North Atlantic deep water formation and AMOC in CMIP5 models

Heuzé, Céline

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/os-13-609-2017

Articles | Volume 13, issue 4

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-13-609-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-13-609-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 13, issue 4

Research article

|

26 Jul 2017

Research article |

| 26 Jul 2017

North Atlantic deep water formation and AMOC in CMIP5 models

Céline Heuzé

Data sets

CMIP5 data IPCC Data Distribution Centre http://www.ipcc-data.org/sim/gcm_monthly/AR5/Reference-Archive.html

Climatological data for the mixed layer depth Clément de Boyer Montégut http://www.ifremer.fr/cerweb/deboyer/mld/home.php

Climatological data of ocean temperature and salinity Ocean Climate Laboratory (OCL) https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/OC5/WOA09/pr_woa09.html

Sea ice concentration observations Met Office Hadley Centre http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadisst/

Global analyses of sea surface temperature, sea ice, and night marine temperature since the late nineteenth century N. A. Rayner, D. E. Parker, E. B. Horton, C. K. Folland, L. V. Alexander, D. P. Rowell, E. C. Kent, and A. Kaplan https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002670

Short summary

Climate models are the best tool available to estimate the ocean’s response to climate change, notably sea level rise. To trust the models, we need to compare them to the real ocean in key areas. Here we do so in the North Atlantic, where deep waters form, and show that inaccurate location, extent and frequency of the formation impact the representation of the global ocean circulation and how much heat enters the Arctic. We also study the causes of the errors in order to improve future models.