Abstract
Zonal overturning circulation (ZOC) and its associated zonal heat flux (ZHF) are important components of the oceanic circulation and climate system, although these conceptions have not received adequate attentions. Heaving induced by inter-annual and decadal wind stress perturbations can give rise to anomalous ZOC and ZHF. Based on a simple reduced gravity model, the anomalous ZOC and ZHF induced by idealized heaving modes in the world oceans are studied. For example, in a Pacific-like model basin intensified equatorial easterly on decadal time scales can lead to a negative ZOC with a non-negligible magnitude (–0.3×106 m3/s) and a considerable westward ZHF with an amplitude of–11.2 TW. Thus, anomalous ZOC and ZHF may consist of a major part of climate signals on decadal time scales and thus play an important role in the oceanic circulation and climate change.
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Foundation item: The CAS/SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams of Chinese Academy of Sciences; the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 41422601, 41376024 and 41376025.
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Tan, W., Huang, R.X., Wang, W. et al. Zonal overturning circulation and heat flux induced by heaving modes in the world oceans. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 34, 80–91 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-015-0751-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-015-0751-3