CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Author : Bush, A.B.G.
Date : 2003.
Title : Transient dynamics of a North Atlantic freshwater Pulse
Publication : Canadian Geophysical Union. Annual Meeting, May 10 -14, 2003. Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta.
Issue :
Page(s) :
Abstract
Anomalous freshwater fluxes into the North Atlantic have been shown in a variety of studies to play a critical role in changing the strength of the thermohaline overturning circulation and, thereby, to produce global climate change on a centennial timescale. However, as the Great Salinity Anomaly of the 1970's has convincingly demonstrated, many interesting climatic responses occur on the much more rapid timescales associated with the gyre circulation and with the surface radiation budget. Weshowthrough theuse of a fullycoupled atmosphere-ocean generalcirculation model that advection of the surface freshwater anomaly by the gyre circulation brings cold and fresh water into the subtropics, where it subsequently sheds southward propagating cyclonic eddies as a result of baroclinic instability of the density front. The eddies advect cold, fresh water into the tropical Atlantic Ocean at which time the tropical Pacific is also cooled through the atmospheric trade wind circulation which acts as a bridge to transport heat anomalies between the ocean basins. Although the equator is not a barrier to cross-equatorial mixing of the salinity anomaly, it does prevent the temperature anomaly from crossing the equator because of anomalous northerly winds, their interaction with the easterly trades, and the consequent changes in upwelling strength.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology