Link of ocean deep water thermohaline anomalies with atmospheric state anomalies in the Northern Atlantic

• Published in: Doklady earth sciences Vol. 427; no. 2; pp. 1047 - 1050
• Main Author: Sarafanov, A. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht SP MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica 01.08.2009; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atmosphere; Deep water; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Marine; Oceanology; Oceans; Water temperature; United States > US; Atlantic Ocean; AN, North Atlantic; ANW, Labrador Sea; AN, North Atlantic, North Atlantic Oscillation; ANE, North Atlantic, Subpolar Gyre; Northern Atlantic Oscillation; Subpolar Gyre; Salinity Anomaly; Northern Atlantic Oscillation Index; Deep Water
• ISSN: 1028-334X; 1531-8354
• DOI: 10.1134/S1028334X0906035X

Anomalies of thermohaline characteristics of the ocean deep waters formed in the subpolar North Atlantic are shown to be controlled by the natural oscillations of the atmospheric state in the region, i.e., the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). A general mechanism behind the NAO effect on the deep water temperature and salinity on a decadal time scale is proposed. The main factors determining the close link of the deep water thermohaline anomalies and the NAO are the zonal extension of the subpolar gyre and the wintertime deep convection intensity in the Labrador Sea.