Impact of Mesoscale Eddy Transfer on Heat Uptake in an Eddy-Parameterizing Ocean Model

Abstract

Using a set of experiments with an eddy-parameterizing ocean model, it is found that the strength of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) intensifies with the decrease of the density-dependent mesoscale eddy transfer. However, the intensification is weaker than that suggested by simple scaling relationships previously applied. Perturbing the model control sea surface temperature (SST) to mimic its change in response to doubling of CO2, it is shown that the associated ocean heat uptake (OHU) increases and penetrates deeper with the decrease of the mesoscale eddy transfer. It is shown that the OHU correlates with the AMOC strength, and both these quantities are affected by the mesoscale eddy transfer. Passive tracer experiments in the ocean model provide a possible explanation for the finding in coupled-model climate simulations that the ocean heat uptake efficiency (OHUE) increases with the AMOC strength and decreases with the eddy energy generated from the mean state. It is also found that the OHU in the SST-perturbation experiments scales with the net downward advection of heat. The contribution of the AMOC to the downward heat flux is illustrated using a streamfunction in depth–temperature space.