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Tracing the pathways of the upper limb of the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

Publication ,  Journal Article
Burkholder, KC; Lozier, MS
Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
January 1, 2014

The warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of the eastern subpolar gyre (ESG) in the North Atlantic have been widely linked to the climate and climate variability of Great Britain and northwestern Europe. The source of the ESG waters, and its heat, has long been identified as surface subtropical waters that flow into the subpolar gyre as part of the upper limb of the Meridional Overturning Circulation. Recent studies, however, have cast doubt on that identification. Here we use synthetic floats launched in a high-resolution ocean general circulation model to identify the supply waters to the ESG and to determine the influence of those pathways on SSTs in that climatically important region. The synthetic floats reveal two pathways: a dominant subsurface subtropical to subpolar pathway and a less traveled surface pathway carrying recirculated waters eastward from the western subpolar gyre. The former pathway supplies anomalously warm water to the region; the latter pathway supplies anomalously cool water.

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Published In

Geophysical Research Letters

DOI

EISSN

1944-8007

ISSN

0094-8276

Publication Date

January 1, 2014

Volume

41

Issue

12

Start / End Page

4254 / 4260

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
 

Citation

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Burkholder, K. C., & Lozier, M. S. (2014). Tracing the pathways of the upper limb of the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Geophysical Research Letters, 41(12), 4254–4260. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL060226
Burkholder, K. C., and M. S. Lozier. “Tracing the pathways of the upper limb of the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.” Geophysical Research Letters 41, no. 12 (January 1, 2014): 4254–60. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL060226.
Burkholder KC, Lozier MS. Tracing the pathways of the upper limb of the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Geophysical Research Letters. 2014 Jan 1;41(12):4254–60.
Burkholder, K. C., and M. S. Lozier. “Tracing the pathways of the upper limb of the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.” Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 41, no. 12, Jan. 2014, pp. 4254–60. Scopus, doi:10.1002/2014GL060226.
Burkholder KC, Lozier MS. Tracing the pathways of the upper limb of the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Geophysical Research Letters. 2014 Jan 1;41(12):4254–4260.
Journal cover image

Published In

Geophysical Research Letters

DOI

EISSN

1944-8007

ISSN

0094-8276

Publication Date

January 1, 2014

Volume

41

Issue

12

Start / End Page

4254 / 4260

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences