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Future strengthening of the Nordic Seas overturning circulation

Abstract:

The overturning circulation in the Nordic Seas involves the transformation of warm Atlantic waters into cold, dense overflows. These overflow waters return to the North Atlantic and form the headwaters to the deep limb of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). The Nordic Seas are thus a key component of the AMOC. However, little is known about the response of the overturning circulation in the Nordic Seas to future climate change. Here we show using global climate models that, in contrast to the North Atlantic, the simulated density-space overturning circulation in the Nordic Seas increases throughout most of the 21st century as a result of enhanced horizontal circulation and a strengthened zonal density gradient. The increased Nordic Seas overturning is furthermore manifested in the overturning circulation in the eastern subpolar North Atlantic. A strengthened Nordic Seas overturning circulation could therefore be a stabilizing factor in the future AMOC.

Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Files:
Publisher copy:
10.1038/s41467-023-37846-6

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Earth Sciences
Oxford college:
St Cross College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0003-1873-2085
More by this author
Division:
MPLS
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Springer Nature
Journal:
Nature Communications More from this journal
Volume:
14
Article number:
2065
Publication date:
2023-04-12
Acceptance date:
2023-03-31
DOI:
EISSN:
2041-1723


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1335241
Local pid:
pubs:1335241
Deposit date:
2023-04-12

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