Full-depth temperature trends in the northeastern Atlantic through the early 21st century

Type Article
Date 2014-11
Language English
Author(s) Desbruyeres DamienORCID1, McDonagh E. L.1, King B. A.1, Garry F. K.2, Blaker A. T.1, Moat B. I.1, Mercier HerleORCID3
Affiliation(s) 1 : Natl Oceanog Ctr, Southampton, Hants, England.
2 : Univ Southampton, Natl Oceanog Ctr, Sch Ocean & Earth Sci, Southampton, Hants, England.
3 : CNRS Ifremer UBO IRD, UMR 6523, Lab Phys Oceans, Plouzane, France.
Source Geophysical Research Letters (0094-8276) (Amer Geophysical Union), 2014-11 , Vol. 41 , N. 22 , P. 7971-7979
DOI 10.1002/2014GL061844
WOS© Times Cited 22
Note FP6 CARBOOCEAN
Keyword(s) North Atlantic, temperature, observations, hiatus
Abstract The vertical structure of temperature trends in the northeastern Atlantic (NEA) is investigated using a blend of Argo and hydrography data. The representativeness of sparse hydrography sampling in the basin mean is assessed using a numerical model. Between 2003 and 2013, the NEA underwent a strong surface cooling (0–450 m) and a significant warming at intermediate and deep levels (1000 m to 3000 m) that followed a strong cooling trend observed between 1988 and 2003. During 2003–2013, gyre-specific changes are found in the upper 1000 m (warming and cooling of the subtropical and subpolar gyres, respectively), while the intermediate and deep warming primarily occurred in the subpolar gyre, with important contributions from isopycnal heave and water mass property changes. The full-depth temperature change requires a local downward heat flux of 0.53 ± 0.06 W m−2 through the sea surface, and its vertical distribution highlights the likely important role of the NEA in the recent global warming hiatus.
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Desbruyeres Damien, McDonagh E. L., King B. A., Garry F. K., Blaker A. T., Moat B. I., Mercier Herle (2014). Full-depth temperature trends in the northeastern Atlantic through the early 21st century. Geophysical Research Letters, 41(22), 7971-7979. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL061844 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00236/34677/