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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 33, L17708, doi:10.1029/2006GL026815, 2006

Will Greenland melting halt the thermohaline circulation?

J. H. Jungclaus

Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany


H. Haak

Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany


M. Esch

Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany


E. Roeckner

Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany


J. Marotzke

Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany


Abstract

Climate projections for the 21st century indicate a gradual decrease of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The weakening could be accelerated substantially by meltwater input from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS). Here we repeat recent experiments conducted for the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change, providing an idealized additional source of freshwater along Greenland's coast. For conservative and high melting estimates, the AMOC reduction is 35% and 42%, respectively, compared to a weakening of 30% for the original A1B scenario. Even for the high meltwater estimate the AMOC recovers in the 22nd century. The impact of the additional fresh water is limited to further enhancing the static stability in the Irminger and Labrador Seas, whereas the backbone of the overturning is maintained by the overflows across the Greenland-Scotland Ridge. Our results suggest that abrupt climate change initiated by GIS melting is not a realistic scenario for the 21st century.

Received 5 May 2006; accepted 24 July 2006; published 7 September 2006.

Index Terms: 1605 Global Change: Abrupt/rapid climate change (4901, 8408); 1620 Global Change: Climate dynamics (0429, 3309); 4962 Paleoceanography: Thermohaline; 4553 Oceanography: Physical: Overflows; 1626 Global Change: Global climate models (3337, 4928).

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Citation: Jungclaus, J. H., H. Haak, M. Esch, E. Roeckner, and J. Marotzke (2006), Will Greenland melting halt the thermohaline circulation?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L17708, doi:10.1029/2006GL026815.