Smeed, David A. and Josey, S.A. and Beaulieu, Claudie and Johns, W.E. and Moat, Ben I. and Frajka-Williams, Eleanor and Rayner, Darren and Meinen, Christopher S. and Baringer, Molly O. and Bryden, Harry L. and McCarthy, Gerard (2018) The North Atlantic Ocean is in a state of reduced overturning. Geophysical Research Letters, 45 (3). pp. 1527-1533. ISSN 0094-8276

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Abstract

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is responsible for a variable and climatically important northward transport of heat. Using data from an array of instruments that span the Atlantic at 26°N, we show that the AMOC has been in a state of reduced overturning since 2008 as compared to 2004–2008. This change of AMOC state is concurrent with other changes in the North Atlantic such as a northward shift and broadening of the Gulf Stream and altered patterns of heat content and sea surface temperature. These changes resemble the response to a declining AMOC predicted by coupled climate models. Concurrent changes in air‐sea fluxes close to the western boundary reveal that the changes in ocean heat transport and sea surface temperature have altered the pattern of ocean‐atmosphere heat exchange over the North Atlantic. These results provide strong observational evidence that the AMOC is a major factor in decadal‐scale variability of North Atlantic climate.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Atlantic; AMOC; overturning; circulation;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Geography Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units, ICARUS
Item ID:	12175
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076350
Depositing User:	Gerard McCarthy
Date Deposited:	17 Jan 2020 14:48
Journal or Publication Title:	Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher:	American Geophysical Union
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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