The role of subpolar deep water formation and Nordic Seas overflows in simulated multidecadal variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation ...

• Main Authors: Jungclaus, J. H., Matei, D., Gao, Y., Lorenz, S., Lohmann, K., Ba, J., Otterå, O. H., Park, W., Menary, M., Mignot, Juliette, Langehaug, H. R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus 2014
• Subjects: 530 Physics; Denmark Strait; Iceland; Nordic Seas
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7892/boris.57914; http://boris.unibe.ch/57914/

We investigate the respective role of variations in subpolar deep water formation and Nordic Seas overflows for the decadal to multidecadal variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). This is partly done by analysing long (order of 1000 years) control simulations with five coupled climate models. For all models, the maximum influence of variations in subpolar deep water formation is found at about 45° N, while the maximum influence of variations in Nordic Seas overflows is rather found at 55 to 60° N. Regarding the two overflow branches, the influence of variations in the Denmark Strait overflow is, for all models, substantially larger than that of variations in the overflow across the Iceland–Scotland Ridge. The latter might, however, be underestimated, as the models in general do not realistically simulate the flow path of the Iceland–Scotland overflow water south of the Iceland–Scotland Ridge. The influence of variations in subpolar deep water formation is, on multimodel ...