Influences of freshwater from major rivers on global ocean circulation and temperatures in the MIT ocean general circulation model

Abstract

Responses of global ocean circulation and temperature to freshwater runoff from major rivers were studied by blocking regional runoff in the global ocean general circulation model (OGCM) developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Runoff into the tropical Atlantic, the western North Pacific, and the Bay of Bengal and northern Arabian Sea were selectively blocked. The blocking of river runoff first resulted in a salinity increase near the river mouths (2 practical salinity units). The saltier and, therefore, denser water was then transported to higher latitudes in the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and southern Indian Ocean by the mean currents. The subsequent density contrasts between northern and southern hemispheric oceans resulted in changes in major ocean currents. These anomalous ocean currents lead to significant temperature changes (1°C −2°C) by the resulting anomalous heat transports. The current and temperature anomalies created by the blocked river runoff propagated from one ocean basin to others via coastal and equatorial Kelvin waves. This study suggests that river runoff may be playing an important role in oceanic salinity, temperature, and circulations; and that partially or fully blocking major rivers to divert freshwater for societal purposes might significantly change ocean salinity, circulations, temperature, and atmospheric climate. Further studies are necessary to assess the role of river runoff in the coupled atmosphere-ocean system.