Fig. 1: Schematic of long-term mean AMOC pathways. | Communications Earth & Environment

Fig. 1: Schematic of long-term mean AMOC pathways.

From: Horizontal circulation across density surfaces contributes substantially to the long-term mean northern Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

Fig. 1

The schematic circulation is revised from ref. 66 based on robust diagnostic calculation (RDC) results and overlapped with sections (dotted lines). Colors of arrows indicate seawater density (light to dense: yellow-red-purple-violet-blue-dark blue). The density of Atlantic inflow increases along the pathways of the northeastern subpolar gyre, the gyre extended into Nordic Seas, and the branches entering the Arctic through BSO and east FS. Dark blue arrows: dense outflow through the Nordic Seas. The overflows become lighter after passing through the GSR due to entrainments. Yellow arrows: light (cold fresh) surface currents. In addition to the non-Ekman depth-space AMOC component linked to the density contrast across a section, the northeastern subpolar gyre and the gyre extended into the Nordic Seas moving with changing densities also contribute to the density-space AMOC. The density contrast across OSNAP East is much larger than that across OSNAP West, consistent with a much stronger AMOC across OSNAP East.

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