ERC Consolidator Grant · 2022
Resilient northern overturning in a warming climate
A vigorous Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is crucial for the mild northern European climate; it brings warm water northward near the surface and returns cold, dense water at depth. In a warming climate the AMOC is projected to weaken – or even approach a tipping point. Contrary to this established view, I hypothesize that an overlooked, climate-change induced mechanism may impart resilience to the overturning: As the sea ice recedes, increasing stretches of the boundary current system around the Nordic Seas and Arctic Ocean become exposed to the atmosphere. The resulting increased ocean heat loss in winter further densifies the water in the boundary current, which is a…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.