Highly variable upper and abyssal overturning cells in the South Atlantic

Author(s):Show less -

Kersale, M. ^{[1, 2]} ; Meinen, C. S. ^[1] ; Perez, R. C. ^[1] ; Le Henaff, M. ^{[1, 2]} ; Valla, D. ^[3] ; Lamont, T. ^{[4, 5]} ; Sato, O. T. ^[6] ; Dong, S. ^[1] ; Terre, T. ^[7] ; van Caspel, M. ^[6] ; Chidichimo, M. P. ^{[8, 3, 9]} ; van den Berg, M. ^[4] ; Speich, S. ^[10] ; Piola, A. R. ^{[11, 3, 9]} ; Campos, E. J. D. ^{[6, 12]} ; Ansorge, I ^[5] ; Volkov, D. L. ^{[1, 2]} ; Lumpkin, R. ^[1] ; Garzoli, S. L. ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] NOAA, Atlantic Oceanog & Meteorol Lab, Miami, FL 33149 - USA

^[2] Univ Miami, Cooperat Inst Marine & Atmospher Studies, Miami, FL 33136 - USA

^[3] Serv Hidrog Naval, Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina

^[4] Dept Environm Affairs, Oceans & Coasts Res Branch, Cape Town - South Africa

^[5] Univ Cape Town, Dept Oceanog, ZA-7701 Rondebosch - South Africa

^[6] Univ Sao Paulo, Oceanog Inst, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[7] Univ Brest, IFREMER, CNRS, IRD, Lab Oceanog Phys & Spatiale LOPS, IUEM, Plouzane - France

^[8] Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn CONICET, Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina

^[9] Inst Franco Argentino Estudio Clima & Sus Impacto, Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina

^[10] Ecole Normale Super, Lab Meteorol Dynam IPSL, Paris - France

^[11] Univ Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina

^[12] Amer Univ Sharjah, Sch Arts & Sci, Dept Biol Chem & Environm Sci, Sharjah - U Arab Emirates

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SCIENCE ADVANCES; v. 6, n. 32 AUG 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) is a primary mechanism driving oceanic heat redistribution on Earth, thereby affecting Earth's climate and weather. However, the full-depth structure and variability of the MOC are still poorly understood, particularly in the South Atlantic. This study presents unique multiyear records of the oceanic volume transport of both the upper (<similar to 3100 meters) and abyssal (>similar to 3100 meters) overturning cells based on daily moored measurements in the South Atlantic at 34.5 degrees S. The vertical structure of the time-mean flows is consistent with the limited historical observations. Both the upper and abyssal cells exhibit a high degree of variability relative to the temporal means at time scales, ranging from a few days to a few weeks. Observed variations in the abyssal flow appear to be largely independent of the flow in the overlying upper cell. No meaningful trends are detected in either cell. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/09659-6 - Interannual variability of the meridional transports across the SAMOC basin-wide array (SAMBAR)
• Grantee: Edmo José Dias Campos
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/09823-3 - A study of the impacts of changes in the South Atlantic circulation on climate based on the analyses of observations and numerical models
• Grantee: Mathias Campos van Caspel
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 11/50552-4 - Impact of the Southern Atlantic on the global overturning circulation (MOC) and climate (SAMOC)
• Grantee: Edmo José Dias Campos
• Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/07833-4 - The Antarctic Bottom Water and the South Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation based on the analyses of observations and numerical models
• Grantee: Mathias Campos van Caspel
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor