Changing Spatial Patterns of Deep Convection in the Subpolar North Atlantic

Deep convection and associated deep water formation are key processes for climate variability, since they impact the oceanic uptake of heat and trace gases and alter the structure and strength of the global overturning circulation. For long, deep convection in the subpolar North Atlantic was thought...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
Main Authors: Rühs, Siren, Oliver, Eric C. J., Biastoch, Arne, Böning, Claus W., Dowd, Michael, Getzlaff, Klaus, Martin, Torge, Myers, Paul G.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: AGU (American Geophysical Union) 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/1/2021JC017245.pdf
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/2/2021jc017245-sup-0001-supporting.docx
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/3/2021jc017245-sup-0002-movie.mp4
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/4/2021jc017245-sup-0003-movie.mp4
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2021JC017245
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017245
id ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:53147
record_format openpolar
spelling ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:53147 2024-02-11T10:02:50+01:00 Changing Spatial Patterns of Deep Convection in the Subpolar North Atlantic Rühs, Siren Oliver, Eric C. J. Biastoch, Arne Böning, Claus W. Dowd, Michael Getzlaff, Klaus Martin, Torge Myers, Paul G. 2021-07 text video https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/1/2021JC017245.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/2/2021jc017245-sup-0001-supporting.docx https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/3/2021jc017245-sup-0002-movie.mp4 https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/4/2021jc017245-sup-0003-movie.mp4 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2021JC017245 https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017245 en eng AGU (American Geophysical Union) Wiley https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/1/2021JC017245.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/2/2021jc017245-sup-0001-supporting.docx https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/3/2021jc017245-sup-0002-movie.mp4 https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/4/2021jc017245-sup-0003-movie.mp4 Rühs, S. , Oliver, E. C. J. , Biastoch, A. , Böning, C. W. , Dowd, M., Getzlaff, K. , Martin, T. and Myers, P. G. (2021) Changing Spatial Patterns of Deep Convection in the Subpolar North Atlantic. Open Access Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 126 (7). Art.Nr. e2021JC017245. DOI 10.1029/2021JC017245 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017245>. doi:10.1029/2021JC017245 cc_by_4.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Article PeerReviewed 2021 ftoceanrep https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017245 2024-01-15T00:23:45Z Deep convection and associated deep water formation are key processes for climate variability, since they impact the oceanic uptake of heat and trace gases and alter the structure and strength of the global overturning circulation. For long, deep convection in the subpolar North Atlantic was thought to be confined to the central Labrador Sea in the western subpolar gyre (SPG). However, there is increasing observational evidence that deep convection also has occurred in the eastern SPG south of Cape Farewell and in the Irminger Sea, in particular, in 2015–2018. Here we assess this recent event in the context of the temporal evolution of spatial deep convection patterns in the SPG since the mid-twentieth century, using realistic eddy-rich ocean model simulations. These reveal a large interannual variability with changing contributions of the eastern SPG to the total deep convection volume. Notably, in the late 1980s to early 1990s, the period with highest deep convection intensity in the Labrador Sea related to a persistent positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation, the relative contribution of the eastern SPG was small. In contrast, in 2015–2018, deep convection occurred with an unprecedented large relative contribution of the eastern SPG. This is partly linked to a smaller north-westward extent of deep convection in the Labrador Sea compared to previous periods of intensified deep convection, and may be a first fingerprint of freshening trends in the Labrador Sea potentially associated with enhanced Greenland melting and the oceanic advection of the 2012–2016 eastern North Atlantic fresh anomaly. Article in Journal/Newspaper Cape Farewell Greenland Labrador Sea North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) Greenland Irminger Sea ENVELOPE(-34.041,-34.041,63.054,63.054) Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 126 7
