Abstract
A GCM simulation of the heat transport in the world ocean is presented. The ocean model has a simple geometry and is of constant depth. It consists of two basins which are connected in the Southern Hemisphere by a circumpolar channel. One basin is 120° wide and the other is 60° wide. Three experiments are presented: (1) Surface forcing symmetric about the equator; (2) Northward extension from 60°N to 70°N of Basin 2; and (3) Asymmetric salinity forcing between Basins 1 and 2. It is shown that all three integrations produce asymmetries in heat transport. The first of 0.3 PW (1PW=1015W) between Northern and Southern Hemisphere, while the second and third integrations produce asymmetries between Basin 1 and Basin 2. The sensitivities of the model heat transports and thermohaline circulation are shown to be largest for the asymmetric salinity forcing. This result is discussed in the context of other models of the thermohaline circulation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bryan, F, 1986a: Maintenance and Variability of the Thermohaline Circulation. Ph.D. Thesis. Princeton University.
Bryan, F, 1986b: High-latitude salinity effects and inter-hemispheric thermohaline circulations. Nature, 323, 301–304.
Bryan, F, 1987: Parameter sensitivity of primitive equation ocean GCMs. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 17, 970–985.
Bryan, K., 1969: A numerical method for the study of the circulation of the world ocean. J. Comput. Phys., 4, 347–376.
Bryan, K., 1984: Accelerating the convergence to equilibrium of ocean-climate models. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 14, 666–673.
Bryan, K., and L. J. Lewis, 1979: A water mass model of the world ocean. J. Geophys. Res., 84, 2503–2517.
Cox, M. D., 1984: A Primitive Equation, 3-Dimensional Model of the Ocean. GFDL Ocean Group Tech. Rep. No.1, Princeton University.
Hastenrath, S., 1982: On meridional heat transports in the world ocean. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 12, 922–927.
Hoffen, M. I., 1989: Climate change and ocean bottom water formation: Are we missing some thing? In Climate-Ocean Interaction, M. E. Schlesinger (ed.), Kluwer, Dordrecht (this volume).
Kallen, E., and X.-Y. Huang, 1987: A simple model for large scale thermocline convection. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans., 11, 153–173.
Killworth, P. D., 1973: A two-dimensional model for the formation of Antarctic bottom water. Deep-Sea Res., 20, 941–971.
Killworth, P. D., 1983: Deep convection in the world ocean. Rev. Geophys. Space. Phys., 21, 1–26.
Levitus, S., 1982: Climatological Atlas of the World Ocean. Professional Paper No.13, NOAA, Washington, DC.
Marotzke, J., P. Welander and J. Willebrand, 1988: Instability and multiple steady states in a meridional-plane model of the thermohaline circulation. Tellus., 40A, 162–172.
Meehl, G. A., W M. Washington and A. J. Semtner, 1982: Experiments with a global ocean model driven by observed atmospheric forcing. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 12, 301–312.
Reid, J. L., 1979: On the contribution of the Mediterranean Sea outflow to the Norwegian-Greenland Sea. Deep-Sea Res., 29, 1199–1223.
Robinson, A. R., 1983: Overview and summary of eddy science. In Eddies in Marine Science, A. R. Robinson (ed.), 609 pp.
Rooth, C. G., 1982: Hydrology and the ocean circulation. Prog. Oceanogr., 11, 131–149.
Stigebrandt, A., 1984: The North-Pacific: A global estuary. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 14, 464–470.
Stommel, H., 1980: Asymmetry of interoceanic fresh-water and heat fluxes. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, 32, 2377–2381.
Stommel, H., 1961: Thermohaline convection with two stable regimes of flow. Tellus, 13, 224–230.
Walin, G., 1985: The thermo-haline circulation and the control of ice ages. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeocol., 50, 323–332.
Warren, B. A., 1981: Deep circulation of the world ocean. In Evolution of Physical Oceanography, B. A. Warren and C. Wunsch (eds.), MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Warren, B. A., 1983: Why is no deep water formed in the North Pacific. J. Mar. Res., 41, 327–347.
Welander, P., 1982: A simple heat-salt oscillator. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans., 6, 233–242.
Welander, P., 1986: Thermohaline effects in the ocean circulation and related simple mod-els. In Large-Scale Transport Processes in Oceans and Atmosphere, J. Willebrand and D. L. T. Anderson (eds.), Reidel, Dorchrecht, pp. 163–200.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1990 British Crown Copyright
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wells, N.C., Mead, C. (1990). Ocean Models and the Inter-Basin Transport of Heat. In: Schlesinger, M.E. (eds) Climate-Ocean Interaction. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2093-4_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2093-4_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7440-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-2093-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive