Sensitivity of North Atlantic Multidecadal Variability to Freshwater Flux Forcing

Abstract

In this paper, an explanation is proposed for the changes in the amplitude of multidecadal variability found in the GFDL climate model when different restoring salinity fields in the flux adjustments were considered. This explanation arises from a study of the stability of three-dimensional thermohaline flows in an idealized coupled ocean?atmosphere model. The shape of the freshwater flux affects the stability properties of the thermohaline flows, in particular the growth rate of a stable interdecadal mode. The physics of this change in decay rate is explained by analyzing the energy conversions in the flows. Under a stronger freshening of the northern North Atlantic, the interdecadal mode destabilizes, which can result in an increase of the amplitude of the multidecadal variability.