Multiple Convection Patterns and Thermohaline Flow in an Idealized OGCM

Abstract

This paper investigates how multiple steady states arise in an ocean general circulation model, caused by the fact that many different convection patterns can be stable under the same surface boundary conditions. Two alternative boundary conditions are used in the experiments: classical mixed boundary conditions and a diffusive atmospheric heat balance combined with fixed salt fluxes. In both cases, transitions between different quasi-steady convection patterns can be triggered by briefly adding fresh water at convection sites. Either a large-scale freshwater anomaly is used to completely erase the previous convection pattern or a ?surgical? anomaly is added to single grid points to turn off convection there. Under classical mixed-boundary conditions, different convection sites can lead to different overturning rates of deep water. The dynamics of the convection-driven flow is analyzed in some detail. With an energy balance atmosphere, in contrast, the overturning rate is very robust, apparently regulated by a negative thermal feedback. In spite of this, different convection patterns are associated with very different climatic states, since the heat transport of the deep circulation depends strongly on where convection takes place. It is suggested that considerable climate variability in the North Atlantic could be caused by changes in high-latitude convection.