Journal Article

Simulated Rapid Warming of Abyssal North Pacific Waters

Kawai, Yoshimi, Doi, Toshimasa, Sugiura, Nozomi, Katsumata, Katsuro, Kouketsu, Shinya, Fukasawa, Masao, Uchida, Hiroshi, Masuda, Shuhei, Kawano, Takeshi, Awaji, Toshiyuki, Matthews, John Philip, Toyoda, Takahiro, Igarashi, Hiromichi

2010

Overview

Recent observational surveys have shown significant oceanic bottom-water warming. However, the mechanisms causing such warming remain poorly understood, and their time scales are uncertain. Here, we report computer simulations that reveal a fast teleconnection between changes in the surface air-sea heat flux off the Adélie Coast of Antarctica and the bottom-water warming in the North Pacific. In contrast to conventional estimates of a multicentennial time scale, this link is established over only four decades through the action of internal waves. Changes in the heat content of the deep ocean are thus far more sensitive to the air-sea thermal interchanges than previously considered. Our findings require a reassessment of the role of the Southern Ocean in determining the impact of atmospheric warming on deep oceanic waters.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Abyssal zones / Adjoints / Antarctic regions / Antarctica / Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change / Coastal environments / coasts / Computer simulation / Datasets / Dynamics of the ocean (upper and deep oceans) / Earth, ocean, space / Estimates / Exact sciences and technology / External geophysics / Heat flux / heat transfer / Internal waves / Meteorology / Oceans / Physics of the oceans / Rates of change / Sea water / Seas / Southern Ocean / surveys / Water temperature