North Atlantic MOC variability and the Mediterranean Outflow: a box-model study

Authors: CALMANTI, SANDRO; ARTALE, VINCENZO¹; SUTERA, ALFONSO²

Source: Tellus A, Volume 58, Number 3, May 2006 , pp. 416-423(8)

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Abstract:

A simple box-model is used to investigate the effect of intermediate level heat/freshwater fluxes on the variability of the oceanic meridional overturning circulation. The model includes a simple representation of the spreading of the Mediterranean Outflow Water in the North Atlantic. We identify an internal advective feedback affecting the amplitude of the thermohaline oscillations. When a salinity gradient is maintained in the ocean interior the oscillations are amplified. Instead, if the intermediate level fluxes are spread in the ocean deep layers, the model variability is reduced. We suggest that this mechanism may be relevant for climate variability on interdecadal timescales.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0870.2006.00176.x

Affiliations: 1: Ente per le Nuove tecnologie, l'Energia e l'Ambiente, Rome, Italy; 2: University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

Publication date: 2006-05-01