The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in High-Resolution Models

Joël J.M. Hirschi; Bernard Barnier; Claus Böning; Arne Biastoch; Adam T. Blaker; Andrew Coward; Sergey Danilov; Sybren Drijfhout; Klaus Getzlaff; Stephen M. Griffies; Hiroyasu Hasumi; Helene Hewitt; Doroteaciro Iovino; Takao Kawasaki; Andrew E. Kiss; Nikolay Koldunov; Alice Marzocchi; Jennifer V. Mecking; Ben Moat; Jean Marc Molines; Paul G. Myers; Thierry Penduff; Malcolm Roberts; Anne Marie Treguier; Dmitry V. Sein; Dmitry Sidorenko; Justin Small; Paul Spence; Lu Anne Thompson; Wilbert Weijer; Xiaobiao Xu

doi:10.1029/2019JC015522

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in High-Resolution Models

Joël J.M. Hirschi^*, Bernard Barnier, Claus Böning, Arne Biastoch, Adam T. Blaker, Andrew Coward, Sergey Danilov, Sybren Drijfhout, Klaus Getzlaff, Stephen M. Griffies, Hiroyasu Hasumi, Helene Hewitt, Doroteaciro Iovino, Takao Kawasaki, Andrew E. Kiss, Nikolay Koldunov, Alice Marzocchi, Jennifer V. Mecking, Ben Moat, Jean Marc MolinesPaul G. Myers, Thierry Penduff, Malcolm Roberts, Anne Marie Treguier, Dmitry V. Sein, Dmitry Sidorenko, Justin Small, Paul Spence, Lu Anne Thompson, Wilbert Weijer, Xiaobiao Xu

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

95 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) represents the zonally integrated stream function of meridional volume transport in the Atlantic Basin. The AMOC plays an important role in transporting heat meridionally in the climate system. Observations suggest a heat transport by the AMOC of 1.3 PW at 26°N—a latitude which is close to where the Atlantic northward heat transport is thought to reach its maximum. This shapes the climate of the North Atlantic region as we know it today. In recent years there has been significant progress both in our ability to observe the AMOC in nature and to simulate it in numerical models. Most previous modeling investigations of the AMOC and its impact on climate have relied on models with horizontal resolution that does not resolve ocean mesoscale eddies and the dynamics of the Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Current system. As a result of recent increases in computing power, models are now being run that are able to represent mesoscale ocean dynamics and the circulation features that rely on them. The aim of this review is to describe new insights into the AMOC provided by high-resolution models. Furthermore, we will describe how high-resolution model simulations can help resolve outstanding challenges in our understanding of the AMOC.

Original language	English
Article number	e2019JC015522
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
Volume	125
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JC015522
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2020

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Hirschi, J. J. M., Barnier, B., Böning, C., Biastoch, A., Blaker, A. T., Coward, A., Danilov, S., Drijfhout, S., Getzlaff, K., Griffies, S. M., Hasumi, H., Hewitt, H., Iovino, D., Kawasaki, T., Kiss, A. E., Koldunov, N., Marzocchi, A., Mecking, J. V., Moat, B., ... Xu, X. (2020). The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in High-Resolution Models. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 125(4), Article e2019JC015522. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JC015522

@article{3026d6faa5d3437ebb4c8939b8887fa6,

title = "The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in High-Resolution Models",

abstract = "The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) represents the zonally integrated stream function of meridional volume transport in the Atlantic Basin. The AMOC plays an important role in transporting heat meridionally in the climate system. Observations suggest a heat transport by the AMOC of 1.3 PW at 26°N—a latitude which is close to where the Atlantic northward heat transport is thought to reach its maximum. This shapes the climate of the North Atlantic region as we know it today. In recent years there has been significant progress both in our ability to observe the AMOC in nature and to simulate it in numerical models. Most previous modeling investigations of the AMOC and its impact on climate have relied on models with horizontal resolution that does not resolve ocean mesoscale eddies and the dynamics of the Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Current system. As a result of recent increases in computing power, models are now being run that are able to represent mesoscale ocean dynamics and the circulation features that rely on them. The aim of this review is to describe new insights into the AMOC provided by high-resolution models. Furthermore, we will describe how high-resolution model simulations can help resolve outstanding challenges in our understanding of the AMOC.",

keywords = "Atlantic Meridional Overturning, high-resolution modeling, mesoscale",

