic Denmark Strait Greenland Iceland Labrador Sea North Atlantic Sea ice |
op_source |
http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/ccr/ahu/papers/Aixue_JCL_2004_F3208.pdf |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.549.5506 http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/ccr/ahu/papers/Aixue_JCL_2004_F3208.pdf |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
_version_ |
1766347458691989504 |