Articles | Volume 18, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-1507-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-1507-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
21 Oct 2022
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 21 Oct 2022
| 21 Oct 2022
Exceptional freshening and cooling in the eastern subpolar North Atlantic caused by reduced Labrador Sea surface heat loss
Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, UK
Patricia Handmann
Ocean Dynamics Department, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Christina Schmidt
Ocean Dynamics Department, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
now at: Climate Change Research Centre and the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Neil Fraser
Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, UK
Siren Rühs
Ocean Dynamics Department, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
now at: Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Department of Physics, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CS, the Netherlands
Alejandra Sanchez-Franks
National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
Torge Martin
Ocean Dynamics Department, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Marilena Oltmanns
National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
Clare Johnson
Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, UK
Willi Rath
Ocean Dynamics Department, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
N. Penny Holliday
National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
Arne Biastoch
Ocean Dynamics Department, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Christian-Albrechts Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Stuart A. Cunningham
Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, UK
Igor Yashayaev
Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 1 Challenger Drive, P.O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
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Cited
29 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Aerosol in the subarctic region impacts on Atlantic meridional overturning circulation under global warming D. Chen et al.
- Shifts from surface density compensation to projected warming, freshening and stronger stratification in the subpolar North Atlantic R. Marsh et al.
- Atlantic overturning: new observations and challenges M. Srokosz et al.
- From Global Emissions to Local Impacts: Spatially Explicit Modeling of Ocean Acidification in Life Cycle Assessment S. Anderson et al.
- The Scotland–Canada overturning array (SCOTIA): twenty years of meridional overturning in the subpolar North Atlantic A. Fox et al.
- Is There Robust Evidence for Freshwater-Driven AMOC Changes? A Synthesis of Data, Models, and Mechanisms S. Hines et al.
- A Review of Arctic–Subarctic Ocean Linkages: Past Changes, Mechanisms, and Future Projections Q. Wang et al.
- Deep ocean cooling and freshening from Subpolar North Atlantic reaches Subtropics at 26.5°N L. Chomiak et al.
- Observed decrease in Deep Western Boundary Current transport in subpolar North Atlantic G. Koman et al.
- A decade of continuous Rockall Trough transport observations using moorings and gliders K. Burmeister et al.
- Seasonal to long-term variability of natural and anthropogenic carbon concentrations and transports in the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean R. Bajon et al.
- Diurnal to interannual variability in the Northeast Atlantic from hydrographic transects and fixed time-series across the Rockall Trough E. Daly et al.
- Deep ocean particle flux in the Northeast Atlantic over the past 30 years: carbon sequestration is controlled by ecosystem structure in the upper ocean R. Lampitt et al.
- Investigation of the Source of Iceland Basin Freshening: Virtual Particle Tracking with Satellite-Derived Geostrophic Surface Velocities H. Furey et al.
- Coupling large-spatial scale larval dispersal modelling with barcoding to refine the amphi-Atlantic connectivity hypothesis in deep-sea seep mussels E. Portanier et al.
- Delayed Recovery of the Irminger Interior From Cooling in 2015 Due To Widespread Buoyancy Loss and Suppressed Restratification M. Nelson et al.
- Circulation of Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay waters on the Labrador shelf and into the subpolar North Atlantic E. Duyck et al.
- Mesoscale eddies in the subpolar North Atlantic: their ecological importance and conservation significance L. Henry et al.
- Observation-based estimates of volume, heat, and freshwater exchanges between the subpolar North Atlantic interior, its boundary currents, and the atmosphere S. Jones et al.
- An Atlantic-wide assessment of marine heatwaves beyond the surface in an eddy-rich ocean model T. Schulzki et al.
- Towards two decades of Atlantic Ocean mass and heat transports at 26.5° N W. Johns et al.
- North Atlantic Ocean Circulation and Related Exchange of Heat and Salt Between Water Masses S. Berglund et al.
- Propagation and Transformation of Upper North Atlantic Deep Water From the Subpolar Gyre to 26.5°N T. Petit et al.
- An observation-based method to estimate carbonate system variations in the Labrador Sea C. Boteler et al.
- Observed change and the extent of coherence in the Gulf Stream system H. Asbjørnsen et al.
- Rapid subsurface warming in the subpolar North Atlantic from freshening L. Menviel et al.
- Arctic freshwater impact on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation: status and prospects T. Haine et al.
- Estimating the AMOC from Argo profiles with machine learning trained on ocean simulations Y. Wölker et al.
- The interior spreading story of Labrador Sea Water L. Chomiak et al.
29 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Aerosol in the subarctic region impacts on Atlantic meridional overturning circulation under global warming D. Chen et al.
- Shifts from surface density compensation to projected warming, freshening and stronger stratification in the subpolar North Atlantic R. Marsh et al.
- Atlantic overturning: new observations and challenges M. Srokosz et al.
- From Global Emissions to Local Impacts: Spatially Explicit Modeling of Ocean Acidification in Life Cycle Assessment S. Anderson et al.
- The Scotland–Canada overturning array (SCOTIA): twenty years of meridional overturning in the subpolar North Atlantic A. Fox et al.
- Is There Robust Evidence for Freshwater-Driven AMOC Changes? A Synthesis of Data, Models, and Mechanisms S. Hines et al.
- A Review of Arctic–Subarctic Ocean Linkages: Past Changes, Mechanisms, and Future Projections Q. Wang et al.
- Deep ocean cooling and freshening from Subpolar North Atlantic reaches Subtropics at 26.5°N L. Chomiak et al.
- Observed decrease in Deep Western Boundary Current transport in subpolar North Atlantic G. Koman et al.
- A decade of continuous Rockall Trough transport observations using moorings and gliders K. Burmeister et al.
- Seasonal to long-term variability of natural and anthropogenic carbon concentrations and transports in the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean R. Bajon et al.
- Diurnal to interannual variability in the Northeast Atlantic from hydrographic transects and fixed time-series across the Rockall Trough E. Daly et al.
- Deep ocean particle flux in the Northeast Atlantic over the past 30 years: carbon sequestration is controlled by ecosystem structure in the upper ocean R. Lampitt et al.
- Investigation of the Source of Iceland Basin Freshening: Virtual Particle Tracking with Satellite-Derived Geostrophic Surface Velocities H. Furey et al.
- Coupling large-spatial scale larval dispersal modelling with barcoding to refine the amphi-Atlantic connectivity hypothesis in deep-sea seep mussels E. Portanier et al.
- Delayed Recovery of the Irminger Interior From Cooling in 2015 Due To Widespread Buoyancy Loss and Suppressed Restratification M. Nelson et al.
- Circulation of Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay waters on the Labrador shelf and into the subpolar North Atlantic E. Duyck et al.
- Mesoscale eddies in the subpolar North Atlantic: their ecological importance and conservation significance L. Henry et al.
- Observation-based estimates of volume, heat, and freshwater exchanges between the subpolar North Atlantic interior, its boundary currents, and the atmosphere S. Jones et al.
- An Atlantic-wide assessment of marine heatwaves beyond the surface in an eddy-rich ocean model T. Schulzki et al.
- Towards two decades of Atlantic Ocean mass and heat transports at 26.5° N W. Johns et al.
- North Atlantic Ocean Circulation and Related Exchange of Heat and Salt Between Water Masses S. Berglund et al.
- Propagation and Transformation of Upper North Atlantic Deep Water From the Subpolar Gyre to 26.5°N T. Petit et al.
- An observation-based method to estimate carbonate system variations in the Labrador Sea C. Boteler et al.
- Observed change and the extent of coherence in the Gulf Stream system H. Asbjørnsen et al.
- Rapid subsurface warming in the subpolar North Atlantic from freshening L. Menviel et al.
- Arctic freshwater impact on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation: status and prospects T. Haine et al.
- Estimating the AMOC from Argo profiles with machine learning trained on ocean simulations Y. Wölker et al.
- The interior spreading story of Labrador Sea Water L. Chomiak et al.
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 26 May 2026
Editorial statement
In this paper, a new hypothesis is put forward to explain the remarkable freshening of the Subpolar North Atlantic that peaked in 2016. The hypothesis emphasizes the increased surface circulation in the Labrador Sea region, following a reduction in heat loss to the atmosphere during the period 2000-2013. This new hypothesis, supported by the analysis of a very high resolution ocean model, contrasts with other studies that concluded to an overwhelming role of the reduced Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in the freshening. In the present study, the AMOC decline is shown to account for not more than 27% of the freshening.
Overall, this paper points out that surface properties of the Subpolar North Atlantic Ocean, which are important for European climate, cannot be understood in terms of AMOC variability only, but rather depend on the horizontal circulation at the ocean surface and on regional air-sea exchanges.
In this paper, a new hypothesis is put forward to explain the remarkable freshening of the...
Short summary
Observations of the eastern subpolar North Atlantic in the 2010s show exceptional freshening and cooling of the upper ocean, peaking in 2016 with the lowest salinities recorded for 120 years. Using results from a high-resolution ocean model, supported by observations, we propose that the leading cause is reduced surface cooling over the preceding decade in the Labrador Sea, leading to increased outflow of less dense water and so to freshening and cooling of the eastern subpolar North Atlantic.
Observations of the eastern subpolar North Atlantic in the 2010s show exceptional freshening and...
