Spatial distribution of air-sea heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean
On a variety of spatial and temporal scales, the energy transferred by air-sea heat and moisture fluxes plays an important role in both atmospheric and oceanic circulations. This is particularly true in the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean, where these fluxes drive water-mass transformations that are...
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ftuniveastangl:oai:ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk:41955 2023-05-15T16:29:52+02:00 Spatial distribution of air-sea heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean Moore, G. W. K. Renfrew, IA Pickart, R. S. 2012 application/pdf https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/41955/ https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/41955/1/moore_etal_subpolar_fluxes_2012GL053097_GRL_2012.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL053097 en eng https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/41955/1/moore_etal_subpolar_fluxes_2012GL053097_GRL_2012.pdf Moore, G. W. K., Renfrew, IA and Pickart, R. S. (2012) Spatial distribution of air-sea heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean. Geophysical Research Letters, 39 (18). ISSN 1944-8007 doi:10.1029/2012GL053097 Article PeerReviewed 2012 ftuniveastangl https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL053097 2023-03-23T23:31:54Z On a variety of spatial and temporal scales, the energy transferred by air-sea heat and moisture fluxes plays an important role in both atmospheric and oceanic circulations. This is particularly true in the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean, where these fluxes drive water-mass transformations that are an integral component of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Here we use the ECMWF Interim Reanalysis to provide a high-resolution view of the spatial structure of the air-sea turbulent heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean. As has been previously recognized, the Labrador and Greenland Seas are areas where these fluxes are large during the winter months. Our particular focus is on the Iceland Sea region where, despite the fact that water-mass transformation occurs, the winter-time air-sea heat fluxes are smaller than anywhere else in the sub-polar domain. We attribute this minimum to a saddle point in the sea-level pressure field, that results in a reduction in mean surface wind speed, as well as colder sea surface temperatures associated with the regional ocean circulation. The magnitude of the heat fluxes in this region are modulated by the relative strength of the Icelandic and Lofoten Lows, and this leads to periods of ocean cooling and even ocean warming when, intriguingly, the sensible and latent heat fluxes are of opposite sign. This suggests that the air-sea forcing in this area has large-scale impacts for climate, and that even modest shifts in the atmospheric circulation could potentially impact the AMOC. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Iceland Lofoten North Atlantic University of East Anglia: UEA Digital Repository Greenland Lofoten Saddle Point ENVELOPE(73.483,73.483,-53.017,-53.017) Geophysical Research Letters 39 18 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of East Anglia: UEA Digital Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftuniveastangl |
language |
English |
description |
On a variety of spatial and temporal scales, the energy transferred by air-sea heat and moisture fluxes plays an important role in both atmospheric and oceanic circulations. This is particularly true in the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean, where these fluxes drive water-mass transformations that are an integral component of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Here we use the ECMWF Interim Reanalysis to provide a high-resolution view of the spatial structure of the air-sea turbulent heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean. As has been previously recognized, the Labrador and Greenland Seas are areas where these fluxes are large during the winter months. Our particular focus is on the Iceland Sea region where, despite the fact that water-mass transformation occurs, the winter-time air-sea heat fluxes are smaller than anywhere else in the sub-polar domain. We attribute this minimum to a saddle point in the sea-level pressure field, that results in a reduction in mean surface wind speed, as well as colder sea surface temperatures associated with the regional ocean circulation. The magnitude of the heat fluxes in this region are modulated by the relative strength of the Icelandic and Lofoten Lows, and this leads to periods of ocean cooling and even ocean warming when, intriguingly, the sensible and latent heat fluxes are of opposite sign. This suggests that the air-sea forcing in this area has large-scale impacts for climate, and that even modest shifts in the atmospheric circulation could potentially impact the AMOC. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Moore, G. W. K. Renfrew, IA Pickart, R. S. |
spellingShingle |
Moore, G. W. K. Renfrew, IA Pickart, R. S. Spatial distribution of air-sea heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean |
author_facet |
Moore, G. W. K. Renfrew, IA Pickart, R. S. |
author_sort |
Moore, G. W. K. |
title |
Spatial distribution of air-sea heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean |
title_short |
Spatial distribution of air-sea heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean |
title_full |
Spatial distribution of air-sea heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Spatial distribution of air-sea heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spatial distribution of air-sea heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean |
title_sort |
spatial distribution of air-sea heat fluxes over the sub-polar north atlantic ocean |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/41955/ https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/41955/1/moore_etal_subpolar_fluxes_2012GL053097_GRL_2012.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL053097 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(73.483,73.483,-53.017,-53.017) |
geographic |
Greenland Lofoten Saddle Point |
geographic_facet |
Greenland Lofoten Saddle Point |
genre |
Greenland Iceland Lofoten North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Greenland Iceland Lofoten North Atlantic |
op_relation |
https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/41955/1/moore_etal_subpolar_fluxes_2012GL053097_GRL_2012.pdf Moore, G. W. K., Renfrew, IA and Pickart, R. S. (2012) Spatial distribution of air-sea heat fluxes over the sub-polar North Atlantic Ocean. Geophysical Research Letters, 39 (18). ISSN 1944-8007 doi:10.1029/2012GL053097 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL053097 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
39 |
container_issue |
18 |
_version_ |
1766019580325527552 |