资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is projected to weaken in the coming century due to anthropogenic climate change. Various studies have considered AMOC weakening and collapse, with less research focusing on the processes and timescales of the recovery phase. This study uses a coupled climate model to explore the roles of salinity and temperature in AMOC recovery after a weakening. The North Atlantic and Arctic region was hosed with freshwater for 200years. The mean Atlantic salinity increased strongly during recovery, and remained elevated for similar to 600years post hosing. The behaviour of the AMOC was well reconstructed by applying rotated geostrophy to meridional density gradient profiles between 50 degrees N and 30 degrees S. This makes it possible to determine the role of overturning, gyre, and surface fluxes in the North and South Atlantic. Changes at 50 degrees N dominate the weakening and early recovery. The magnitude of the overshoot to high AMOC transports in the recovery phase was related to density changes in the South Atlantic.