Atlantic meridional heat transports computed from balancing Earth's energy locally
Abstract
Abstract The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation plays a major role in moving heat and carbon around in the ocean. A new estimate of ocean heat transports for 2000 through 2013 throughout the Atlantic is derived. Top‐of‐atmosphere radiation is combined with atmospheric reanalyses to estimate surface heat fluxes and combined with vertically integrated ocean heat content to estimate ocean heat transport divergence as a residual. Atlantic peak northward ocean heat transports average 1.18 ± 0.13 PW (1 sigma) at 15°N but vary considerably in latitude and time. Results agree well with observational estimates at 26.5°N from the RAPID array, but for 2004–2013 the meridional heat transport is 1.00 ± 0.11 PW versus 1.23 ± 0.11 PW for RAPID. In addition, these results have no hint of a trend, unlike the RAPID results. Strong westerlies north of a meridian drive ocean currents and an ocean heat loss into the atmosphere that is exacerbated by a decrease in ocean heat transport northward.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE; National Science foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1344180
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1344181; OSTI ID: 1425659
- Grant/Contract Number:
- DE‐SC0012711; SC0012711
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Volume: 44 Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Citation Formats
Trenberth, Kevin E., and Fasullo, John T. Atlantic meridional heat transports computed from balancing Earth's energy locally. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1002/2016GL072475.
Trenberth, Kevin E., & Fasullo, John T. Atlantic meridional heat transports computed from balancing Earth's energy locally. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072475
Trenberth, Kevin E., and Fasullo, John T. Sat .
"Atlantic meridional heat transports computed from balancing Earth's energy locally". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072475.
@article{osti_1344180,
title = {Atlantic meridional heat transports computed from balancing Earth's energy locally},
author = {Trenberth, Kevin E. and Fasullo, John T.},
abstractNote = {Abstract The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation plays a major role in moving heat and carbon around in the ocean. A new estimate of ocean heat transports for 2000 through 2013 throughout the Atlantic is derived. Top‐of‐atmosphere radiation is combined with atmospheric reanalyses to estimate surface heat fluxes and combined with vertically integrated ocean heat content to estimate ocean heat transport divergence as a residual. Atlantic peak northward ocean heat transports average 1.18 ± 0.13 PW (1 sigma) at 15°N but vary considerably in latitude and time. Results agree well with observational estimates at 26.5°N from the RAPID array, but for 2004–2013 the meridional heat transport is 1.00 ± 0.11 PW versus 1.23 ± 0.11 PW for RAPID. In addition, these results have no hint of a trend, unlike the RAPID results. Strong westerlies north of a meridian drive ocean currents and an ocean heat loss into the atmosphere that is exacerbated by a decrease in ocean heat transport northward.},
doi = {10.1002/2016GL072475},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
number = 4,
volume = 44,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Feb 18 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Sat Feb 18 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}
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