Speaker
Description
Progress in information technology has driven exponential growth in the number of global ocean observations and the fidelity of numerical simulations of the ocean in the past few decades. The growth has been exponentially faster for ocean simulations, however. The present cutting-edge ocean circulation models running on the latest supercomputers can cover the globe with resolutions of a few kilometers. Regional simulations on the same machines use resolutions of less than one kilometer; at these scales non-hydrostatic, submesoscale dynamics can dominate. These virtual ocean datasets are increasingly realistic, and provide insight into processes at scales that are inaccessible with conventional observations.
This talk will explain these trends and their implications. The specific focus is on opportunities and challenges to exploit high-resolution ocean circulation model simulations to understand Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) processes, and to guide observations. Examples are given of model predictions related to the AMOC lower limb in the subpolar North Atlantic, including sources and fates of the Denmark Strait Overflow and East Greenland continental shelf exchange with the deep ocean.
| Topic | Future AMOC observing – outlining a roadmap |
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