Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Evolution of Staircase Structures in Diffusive Convection
Published on: September 5, 2018
Recent increases in Arctic freshwater flux affects Labrador Sea convection and Atlantic overturning circulation
Qian Yang1, Timothy H Dixon1, Paul G Myers2
1School of Geosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA.
Abstract:
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is an important component of ocean thermohaline circulation. Melting of Greenland's ice sheet is freshening the North Atlantic; however, whether the augmented freshwater flux is disrupting the AMOC is unclear. Dense Labrador Sea Water (LSW), formed by winter cooling of saline North Atlantic water and subsequent convection, is a key component of the deep southward return flow of the AMOC. Although LSW formation recently decreased, it also reached historically high values in the mid-1990s, making the connection to the freshwater flux unclear. Here we derive a new estimate of the recent freshwater flux from Greenland using updated GRACE satellite data, present new flux estimates for heat and salt from the North Atlantic into the Labrador Sea and explain recent variations in LSW formation. We suggest that changes in LSW can be directly linked to recent freshening, and suggest a possible link to AMOC weakening.
More Related Videos
08:16Ice Generation and the Heat and Mass Transfer Phenomena of Introducing Water to a Cold Bath of Brine
Published on: March 13, 2017
13:38Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission L.I.F.E. as Novel Non-Invasive Tool for In-Situ Measurements of Biomarkers in Cryospheric Habitats
Published on: October 26, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Global Climate Change
Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions
Marine Microbial Ecology
Membrane Fluidity
What is Climate?
Freshwater Microbial Ecology