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Elsevier, Ocean Modelling, (42), p. 50-56

DOI: 10.1016/j.ocemod.2011.11.008

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Large near-inertial oscillations of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation

This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.

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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is a key contributor to Europe's mild climate. Both observations and models suggest that the AMOC strength varies on a wide range of timescales. Here we show the existence of previously unreported large near inertial AMOC oscillations in a high resolution ocean model. Peak-to-peak these oscillations can exceed 50 Sv (50 * 106 m3 s-1) in one day. The AMOC oscillations are caused by equatorward propagating near-inertial gravity waves (NIGWs) which are forced by temporally changing wind forcing. The existence of NIGWs in the ocean is supported by observations, and a significant fraction of the ocean's kinetic energy is associated with the near inertial frequencies. Our results also suggest that the NIGW-driven MOC variability would be near invisible to contemporary AMOC observing systems such as the RAPID MOC system at 26.5°N.