Ocean Heat Uptake and Interbasin Transport of the Passive and Redistributive Components of Surface Heating

Abstract

Abstract Global warming induces ocean circulation changes that not only can redistribute ocean reservoir temperature stratification but also change the total heat content anomaly of the ocean. Here all consequences of this process are referred to collectively as “redistribution.” Previous model studies of redistributive effects could not measure the net global contribution to the amount of ocean heat uptake by redistribution. In this study, a global ocean model experiment with abrupt increase in surface temperature is conducted with a new passive tracer formulation. This separates ocean heat uptake into contributions due to redistribution temperature and surface heat flux anomalies and those due to the passive advection and mixing of surface heat flux anomalies forced in the atmosphere. For a decline in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation of about 40%, redistribution nearly doubles the Atlantic passive anomalous surface heat input and depth penetration of temperature anomalies. However, smaller increases in the Indian and Pacific Oceans cause the net global redistributive contribution to be only 25% of the passive contribution. Despite the much larger anomalous surface heat input in the Atlantic, the Pacific gains heat content anomaly similar to that in the Atlantic because of export from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans via the global conveyor belt. Of this interbasin heat transport, most of the passive component comes from the Indian Ocean and the redistributive component comes from the Atlantic.