Modeling evidence for large, ENSO-driven interannual wintertime AMOC variability

Recently established North Atlantic ocean observing arrays, such as RAPID/MOCHA, have revealed a large degree of high-frequency variability in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Climate modeling studies of the AMOC, however, have traditionally focused on the low-frequency variab...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental Research Letters
Main Authors: K L Smith, L M Polvani
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2021
Subjects:
AMOC
ENSO
variability
NAO
earth system modelling
Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
TD1-1066
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Science
Q
Physics
QC1-999
North Atlantic
North Atlantic oscillation
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac1375
https://doaj.org/article/c0c9622bb946446baea4e114ee1ae0b5
Description
Summary:Recently established North Atlantic ocean observing arrays, such as RAPID/MOCHA, have revealed a large degree of high-frequency variability in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Climate modeling studies of the AMOC, however, have traditionally focused on the low-frequency variability of the annual mean AMOC, with an emphasis on multi-decadal and longer time-scale variability. Thus, little is known about the sources of interannual wintertime, wind-driven AMOC variability. Analyzing the Community Earth System Model, we here show the existence of a robust leading mode of interannual variability in the wintertime AMOC that is distinct from the leading mode of the annual mean. We further show that this mode of variability is significantly linked to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation via the North Atlantic Oscillation.

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