Does the Timing of Freshwater Input Matter for Ocean Circulation?

Profile Picture of - Fraser Goldsworth

Fraser Goldsworth

Abstract information

In this video, Fraser Goldsworth investigates how freshwater released around Greenland mixes with saltier ocean waters and what this means for the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Using high-resolution simulations with the ICON Earth System Model, he quantifies regional and seasonal patterns of diahaline mixing. He finds that mixing is strongest in winter and off southern Greenland, driven by surface cooling and modulated by sea ice. The results suggest that the timing and location of Greenland meltwater input influence how strongly it can interact with the AMOC, with implications for how freshwater “hosing” experiments are designed.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB101245

Researcher

Fraser W. Goldsworth is a postdoctoral research scientist in the Climate Energetics group at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, working on the EU-funded EERIE project. His research focuses on high-resolution ocean–climate modelling, freshwater pathways around Greenland, AMOC stability, and ocean mixing processes. He completed his DPhil in Physical Oceanography at the University of Oxford, where he investigated symmetric instability in the Atlantic overturning circulation using very high-resolution simulations.

Institution information

Max Planck Institute for Meteorology

The Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M) is an internationally renowned institute for climate research, founded in Hamburg in 1975, affiliated with the Max Planck Society and the University of Hamburg. Scientists at MPI-M investigate what determines the sensitivity of the Earth system to perturbations such as the changing composition of its atmosphere, and work toward establishing the sources and limits of predictability within the Earth system, developing and analysing sophisticated Earth system models complemented by targeted measurements and satellite observations. The MPI-M comprises three departments: Climate Dynamics, Climate Physics, and Climate Variability.
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology
Cover Photo of - Max Planck Institute for Meteorology

Original Publication

A novel framework for studying oceanic freshwater transports, and its application in discerning the modelled fate of freshwater around the coast of Greenland

Fraser William Goldsworth

Published in

Book Recommendation

The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck follows the Joad family as they leave Oklahoma during the Great Depression and travel to California in search of work and a better life. Along the way, they face poverty, discrimination, and hardship, while the novel explores themes of resilience, family, social justice, and the struggle for dignity in difficult times.

Citation

Fraser Goldsworth, 

Latest Thinking, 

Does the Timing of Freshwater Input Matter for Ocean Circulation?, 

https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB101245, 

Credits:

© Fraser Goldsworth 

and Latest Thinking

This work is licensed under CC-BY 4.0