Is the Thermohaline Circulation Changing?
- 15 September 2006
- journal article
- Published by American Meteorological Society in Journal of Climate
- Vol. 19 (18) , 4631-4637
- https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli3876.1
Abstract
Analyses of ocean observations and model simulations suggest that there have been considerable changes in the thermohaline circulation (THC) during the last century. These changes are likely to be the result of natural multidecadal climate variability and are driven by low-frequency variations of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) through changes in Labrador Sea convection. Indications of a sustained THC weakening are not seen during the last few decades. Instead, a strengthening since the 1980s is observed. The combined assessment of ocean hydrography data and model results indicates that the expected anthropogenic weakening of the THC will remain within the range of natural variability during the next several decades.Keywords
This publication has 37 references indexed in Scilit:
- Slowing of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 25° NNature, 2005
- Dilution of the Northern North Atlantic Ocean in Recent DecadesScience, 2005
- Simulated variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulationClimate Dynamics, 2004
- Variability of the meridional overturning circulation of the North Atlantic: sensitivity to overflows of dense water massesOcean Dynamics, 2004
- Modeling CFC inventories and formation rates of Labrador Sea WaterGeophysical Research Letters, 2003
- Rapid freshening of the deep North Atlantic Ocean over the past four decadesNature, 2002
- Implications of the Recent Trend in the Arctic/North Atlantic Oscillation for the North Atlantic Thermohaline CirculationJournal of Climate, 2000
- Oceanic transport of subpolar climate signals to mid-depth subtropical watersNature, 1998
- A Method for Improved Representation of Dense Water Spreading over Topography in Geopotential-Coordinate ModelsJournal of Physical Oceanography, 1997
- Atlantic Air-Sea InteractionPublished by Elsevier ,1964