North Atlantic Deep Water

E26342

North Atlantic Deep Water is a cold, dense water mass formed in the high-latitude North Atlantic that sinks and flows southward, driving a major component of the global ocean circulation and climate system.


Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf component of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
component of thermohaline circulation
deep water mass
water mass
ageCharacteristic younger than Pacific deep waters
alternativeName NADW
associatedWith Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation strength
Gulf Stream
surface form: Gulf Stream system

subpolar gyre circulation
basin Atlantic Ocean
surface form: North Atlantic Ocean
climateRelevance key indicator of changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
climateSensitivity sensitive to changes in surface heat fluxes
sensitive to freshwater input from ice melt
densityRelativeToSurfaceWater higher
drivingForce Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
thermohaline circulation
eventualFate contributes to deep waters of other ocean basins
upwells in the Southern Ocean
flowDirection southward
formationLatitude high-latitude North Atlantic
formationProcess brine rejection during sea-ice formation
deep convection
surface cooling
formationRegion Greenland Sea
Irminger Sea
Labrador Sea
Nordic Seas
influences Arctic climate
European climate
North Atlantic climate
carbon storage in the deep ocean
heat transport in the Atlantic Ocean
nutrient distribution in the global ocean
sea level patterns
ocean Atlantic Ocean
paleoClimateRelevance associated with glacial–interglacial circulation changes
linked to abrupt climate changes in the paleoclimate record
pathway continues into the Southern Ocean
crosses the equator into the South Atlantic
flows southward along the western boundary of the Atlantic
roleInSystem major component of global climate system
major component of global ocean circulation
salinityCharacteristic relatively high salinity
temperatureCharacteristic cold
typicalDepthRange 1500–4000 m
waterMassProperty distinct temperature–salinity signature
high oxygen concentration compared to older deep waters
relatively high nutrient content compared to surface waters

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Antarctic Bottom Water liesBelow North Atlantic Deep Water
Deep Western Boundary Current transports North Atlantic Deep Water