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The role of mountains in shaping the global meridional overturning circulation
Haijun Yang1, Rui Jiang2, Qin Wen3
1Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Key Laboratory of Polar Atmosphere-ocean-ice System for Weather and Climate of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China. yanghj@fudan.edu.cn.
Abstract:
The meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the ocean is a key player in the global climate system, while continental topography provides an essential backdrop to the system. In this study, we design a series of coupled model sensitivity experiments to investigate the influence of various mountain ranges on the global thermohaline circulation. The results highlight the influence of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) on the global thermohaline circulation. It emerges as a requisite for establishing the Atlantic MOC (AMOC) and a determining factor for the cessation of the Pacific MOC (PMOC). Additionally, the Antarctic continent plays a vital role in facilitating the TP to form the AMOC. While the formation of the AMOC cannot be attributed to any single mountain range, the TP alone can inhibit the PMOC's development. By modifying the global hydrological cycle, the TP is likely to have been crucial in molding the global thermohaline circulation.
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