Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
E4621
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is a large-scale system of ocean currents that transports heat and salt through the Atlantic, strongly influencing regional and global climate.
Aliases (3)
Statements (64)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
climate system component
→
ocean circulation system → thermohaline circulation component → |
| abbreviation |
AMOC
→
|
| affects |
Atlantic hurricane activity
→
carbon uptake by the ocean → precipitation patterns → sea level in the North Atlantic → sea surface temperature patterns → |
| canExhibit |
abrupt changes
→
collapse in climate model simulations → multiple stable states → |
| characterizedBy |
northward flow of warm surface waters
→
southward flow of cold deep waters → |
| drivenBy |
freshwater fluxes
→
salinity gradients → surface heat fluxes → temperature gradients → wind forcing → |
| hasComponent |
Deep Western Boundary Current
→
Gulf Stream → North Atlantic Current → |
| hasProcess |
convection in the Labrador Sea
→
convection in the Nordic Seas → deep water formation in the North Atlantic → sinking of dense water masses → upwelling of deep waters → |
| includesWaterMass |
Antarctic Bottom Water
→
North Atlantic Deep Water → |
| influences |
Arctic climate
→
European climate → North Atlantic climate → global climate → regional climate → tropical Atlantic climate → |
| linkedTo |
Dansgaard–Oeschger events in paleoclimate records
→
Heinrich events in paleoclimate records → |
| locatedIn |
Atlantic Ocean
→
|
| measuredIn |
Sverdrups
→
|
| monitoredAt |
26.5°N RAPID array
→
OSNAP array in the subpolar North Atlantic → |
| monitoredBy |
moored instrument arrays
→
ocean reanalysis products → satellite observations → |
| partOf |
Earth climate system
→
global overturning circulation → |
| representedIn |
Earth system models
→
coupled climate models → |
| risk |
large regional climate impacts if collapse occurs
→
potential weakening during the 21st century → |
| sensitiveTo |
Arctic sea ice melt
→
Greenland Ice Sheet meltwater → anthropogenic climate change → changes in surface salinity → changes in surface temperature → |
| studiedBy |
climate scientists
→
physical oceanographers → |
| timescale |
centennial variability
→
decadal variability → multidecadal variability → |
| transports |
heat
→
salt → |
| typicalStrength |
about 15 to 20 Sverdrups at 26.5°N
→
|
| uncertainty |
future evolution under greenhouse gas forcing
→
|
Referenced by (17)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Antilles Current
→
Deep Western Boundary Current → Gulf Stream → |
partOf |
|
East Greenland Current
→
West Spitsbergen Current → |
componentOf |
|
Agulhas Current
→
Loop Current → |
contributesTo |
|
Beaufort Gyre
→
Newfoundland and Labrador shelf ("North Atlantic ocean circulation") → |
influences |
|
8.2 kiloyear event
→
South Atlantic subtropical gyre → |
relatedTo |
|
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
("AMOC")
→
|
abbreviation |
|
North Atlantic Deep Water
→
|
drivingForce |
|
Denmark Strait
→
|
featureOf |
|
Atlantic Ocean proper by Martha's Vineyard
("North Atlantic Ocean circulation")
→
|
hasClimateInfluence |
|
Florida Current
→
|
isComponentOf |
|
Greenland Basin
→
|
playsRoleIn |