dc.contributor.advisor |
Lozier, M. Susan |
|
dc.contributor.advisor |
Bane Jr. , John |
|
dc.contributor.advisor |
Katul, Gabriel |
|
dc.contributor.advisor |
Murray, A. Brad |
|
dc.contributor.author |
Gary, Stefan Francois |
|
dc.coverage.spatial |
England |
|
dc.date.accessioned |
2012-01-10T15:58:19Z |
|
dc.date.issued |
2011 |
|
dc.identifier.uri |
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/4980 |
|
dc.description.abstract |
For decades, oceanographers have hypothesized that the Deep Western Boundary Current
(DWBC) is the dominant export pathway for the deep limb of the Atlantic Meridional
Overturning Circulation (AMOC). However, more recent observations and theoretical
work lend evidence for the existence of a second, interior, pathway for the AMOC deep
limb. In order to assess the impact of the interior pathway relative to the DWBC pathway,
this work seeks to quantify the AMOC deep limb pathways in ocean circulation models,
compare the pathway signatures of these models to observations, and identify a mechanism
driving the interior pathway. The partitioning of the AMOC deep limb into interior
and DWBC pathways is observed in several ocean models. Furthermore, there is a good
agreement between the structure of the export pathways in models and observations.
Both Eulerian and Lagrangian techniques, in models and observations, are used to identify
the DWBC and interior pathways and these two perspectives are shown to be compatible
with one another. Finally, deep, eddy-driven, recirculation gyres are shown to be
a mechanism driving the interior pathway and the existence of the interior pathway
is consistent with the vorticity balance at depth. The interior pathway makes a significant
contribution to the total transport of the deep limb of the AMOC. Since the interior
pathway is much broader and slower than the DWBC pathway, the large-scale transport
of climate signals, heat, and anthropogenic CO2 associated with the AMOC are slower
and mixed more broadly throughout the ocean than once thought.
|
|
dc.language |
eng |
|
dc.title |
Interior pathways of the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. |
|
dc.type |
Dissertation |
|
dc.department |
Earth and Ocean Sciences |
|
pubs.organisational-group |
Duke |
|
pubs.organisational-group |
Duke |
|
pubs.organisational-group |
Nicholas School of the Environment |
|
pubs.organisational-group |
Duke |
|
pubs.organisational-group |
Nicholas School of the Environment |
|
pubs.organisational-group |
Earth and Ocean Sciences |
|
pubs.organisational-group |
Duke |
|
pubs.organisational-group |
Staff |
|
pubs.publication-status |
Published |
|