Collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in a Strongly Eddying Ocean‐Only Model
Abstract A collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) under a quasi‐equilibrium freshwater forcing has now been found in a hierarchy of ocean‐climate models and up to a fully‐coupled climate model, the Community Earth System Model (CESM). However, the effects of eddies on the...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL114532 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Abstract A collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) under a quasi‐equilibrium freshwater forcing has now been found in a hierarchy of ocean‐climate models and up to a fully‐coupled climate model, the Community Earth System Model (CESM). However, the effects of eddies on the ocean flows are represented in a highly idealized way in the CESM and it is unknown how these affect AMOC stability. Here, we show results of the first quasi‐equilibrium hosing simulation with a strongly eddying ocean‐only model in which the AMOC collapses. By comparing these results to those of a companion non‐eddying simulation with the same model, it is found that eddies are able to maintain a weak (∼5 Sv) AMOC flow in the collapsed state. In addition, we find that the AMOC induced freshwater transport at 34°S is a reliable physics‐based early warning indicator for the onset of the AMOC collapse. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |