The impact of resolution on the adjustment and decadal variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation in a coupled climate model. Hodson, D. L.<nbsp>R. & Sutton, R. T. Climate Dynamics, 39:3057--3073, 2012. doi abstract bibtex Variations in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) exert an important influence on climate, particularly on decadal time scales. Simulation of the MOC in coupled climate models is compromised, to a degree that is unknown, by their lack of fidelity in resolving some of the key processes involved. There is an overarching need to increase the resolution and fidelity of climate models, but also to assess how increases in resolution influence the simulation of key phenomena such as the MOC. In this study we investigate the impact of significantly increasing the (ocean and atmosphere) resolution of a coupled climate model on the simulation of MOC variability by comparing high and low resolution versions of the same model. In both versions, decadal variability of the MOC is closely linked to density anomalies that propagate from the Lab-rador Sea southward along the deep western boundary. We demonstrate that the MOC adjustment proceeds more rapidly in the higher resolution model due the increased speed of western boundary waves. However, the response of the Atlantic sea surface temperatures to MOC variations is relatively robust—in pattern if not in magnitude—across the two resolutions. The MOC also excites a coupled ocean-atmosphere response in the tropical Atlantic in both model versions. In the higher resolution model, but not the lower resolution model, there is evidence of a significant response in the extratropical atmosphere over the North Atlantic 6 years after a maximum in the MOC. In both models there is evidence of a weak negative feedback on deep density anomalies in the Labrador Sea, and hence on the MOC (with a time scale of approximately ten years). Our results highlight the need for further work to under-stand the decadal variability of the MOC and its simulation in climate models.
@article{ Hodson2012,
author = {Hodson, Daniel L. R. and Sutton, Rowan T.},
title = {{The impact of resolution on the adjustment and decadal variability
of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation in a coupled climate
model}},
journal = {Climate Dynamics},
year = {2012},
volume = {39},
pages = {3057--3073},
abstract = {Variations in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC)
exert an important influence on climate, particularly on decadal
time scales. Simulation of the MOC in coupled climate models is compromised,
to a degree that is unknown, by their lack of fidelity in resolving
some of the key processes involved. There is an overarching need
to increase the resolution and fidelity of climate models, but also
to assess how increases in resolution influence the simulation of
key phenomena such as the MOC. In this study we investigate the impact
of significantly increasing the (ocean and atmosphere) resolution
of a coupled climate model on the simulation of MOC variability by
comparing high and low resolution versions of the same model. In
both versions, decadal variability of the MOC is closely linked to
density anomalies that propagate from the Lab-rador Sea southward
along the deep western boundary. We demonstrate that the MOC adjustment
proceeds more rapidly in the higher resolution model due the increased
speed of western boundary waves. However, the response of the Atlantic
sea surface temperatures to MOC variations is relatively robust—in
pattern if not in magnitude—across the two resolutions. The MOC
also excites a coupled ocean-atmosphere response in the tropical
Atlantic in both model versions. In the higher resolution model,
but not the lower resolution model, there is evidence of a significant
response in the extratropical atmosphere over the North Atlantic
6 years after a maximum in the MOC. In both models there is evidence
of a weak negative feedback on deep density anomalies in the Labrador
Sea, and hence on the MOC (with a time scale of approximately ten
years). Our results highlight the need for further work to under-stand
the decadal variability of the MOC and its simulation in climate
models.},
doi = {10.1007/s00382-012-1309-0},
file = {:Users/reinhard/Documents/articles/mendeley//Hodson, Sutton. 2012. Climate Dynamics.pdf:pdf},
isbn = {0930-7575},
issn = {09307575},
keywords = {Atlantic,Decadal,MOC}
}
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In this study we investigate the impact of significantly increasing the (ocean and atmosphere) resolution of a coupled climate model on the simulation of MOC variability by comparing high and low resolution versions of the same model. In both versions, decadal variability of the MOC is closely linked to density anomalies that propagate from the Lab-rador Sea southward along the deep western boundary. We demonstrate that the MOC adjustment proceeds more rapidly in the higher resolution model due the increased speed of western boundary waves. However, the response of the Atlantic sea surface temperatures to MOC variations is relatively robust—in pattern if not in magnitude—across the two resolutions. The MOC also excites a coupled ocean-atmosphere response in the tropical Atlantic in both model versions. In the higher resolution model, but not the lower resolution model, there is evidence of a significant response in the extratropical atmosphere over the North Atlantic 6 years after a maximum in the MOC. In both models there is evidence of a weak negative feedback on deep density anomalies in the Labrador Sea, and hence on the MOC (with a time scale of approximately ten years). Our results highlight the need for further work to under-stand the decadal variability of the MOC and its simulation in climate models.","author":["Hodson, Daniel L. R.","Sutton, Rowan T."],"author_short":["Hodson, D.<nbsp>L.<nbsp>R.","Sutton, R.<nbsp>T."],"bibtex":"@article{ Hodson2012,\n author = {Hodson, Daniel L. 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In this study we investigate the impact\n\tof significantly increasing the (ocean and atmosphere) resolution\n\tof a coupled climate model on the simulation of MOC variability by\n\tcomparing high and low resolution versions of the same model. In\n\tboth versions, decadal variability of the MOC is closely linked to\n\tdensity anomalies that propagate from the Lab-rador Sea southward\n\talong the deep western boundary. We demonstrate that the MOC adjustment\n\tproceeds more rapidly in the higher resolution model due the increased\n\tspeed of western boundary waves. However, the response of the Atlantic\n\tsea surface temperatures to MOC variations is relatively robust—in\n\tpattern if not in magnitude—across the two resolutions. The MOC\n\talso excites a coupled ocean-atmosphere response in the tropical\n\tAtlantic in both model versions. 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