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...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL114532 |
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| author | René M. vanWesten Michael Kliphuis Henk A. Dijkstra |
| author_facet | René M. vanWesten Michael Kliphuis Henk A. Dijkstra |
| author_sort | René M. vanWesten |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9b0207dc5f044f8fa3f22381f1ca3dd0 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-9b0207dc5f044f8fa3f22381f1ca3dd02025-08-20T02:11:21ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-03-01526n/an/a10.1029/2024GL114532Collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in a Strongly Eddying Ocean‐Only ModelRené M. vanWesten0Michael Kliphuis1Henk A. Dijkstra2Department of Physics Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht Utrecht University Utrecht The NetherlandsDepartment of Physics Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht Utrecht University Utrecht The NetherlandsDepartment of Physics Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht Utrecht University Utrecht The NetherlandsAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL114532AMOCtipping eventhigh‐resolutionocean eddies |
| spellingShingle | René M. vanWesten Michael Kliphuis Henk A. Dijkstra Collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in a Strongly Eddying Ocean‐Only Model Geophysical Research Letters AMOC tipping event high‐resolution ocean eddies |
| title | Collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in a Strongly Eddying Ocean‐Only Model |
| title_full | Collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in a Strongly Eddying Ocean‐Only Model |
| title_fullStr | Collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in a Strongly Eddying Ocean‐Only Model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in a Strongly Eddying Ocean‐Only Model |
| title_short | Collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in a Strongly Eddying Ocean‐Only Model |
| title_sort | collapse of the atlantic meridional overturning circulation in a strongly eddying ocean only model |
| topic | AMOC tipping event high‐resolution ocean eddies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL114532 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT renemvanwesten collapseoftheatlanticmeridionaloverturningcirculationinastronglyeddyingoceanonlymodel AT michaelkliphuis collapseoftheatlanticmeridionaloverturningcirculationinastronglyeddyingoceanonlymodel AT henkadijkstra collapseoftheatlanticmeridionaloverturningcirculationinastronglyeddyingoceanonlymodel |