author = "Hirschi, {Jo{\"e}l J.M.} and Bernard Barnier and Claus B{\"o}ning and Arne Biastoch and Blaker, {Adam T.} and Andrew Coward and Sergey Danilov and Sybren Drijfhout and Klaus Getzlaff and Griffies, {Stephen M.} and Hiroyasu Hasumi and Helene Hewitt and Doroteaciro Iovino and Takao Kawasaki and Kiss, {Andrew E.} and Nikolay Koldunov and Alice Marzocchi and Mecking, {Jennifer V.} and Ben Moat and Molines, {Jean Marc} and Myers, {Paul G.} and Thierry Penduff and Malcolm Roberts and Treguier, {Anne Marie} and Sein, {Dmitry V.} and Dmitry Sidorenko and Justin Small and Paul Spence and Thompson, {Lu Anne} and Wilbert Weijer and Xiaobiao Xu",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright}2020. The Authors.",

year = "2020",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1029/2019JC015522",

language = "English",

volume = "125",

journal = "Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans",

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Hirschi, JJM, Barnier, B, Böning, C, Biastoch, A, Blaker, AT, Coward, A, Danilov, S, Drijfhout, S, Getzlaff, K, Griffies, SM, Hasumi, H, Hewitt, H, Iovino, D, Kawasaki, T, Kiss, AE, Koldunov, N, Marzocchi, A, Mecking, JV, Moat, B, Molines, JM, Myers, PG, Penduff, T, Roberts, M, Treguier, AM, Sein, DV, Sidorenko, D, Small, J, Spence, P, Thompson, LA, Weijer, W & Xu, X 2020, 'The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in High-Resolution Models', Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, vol. 125, no. 4, e2019JC015522. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JC015522

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in High-Resolution Models

AU - Hirschi, Joël J.M.

AU - Barnier, Bernard

AU - Böning, Claus

AU - Biastoch, Arne

AU - Blaker, Adam T.

AU - Coward, Andrew

AU - Danilov, Sergey

AU - Drijfhout, Sybren

AU - Getzlaff, Klaus

AU - Griffies, Stephen M.

AU - Hasumi, Hiroyasu

AU - Hewitt, Helene

AU - Iovino, Doroteaciro

AU - Kawasaki, Takao

AU - Kiss, Andrew E.

AU - Koldunov, Nikolay

AU - Marzocchi, Alice

AU - Mecking, Jennifer V.

AU - Moat, Ben

AU - Molines, Jean Marc

AU - Myers, Paul G.

AU - Penduff, Thierry

AU - Roberts, Malcolm

AU - Treguier, Anne Marie

AU - Sein, Dmitry V.

AU - Sidorenko, Dmitry

AU - Small, Justin

AU - Spence, Paul

AU - Thompson, Lu Anne

AU - Weijer, Wilbert

AU - Xu, Xiaobiao

PY - 2020/4/1

Y1 - 2020/4/1

N2 - The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) represents the zonally integrated stream function of meridional volume transport in the Atlantic Basin. The AMOC plays an important role in transporting heat meridionally in the climate system. Observations suggest a heat transport by the AMOC of 1.3 PW at 26°N—a latitude which is close to where the Atlantic northward heat transport is thought to reach its maximum. This shapes the climate of the North Atlantic region as we know it today. In recent years there has been significant progress both in our ability to observe the AMOC in nature and to simulate it in numerical models. Most previous modeling investigations of the AMOC and its impact on climate have relied on models with horizontal resolution that does not resolve ocean mesoscale eddies and the dynamics of the Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Current system. As a result of recent increases in computing power, models are now being run that are able to represent mesoscale ocean dynamics and the circulation features that rely on them. The aim of this review is to describe new insights into the AMOC provided by high-resolution models. Furthermore, we will describe how high-resolution model simulations can help resolve outstanding challenges in our understanding of the AMOC.

AB - The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) represents the zonally integrated stream function of meridional volume transport in the Atlantic Basin. The AMOC plays an important role in transporting heat meridionally in the climate system. Observations suggest a heat transport by the AMOC of 1.3 PW at 26°N—a latitude which is close to where the Atlantic northward heat transport is thought to reach its maximum. This shapes the climate of the North Atlantic region as we know it today. In recent years there has been significant progress both in our ability to observe the AMOC in nature and to simulate it in numerical models. Most previous modeling investigations of the AMOC and its impact on climate have relied on models with horizontal resolution that does not resolve ocean mesoscale eddies and the dynamics of the Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Current system. As a result of recent increases in computing power, models are now being run that are able to represent mesoscale ocean dynamics and the circulation features that rely on them. The aim of this review is to describe new insights into the AMOC provided by high-resolution models. Furthermore, we will describe how high-resolution model simulations can help resolve outstanding challenges in our understanding of the AMOC.

KW - Atlantic Meridional Overturning

KW - high-resolution modeling

KW - mesoscale

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85083840231&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1029/2019JC015522

DO - 10.1029/2019JC015522

M3 - Review article

SN - 2169-9275

VL - 125

JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans

JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans

IS - 4

M1 - e2019JC015522

ER -

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in High-Resolution Models

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