CMIP5 Model Intercomparison of Freshwater Budget and Circulation in the North Atlantic

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dc.contributor.authorDeshayes, Julie
dc.contributor.authorCurry, Ruth
dc.contributor.authorMsadek, Rym
dc.date.accessioned2021-10-08T07:04:26Z
dc.date.available2021-10-08T07:04:26Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractABSTRACT The subpolar North Atlantic is a center of variability of ocean properties, wind stress curl, and air–sea exchanges. Observations and hindcast simulations suggest that from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s the subpolar gyre became fresher while the gyre and meridional circulations intensified. This is opposite to the relationship of freshening causing a weakened circulation, most often reproduced by climate models. The authors hypothesize that both these configurations exist but dominate on different time scales: a fresher subpolar gyre when the circulation is more intense, at interannual frequencies (configuration A), and a saltier subpolar gyre when the circulation is more intense, at longer periods (configuration B). Rather than going into the detail of the mechanisms sustaining each configuration, the authors’ objective is to identify which configuration dominates and to test whether this depends on frequency, in preindustrial control runs of five climate models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). To this end, the authors have developed a novel intercomparison method that enables analysis of freshwater budget and circulation changes in a physical perspective that overcomes model specificities. Lag correlations and a cross-spectral analysis between freshwater content changes and circulation indices validate the authors’ hypothesis, as configuration A is only visible at interannual frequencies while configuration B is mostly visible at decadal and longer periods, suggesting that the driving role of salinity on the circulation depends on frequency. Overall, this analysis underscores the large differences among state-of-the-art climate models in their representations of the North Atlantic freshwater budget.
dc.identifier.apacitationDeshayes, J., Curry, R., & Msadek, R. (2014). CMIP5 Model Intercomparison of Freshwater Budget and Circulation in the North Atlantic. <i>Journal of Climate</i>, 27(9), 3298 - 3317. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34505en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationDeshayes, Julie, Ruth Curry, and Rym Msadek "CMIP5 Model Intercomparison of Freshwater Budget and Circulation in the North Atlantic." <i>Journal of Climate</i> 27, 9. (2014): 3298 - 3317. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34505en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationDeshayes, J., Curry, R. & Msadek, R. 2014. CMIP5 Model Intercomparison of Freshwater Budget and Circulation in the North Atlantic. <i>Journal of Climate.</i> 27(9):3298 - 3317. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34505en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0894-8755
dc.identifier.issn1520-0442
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Deshayes, Julie AU - Curry, Ruth AU - Msadek, Rym AB - ABSTRACT The subpolar North Atlantic is a center of variability of ocean properties, wind stress curl, and air–sea exchanges. Observations and hindcast simulations suggest that from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s the subpolar gyre became fresher while the gyre and meridional circulations intensified. This is opposite to the relationship of freshening causing a weakened circulation, most often reproduced by climate models. The authors hypothesize that both these configurations exist but dominate on different time scales: a fresher subpolar gyre when the circulation is more intense, at interannual frequencies (configuration A), and a saltier subpolar gyre when the circulation is more intense, at longer periods (configuration B). Rather than going into the detail of the mechanisms sustaining each configuration, the authors’ objective is to identify which configuration dominates and to test whether this depends on frequency, in preindustrial control runs of five climate models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). To this end, the authors have developed a novel intercomparison method that enables analysis of freshwater budget and circulation changes in a physical perspective that overcomes model specificities. Lag correlations and a cross-spectral analysis between freshwater content changes and circulation indices validate the authors’ hypothesis, as configuration A is only visible at interannual frequencies while configuration B is mostly visible at decadal and longer periods, suggesting that the driving role of salinity on the circulation depends on frequency. Overall, this analysis underscores the large differences among state-of-the-art climate models in their representations of the North Atlantic freshwater budget. DA - 2014 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town IS - 9 J1 - Journal of Climate LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2014 SM - 0894-8755 SM - 1520-0442 T1 - CMIP5 Model Intercomparison of Freshwater Budget and Circulation in the North Atlantic TI - CMIP5 Model Intercomparison of Freshwater Budget and Circulation in the North Atlantic UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34505 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/34505
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationDeshayes J, Curry R, Msadek R. CMIP5 Model Intercomparison of Freshwater Budget and Circulation in the North Atlantic. Journal of Climate. 2014;27(9):3298 - 3317. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34505.en_ZA
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Oceanography
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Science
dc.sourceJournal of Climate
dc.source.journalissue9
dc.source.journalvolume27
dc.source.pagination3298 - 3317
dc.source.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00700.1
dc.subject.otherdigital simulation
dc.subject.otherGeneral circulation models
dc.subject.otherMultimodel
dc.subject.otherClimate models
dc.subject.otherDecadal variation
dc.subject.otherInterannual variation
dc.subject.othertime scales
dc.subject.otherCentury 20th
dc.subject.otherHindcast
dc.subject.otherIntensification
dc.subject.otherthermohaline circulation
dc.subject.otherocean circulation
dc.subject.othersalinity
dc.subject.otherwater balance
dc.subject.otherfresh water
dc.subject.otherComparative study
dc.subject.otherMeridional overturning circulation
dc.subject.otherSubpolar gyre
dc.subject.otherCoupled model
dc.subject.otherNorth Atlantic
dc.subject.otherAtlantic Ocean
dc.titleCMIP5 Model Intercomparison of Freshwater Budget and Circulation in the North Atlantic
dc.typeJournal Article
uct.type.publicationResearch
uct.type.resourceJournal Article
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