AMOC Meridional Variability in the South Atlantic

• Grant number: 25/03431-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Physical Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Olga Tiemi Sato
• Grantee: Giulia Perez Maciel
• Host Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This proposal aims to better understand the variability of volume transport driven by the Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC). The study will contribute to improving the assessment of the impacts of global changes on the oceans and the circulation of the South Atlantic.The primary objective of this research is to evaluate how the calculation of MOC intensity varies across the basin, considering that this transport receives inflows and undergoes significant variations along its return pathway. At 34.5°S, there is a monitoring line from the South Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (SAMOC) Basin-wide Array, maintained since 2009. Other monitoring networks exist at 11°S and 26°N.This project focuses on understanding how the MOC intensity varies along its meridional extent across seasonal to decadal timescales. The MOC will be determined using outputs from an ocean circulation model. To test the reliability of the estimates, temperature and salinity variables will be compared with long-term climatological averages.