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Research project

Monitoring the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation

Project overview

We propose to observe continuously the meridional overturning circulation (MOC, zonally integrated meridional flow), in Atlantic at 26.5 degrees N). The MOC is the most important dynamical quantity to determine ocean transports of heat, freshwater, carbon and other properties, and is central to all considerations of rapid climate change and the role of the thermohaline circulation. We propose a combination of moored arrays (temperature, salinity, currents and pressure), satellite observations (sea level, winds), the opportunistic use of hydrographic section and float data, and cable measurements (Florida Strait transport), plus modelling to synthesise the observations. The backbone of the observing array will be profiling CTD probes near the end points of the section, allowing us to perform zonally integrated thermal-wind flow calculations quasi-continuously.

Staff

Lead researchers

Emeritus Professor Harry Bryden

Connect with Harry

Email: H.L.Bryden@soton.ac.uk

Research outputs

2008, Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 55(12), 1601-1623
DOI:
Type: article
2008, Journal of Physical Oceanography, 38(9), 2104-2107
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Type: article
2008, Journal of Physical Oceanography, 38(3), 605-623
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Type: article
2007, Journal of Climate, 20(23), 5827-5841
DOI:
Type: article
Torsten Kanzow, Stuart A. Cunningham, Darren Rayner, Joël J.-M. Hirschi, William E. Johns, Molly O. Baringer, Harry L. Bryden, Lisa M. Beal, Christopher S. Meinen & Jochem Marotzke, 2007, Science, 317(5840), 938-941
DOI:
Type: article
Stuart A. Cunningham, Torsten Kanzow, Darren Rayner, Molly O. Baringer, William E. Johns, Jochem Marotzke, Hannah R. Longworth, Elizabeth M. Grant, Joël J.-M. Hirschi, Lisa M. Beal, Christopher S. Meinen & Harry L. Bryden, 2007, Science, 317(5840), 935-938
DOI:
Type: article
2007, Geophysical Research Letters, 34(14), L14606
DOI:
Type: article