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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • Greenland Ice Sheet
  • meridional overturning circulation
  • global climate

Index Terms

  • Global Change: Oceans
  • Global Change: Global climate models
  • Global Change: Sea level change
  • Global Change: Climate dynamics

Abstract

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 36, L10707, 6 PP., 2009
doi:10.1029/2009GL037998

Transient response of the MOC and climate to potential melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet in the 21st century

Aixue Hu

Climate and Global Dynamics Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA

Gerald A. Meehl

Climate and Global Dynamics Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA

Weiqing Han

Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA

Jianjun Yin

Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA

The potential effects of Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) melting on the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) and global climate in the 21st century are assessed using the Community Climate System Model version 3 with prescribed rates of GrIS melting. Only when GrIS melting flux is strong enough to be able to produce net freshwater gain in upper subpolar North Atlantic does the MOC weaken further in the 21st century. Otherwise this additional melting flux does not alter the MOC much relative to the simulation without this added flux. The weakened MOC doesn't make the late 21st century global climate cooler than the late 20th century, but does reduce the magnitude of the warming in the northern high latitudes by a few degrees. Moreover, the additional dynamic sea level rise due to this weakened MOC could potentially aggravate the sea level problem near the northeast North America coast.

Received 3 March 2009; accepted 6 May 2009; published 29 May 2009.

Citation: Hu, A., G. A. Meehl, W. Han, and J. Yin (2009), Transient response of the MOC and climate to potential melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet in the 21st century, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L10707, doi:10.1029/2009GL037998.

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