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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2026
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.29142 |
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| _version_ | 1866918528828833792 |
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| author | Xing, Qianjiang Elipot, Shane Johns, William E. Sinha, Bablu Kajtar, Jules Blaker, Adam T. Petit, Tillys Moat, Ben I. Smeed, David A. |
| author_facet | Xing, Qianjiang Elipot, Shane Johns, William E. Sinha, Bablu Kajtar, Jules Blaker, Adam T. Petit, Tillys Moat, Ben I. Smeed, David A. |
| contents | Observations from the RAPID array near 26.5$^\circ$N indicate a linear decline in the AMOC over the past two decades, linked to contrasting boundary changes: a weakening western boundary contribution partly compensated by strengthening at the eastern boundary. The dynamical processes responsible for this partial compensation, however, remain unclear. Because cross-slope gradients in ocean bottom pressure (OBP) provide a dynamical measure of overturning transport, we use a high-resolution ocean model to diagnose OBP gradients across the mid-latitude North Atlantic and investigate the processes governing these boundary-specific changes. The model reproduces a meridionally consistent decline in western boundary overturning transport and a partially compensating strengthening at the eastern boundary, consistent with observations at 26.5$^\circ$N. These opposing trends arise from a vertically coherent structure in the OBP trend, shaped by two competing drivers: rising coastal sea level and decreasing density in the ocean interior. Through geostrophic balance, this dual-driver mechanism produces partial compensation between western and eastern boundary trends while also extending across latitudes, leading to a basin-wide decline of the AMOC throughout the mid-latitude North Atlantic. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_29142 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Density and sea level changes weaken the Atlantic Overturning: mechanistic insights from ocean bottom pressure Xing, Qianjiang Elipot, Shane Johns, William E. Sinha, Bablu Kajtar, Jules Blaker, Adam T. Petit, Tillys Moat, Ben I. Smeed, David A. Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics Observations from the RAPID array near 26.5$^\circ$N indicate a linear decline in the AMOC over the past two decades, linked to contrasting boundary changes: a weakening western boundary contribution partly compensated by strengthening at the eastern boundary. The dynamical processes responsible for this partial compensation, however, remain unclear. Because cross-slope gradients in ocean bottom pressure (OBP) provide a dynamical measure of overturning transport, we use a high-resolution ocean model to diagnose OBP gradients across the mid-latitude North Atlantic and investigate the processes governing these boundary-specific changes. The model reproduces a meridionally consistent decline in western boundary overturning transport and a partially compensating strengthening at the eastern boundary, consistent with observations at 26.5$^\circ$N. These opposing trends arise from a vertically coherent structure in the OBP trend, shaped by two competing drivers: rising coastal sea level and decreasing density in the ocean interior. Through geostrophic balance, this dual-driver mechanism produces partial compensation between western and eastern boundary trends while also extending across latitudes, leading to a basin-wide decline of the AMOC throughout the mid-latitude North Atlantic. |
| title | Density and sea level changes weaken the Atlantic Overturning: mechanistic insights from ocean bottom pressure |
| topic | Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.29142 |