Ocean Science
Ocean Science
OS
Articles | Volume 10, issue 6
Articles | Volume 10, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-10-881-2014
© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-10-881-2014
© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Articles | Volume 10, issue 6
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
07 Nov 2014
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 07 Nov 2014

Changes in extreme regional sea surface height due to an abrupt weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation

S.-E. Brunnabend, H. A. Dijkstra, M. A. Kliphuis, B. van Werkhoven, H. E. Bal, F. Seinstra, J. Maassen, and M. van Meersbergen

Abstract. As an extreme scenario of dynamical sea level changes, regional sea surface height (SSH) changes that occur in the North Atlantic due to an abrupt weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) are simulated. Two versions of the same ocean-only model are used to study the effect of ocean model resolution on these SSH changes: a high-resolution (HR) strongly eddying version and a low-resolution (LR) version in which the effect of eddies is parameterised. The weakening of the AMOC is induced in both model versions by applying strong freshwater perturbations around Greenland. A rapid decrease of the AMOC in the HR version induces much shorter return times of several specific regional and coastal extremes in North Atlantic SSH than in the LR version. This effect is caused by a change in main eddy pathways associated with a change in separation latitude of the Gulf Stream.

How to cite. Brunnabend, S.-E., Dijkstra, H. A., Kliphuis, M. A., van Werkhoven, B., Bal, H. E., Seinstra, F., Maassen, J., and van Meersbergen, M.: Changes in extreme regional sea surface height due to an abrupt weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, Ocean Sci., 10, 881–891, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-10-881-2014, 2014.
Received: 13 Mar 2014 – Discussion started: 30 Apr 2014 – Revised: 12 Aug 2014 – Accepted: 26 Sep 2014 – Published: 07 Nov 2014
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Short summary
Regional sea surface height (SSH) changes due to an abrupt weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) are simulated with a high- and low-resolution model. A rapid decrease of the AMOC in the high-resolution version induces shorter return times of several specific regional and coastal extremes in North Atlantic SSH than in the low-resolution version. This effect is caused by a change in main eddy pathways associated with a change in separation latitude of the Gulf Stream.
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