Localization of Deep Water Formation: Role of Atmospheric Moisture Transport and Geometrical Constraints on Ocean Circulation
A series of coupled atmosphere–ocean–ice aquaplanet experiments is described in which topological constraints on ocean circulation are introduced to study the role of ocean circulation on the mean climate of the coupled system. It is imagined that the earth is completely covered by an ocean of unifo...
Published in: | Journal of Climate |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , |
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Meteorological Society
2009
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/60332 |
id |
ftmit:oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/60332 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftmit:oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/60332 2023-06-11T04:15:11+02:00 Localization of Deep Water Formation: Role of Atmospheric Moisture Transport and Geometrical Constraints on Ocean Circulation Marshall, John C. Campin, Jean-Michel Ferreira, David Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Marshall, John C. Campin, Jean-Michel Ferreira, David 2009-09 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/60332 en_US eng American Meteorological Society http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/2009jcli3197.1 Journal of Climate 0894-8755 1520-0442 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/60332 Ferreira, David, John Marshall, and Jean-Michel Campin. “Localization of Deep Water Formation: Role of Atmospheric Moisture Transport and Geometrical Constraints on Ocean Circulation.” Journal of Climate 23.6 (2010): 1456-1476. © 2010 American Meteorological Society orcid:0000-0001-9230-3591 Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. American Meteorological Society Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 2009 ftmit https://doi.org/10.1175/2009jcli3197.1 2023-05-29T08:31:32Z A series of coupled atmosphere–ocean–ice aquaplanet experiments is described in which topological constraints on ocean circulation are introduced to study the role of ocean circulation on the mean climate of the coupled system. It is imagined that the earth is completely covered by an ocean of uniform depth except for the presence or absence of narrow barriers that extend from the bottom of the ocean to the sea surface. The following four configurations are described: Aqua (no land), Ridge (one barrier extends from pole to pole), Drake (one barrier extends from the North Pole to 35°S), and DDrake (two such barriers are set 90° apart and join at the North Pole, separating the ocean into a large basin and a small basin, connected to the south). On moving from Aqua to Ridge to Drake to DDrake, the energy transports in the equilibrium solutions become increasingly “realistic,” culminating in DDrake, which has an uncanny resemblance to the present climate. Remarkably, the zonal-average climates of Drake and DDrake are strikingly similar, exhibiting almost identical heat and freshwater transports, and meridional overturning circulations. However, Drake and DDrake differ dramatically in their regional climates. The small and large basins of DDrake exhibit distinctive Atlantic-like and Pacific-like characteristics, respectively: the small basin is warmer, saltier, and denser at the surface than the large basin, and is the main site of deep water formation with a deep overturning circulation and strong northward ocean heat transport. A sensitivity experiment with DDrake demonstrates that the salinity contrast between the two basins, and hence the localization of deep convection, results from a deficit of precipitation, rather than an excess of evaporation, over the small basin. It is argued that the width of the small basin relative to the zonal fetch of atmospheric precipitation is the key to understanding this salinity contrast. Finally, it is argued that many gross features of the present climate are consequences of ... Article in Journal/Newspaper North Pole DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Pacific North Pole Journal of Climate 23 6 1456 1476 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftmit |
language |
English |
description |
A series of coupled atmosphere–ocean–ice aquaplanet experiments is described in which topological constraints on ocean circulation are introduced to study the role of ocean circulation on the mean climate of the coupled system. It is imagined that the earth is completely covered by an ocean of uniform depth except for the presence or absence of narrow barriers that extend from the bottom of the ocean to the sea surface. The following four configurations are described: Aqua (no land), Ridge (one barrier extends from pole to pole), Drake (one barrier extends from the North Pole to 35°S), and DDrake (two such barriers are set 90° apart and join at the North Pole, separating the ocean into a large basin and a small basin, connected to the south). On moving from Aqua to Ridge to Drake to DDrake, the energy transports in the equilibrium solutions become increasingly “realistic,” culminating in DDrake, which has an uncanny resemblance to the present climate. Remarkably, the zonal-average climates of Drake and DDrake are strikingly similar, exhibiting almost identical heat and freshwater transports, and meridional overturning circulations. However, Drake and DDrake differ dramatically in their regional climates. The small and large basins of DDrake exhibit distinctive Atlantic-like and Pacific-like characteristics, respectively: the small basin is warmer, saltier, and denser at the surface than the large basin, and is the main site of deep water formation with a deep overturning circulation and strong northward ocean heat transport. A sensitivity experiment with DDrake demonstrates that the salinity contrast between the two basins, and hence the localization of deep convection, results from a deficit of precipitation, rather than an excess of evaporation, over the small basin. It is argued that the width of the small basin relative to the zonal fetch of atmospheric precipitation is the key to understanding this salinity contrast. Finally, it is argued that many gross features of the present climate are consequences of ... |
author2 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Marshall, John C. Campin, Jean-Michel Ferreira, David |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Marshall, John C. Campin, Jean-Michel Ferreira, David |
spellingShingle |
Marshall, John C. Campin, Jean-Michel Ferreira, David Localization of Deep Water Formation: Role of Atmospheric Moisture Transport and Geometrical Constraints on Ocean Circulation |
author_facet |
Marshall, John C. Campin, Jean-Michel Ferreira, David |
author_sort |
Marshall, John C. |
title |
Localization of Deep Water Formation: Role of Atmospheric Moisture Transport and Geometrical Constraints on Ocean Circulation |
title_short |
Localization of Deep Water Formation: Role of Atmospheric Moisture Transport and Geometrical Constraints on Ocean Circulation |
title_full |
Localization of Deep Water Formation: Role of Atmospheric Moisture Transport and Geometrical Constraints on Ocean Circulation |
title_fullStr |
Localization of Deep Water Formation: Role of Atmospheric Moisture Transport and Geometrical Constraints on Ocean Circulation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Localization of Deep Water Formation: Role of Atmospheric Moisture Transport and Geometrical Constraints on Ocean Circulation |
title_sort |
localization of deep water formation: role of atmospheric moisture transport and geometrical constraints on ocean circulation |
publisher |
American Meteorological Society |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/60332 |
geographic |
Pacific North Pole |
geographic_facet |
Pacific North Pole |
genre |
North Pole |
genre_facet |
North Pole |
op_source |
American Meteorological Society |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/2009jcli3197.1 Journal of Climate 0894-8755 1520-0442 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/60332 Ferreira, David, John Marshall, and Jean-Michel Campin. “Localization of Deep Water Formation: Role of Atmospheric Moisture Transport and Geometrical Constraints on Ocean Circulation.” Journal of Climate 23.6 (2010): 1456-1476. © 2010 American Meteorological Society orcid:0000-0001-9230-3591 |
op_rights |
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1175/2009jcli3197.1 |
container_title |
Journal of Climate |
container_volume |
23 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
1456 |
op_container_end_page |
1476 |
_version_ |
1768371796000636928 |