institution Open Polar
collection OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel)
op_collection_id ftoceanrep
language English
description Deep convection and associated deep water formation are key processes for climate variability, since they impact the oceanic uptake of heat and trace gases and alter the structure and strength of the global overturning circulation. For long, deep convection in the subpolar North Atlantic was thought to be confined to the central Labrador Sea in the western subpolar gyre (SPG). However, there is increasing observational evidence that deep convection also has occurred in the eastern SPG south of Cape Farewell and in the Irminger Sea, in particular, in 2015–2018. Here we assess this recent event in the context of the temporal evolution of spatial deep convection patterns in the SPG since the mid-twentieth century, using realistic eddy-rich ocean model simulations. These reveal a large interannual variability with changing contributions of the eastern SPG to the total deep convection volume. Notably, in the late 1980s to early 1990s, the period with highest deep convection intensity in the Labrador Sea related to a persistent positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation, the relative contribution of the eastern SPG was small. In contrast, in 2015–2018, deep convection occurred with an unprecedented large relative contribution of the eastern SPG. This is partly linked to a smaller north-westward extent of deep convection in the Labrador Sea compared to previous periods of intensified deep convection, and may be a first fingerprint of freshening trends in the Labrador Sea potentially associated with enhanced Greenland melting and the oceanic advection of the 2012–2016 eastern North Atlantic fresh anomaly.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Rühs, Siren
Oliver, Eric C. J.
Biastoch, Arne
Böning, Claus W.
Dowd, Michael
Getzlaff, Klaus
Martin, Torge
Myers, Paul G.
spellingShingle Rühs, Siren
Oliver, Eric C. J.
Biastoch, Arne
Böning, Claus W.
Dowd, Michael
Getzlaff, Klaus
Martin, Torge
Myers, Paul G.
Changing Spatial Patterns of Deep Convection in the Subpolar North Atlantic
author_facet Rühs, Siren
Oliver, Eric C. J.
Biastoch, Arne
Böning, Claus W.
Dowd, Michael
Getzlaff, Klaus
Martin, Torge
Myers, Paul G.
author_sort Rühs, Siren
title Changing Spatial Patterns of Deep Convection in the Subpolar North Atlantic
title_short Changing Spatial Patterns of Deep Convection in the Subpolar North Atlantic
title_full Changing Spatial Patterns of Deep Convection in the Subpolar North Atlantic
title_fullStr Changing Spatial Patterns of Deep Convection in the Subpolar North Atlantic
title_full_unstemmed Changing Spatial Patterns of Deep Convection in the Subpolar North Atlantic
title_sort changing spatial patterns of deep convection in the subpolar north atlantic
publisher AGU (American Geophysical Union)
publishDate 2021
url https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/1/2021JC017245.pdf
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/2/2021jc017245-sup-0001-supporting.docx
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/3/2021jc017245-sup-0002-movie.mp4
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/4/2021jc017245-sup-0003-movie.mp4
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2021JC017245
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017245
long_lat ENVELOPE(-34.041,-34.041,63.054,63.054)
geographic Greenland
Irminger Sea
geographic_facet Greenland
Irminger Sea
genre Cape Farewell
Greenland
Labrador Sea
North Atlantic
North Atlantic oscillation
genre_facet Cape Farewell
Greenland
Labrador Sea
North Atlantic
North Atlantic oscillation
op_relation https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/1/2021JC017245.pdf
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/2/2021jc017245-sup-0001-supporting.docx
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/3/2021jc017245-sup-0002-movie.mp4
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/53147/4/2021jc017245-sup-0003-movie.mp4
Rühs, S. , Oliver, E. C. J. , Biastoch, A. , Böning, C. W. , Dowd, M., Getzlaff, K. , Martin, T. and Myers, P. G. (2021) Changing Spatial Patterns of Deep Convection in the Subpolar North Atlantic. Open Access Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 126 (7). Art.Nr. e2021JC017245. DOI 10.1029/2021JC017245 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017245>.
doi:10.1029/2021JC017245
op_rights cc_by_4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017245
container_title Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
container_volume 126
container_issue 7
_version_ 1790598914255093760