Observed and simulated estimates of the meridional overturning circulation at 26.5 degrees N in the Atlantic
Daily timeseries of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) estimated from the UK/US RAPID/MOCHA array at 26.5° [26.5 degrees] N in the Atlantic are used to evaluate the MOC as simulated in two global circulation models: (I) an 8-member ensemble of the coupled climate model ECHAM5/MPI-OM, and (...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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European Geosciences Union / Copernicus
2011
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65382 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3925-6161 |
| _version_ | 1811087472286760960 |
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| author | Baehr, Johanna Cunningham, S. Haak, H. Heimbach, Patrick Kanzow, T. Marotzke, J. |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Baehr, Johanna Cunningham, S. Haak, H. Heimbach, Patrick Kanzow, T. Marotzke, J. |
| author_sort | Baehr, Johanna |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Daily timeseries of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) estimated from the UK/US RAPID/MOCHA array at 26.5° [26.5 degrees] N in the Atlantic are used to evaluate the MOC as simulated in two global circulation models: (I) an 8-member ensemble of the coupled climate model ECHAM5/MPI-OM, and (II) the ECCO-GODAE state estimate. In ECHAM5/MPI-OM, we find that the observed and simulated MOC have a similar variability and time-mean within the 99% confidence interval. In ECCO-GODAE, we find that the observed and simulated MOC show a significant correlation within the 99% confidence interval. To investigate the contribution of the different transport components, the MOC is decomposed into Florida Current, Ekman and mid-ocean transports. In both models, the mid-ocean transport is closely approximated by the residual of the MOC minus Florida Current and Ekman transports. As the models conserve volume by definition, future comparisons of the RAPID/MOCHA mid-ocean transport should be done against the residual transport in the models. The similarity in the variance and the correlation between the RAPID/MOCHA, and respectively ECHAM5/MPI-OM and ECCO-GODAE MOC estimates at 26.5° [26.5 degrees] N is encouraging in the context of estimating (natural) variability in climate simulations and its use in climate change signal-to-noise detection analyses. Enhanced confidence in simulated hydrographic and transport variability will require longer observational time series. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:46:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/65382 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:46:19Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | European Geosciences Union / Copernicus |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/653822022-09-28T16:05:21Z Observed and simulated estimates of the meridional overturning circulation at 26.5 degrees N in the Atlantic Baehr, Johanna Cunningham, S. Haak, H. Heimbach, Patrick Kanzow, T. Marotzke, J. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Heimbach, Patrick Baehr, Johanna Heimbach, Patrick Daily timeseries of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) estimated from the UK/US RAPID/MOCHA array at 26.5° [26.5 degrees] N in the Atlantic are used to evaluate the MOC as simulated in two global circulation models: (I) an 8-member ensemble of the coupled climate model ECHAM5/MPI-OM, and (II) the ECCO-GODAE state estimate. In ECHAM5/MPI-OM, we find that the observed and simulated MOC have a similar variability and time-mean within the 99% confidence interval. In ECCO-GODAE, we find that the observed and simulated MOC show a significant correlation within the 99% confidence interval. To investigate the contribution of the different transport components, the MOC is decomposed into Florida Current, Ekman and mid-ocean transports. In both models, the mid-ocean transport is closely approximated by the residual of the MOC minus Florida Current and Ekman transports. As the models conserve volume by definition, future comparisons of the RAPID/MOCHA mid-ocean transport should be done against the residual transport in the models. The similarity in the variance and the correlation between the RAPID/MOCHA, and respectively ECHAM5/MPI-OM and ECCO-GODAE MOC estimates at 26.5° [26.5 degrees] N is encouraging in the context of estimating (natural) variability in climate simulations and its use in climate change signal-to-noise detection analyses. Enhanced confidence in simulated hydrographic and transport variability will require longer observational time series. Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science 2011-08-25T21:51:51Z 2011-08-25T21:51:51Z 2009-11 2009-10 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1812-0784 1812-0792 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65382 Baehr, J. et al. “Observed and Simulated Estimates of the Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26.5° N in the Atlantic.” Ocean Science 5.4 (2009) : 575-589. © Author(s) 2009 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3925-6161 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/os-5-575-2009 Ocean Science Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 application/pdf European Geosciences Union / Copernicus Copernicus |
| spellingShingle | Baehr, Johanna Cunningham, S. Haak, H. Heimbach, Patrick Kanzow, T. Marotzke, J. Observed and simulated estimates of the meridional overturning circulation at 26.5 degrees N in the Atlantic |
| title | Observed and simulated estimates of the meridional overturning circulation at 26.5 degrees N in the Atlantic |
| title_full | Observed and simulated estimates of the meridional overturning circulation at 26.5 degrees N in the Atlantic |
| title_fullStr | Observed and simulated estimates of the meridional overturning circulation at 26.5 degrees N in the Atlantic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Observed and simulated estimates of the meridional overturning circulation at 26.5 degrees N in the Atlantic |
| title_short | Observed and simulated estimates of the meridional overturning circulation at 26.5 degrees N in the Atlantic |
| title_sort | observed and simulated estimates of the meridional overturning circulation at 26 5 degrees n in the atlantic |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65382 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3925-6161 |
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