Meridional Overturning circulation at 26N and the North Atlantic heat COtent (MONACO)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: Sch of Ocean and Earth Science
Abstract
RAPID-WATCH is providing a unique continuous observational time series of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) at 26 N for the first time. The crucial question in this proposal is the link between the MOC and meridional heat transport (MHT) from the RAPID-WATCH observing system and the variability of oceanic heat content in the whole of the North Atlantic inferred from Argo floats. We have strong evidence that the ocean heat content variability from seasonal to interannual time scales (months-10 years) is mainly in the upper 2000 m of the ocean, and therefore can be sampled using the Argo floats. Argo is an international experiment to measure the temperature and salinity of the upper 2000 m of the global ocean using over 3000 profiling floats. Understanding the links between the full depth monitoring of the MOC at 26 N and the heat content of the upper 2000m of the North Atlantic is important. For example, a decrease in heat transport at 26 N and a normal heat transport at the latitude of UK, would lead to cooling of the ocean between these two latitudes, which could influence the strength of westerly winds and alter the temperature and rainfall patterns over the UK and Northern Europe.
People |
ORCID iD |
Neil Wells (Principal Investigator) | |
Vladimir Ivchenko (Researcher) |
Publications
Wells N
(2016)
The North Atlantic Ocean and climate change in the UK and northern Europe
in Weather
Taws S
(2011)
Re-emerging ocean temperature anomalies in late-2010 associated with a repeat negative NAO WINTER RE-EMERGENCE IN LATE-2010
in Geophysical Research Letters
Ivchenko V
(2010)
Variability of heat and salinity content in the North Atlantic in the last decade
in Ocean Science
Bryden Harry L.
(2011)
South Atlantic overturning circulation at 24°S
in JOURNAL OF MARINE RESEARCH
Description | We related changes in the amount of heat stored in the N.Atlantic Ocean to the variations in the heat transported across 26N from the RAPID array. |
Exploitation Route | The methods we used for obtaining heat content using the Argo floats allows comparisons with other data sets ( eg EN4 from the UK Met. Office. Also salinity changes on an ocean basin can be obtained by this method. |
Sectors | Education Environment |
Description | This work has a direct relationship to climate change in and around the N. Atlantic, in particular the UK. |
First Year Of Impact | 2009 |
Sector | Energy,Environment,Security and Diplomacy |
Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic Policy & public services |