07.02.2022: Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics Colloquium

When?     Monday, 07. February 2022 at 11 am
Where?    ZOOM meeting room: https://geomar-de.zoom.us/j/88467067671?pwd=Zkk1Q2hMRG00bTJYMFByVXZQanc1Zz09

Meeting-ID: 884 6706 7671

Kenncode: 347794

Freshwater plays a key role in the Arctic - North Atlantic climate system, linking ice, ocean and atmospheric dynamics. Yet, it has, for the most part, been overlooked as a major player in ocean-climate interactions on weather-type timescales. In this talk, I will demonstrate a remarkable influence of North Atlantic freshwater events on medium-term climate trajectories – and the potential implications of increased freshwater fluxes in future.
Combining observations and models, I will first describe the influences of North Atlantic freshwater events on the ocean and atmospheric circulations, including their impacts on European weather. I will then present the large-scale drivers of past and recent freshwater events. Lastly, I will show nonlinear feedbacks of an enhanced North Atlantic freshening on the freshwater export from the Arctic, and explain how these feedbacks can affect the risk of rapid climate change.
The talk will provide you with an overview over the intricate coupling between the ice, ocean and atmosphere on seasonal to decadal timescales. It will also offer new clues for the high sensitivity of the North Atlantic climate to small freshwater variations in the past.

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