Advective timescales and pathways of Agulhas leakage.

Ruehs, Siren , Durgadoo, Jonathan V. , Behrens, Erik and Biastoch, Arne (2013) Advective timescales and pathways of Agulhas leakage. Open Access Geophysical Research Letters, 40 (15). pp. 3997-4000. DOI 10.1002/grl.50782.

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Abstract

Current research indicates an increase in Agulhas leakage for the past and coming decades. This change potentially alters the strength of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, in particular, through advection of positive density anomalies into the North Atlantic. To explore the fate of Agulhas leakage, results from a Lagrangian analysis were evaluated, with virtual floats advected within an eddy-permitting ocean model (ORCA025). A considerable fraction of Agulhas leakage reached the subtropical North Atlantic: of a mean Agulhas leakage transport of 15.3 Sv entering the South Atlantic, 9.7, 7.7, and 6.1 Sv crossed sections at 6 degrees S, 6 degrees N, and 26 degrees N, respectively. The most probable transit time of leakage to reach the respective latitudes is one to two decades. We suggest that changes in Agulhas leakage could manifest in the Gulf Stream regime most probably within two decades. These results were supported by an eddy-resolving implementation of the ocean model (INALT01)

Document Type: Article
Funder compliance: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/212643
Additional Information: WOS:000323660000040
Keywords: Atlantic meridional overturning; Lagrangian analysis
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB1 Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics > FB1-TM Theory and Modeling
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: AGU (American Geophysical Union), Wiley
Projects: THOR
Expeditions/Models/Experiments:
Date Deposited: 19 Sep 2013 11:36
Last Modified: 20 Jun 2017 07:10
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/22001

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