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| Titel |
The Impact of the Geothermal Heat Flux on the Oceanic Abyssal Circulation |
| VerfasserIn |
M. Hofmann, M. A. Morales Maqueda |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2009
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 11 (2009) |
| Datensatznummer |
250024654
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Geothermal heating of abyssal water masses is commonly regarded as a rather minor driver of
the large-scale oceanic circulation. Numerical experiments carried out with a coarse
resolution Ocean General Circulation Model suggest, however, that the impact of geothermal
heat fluxes on the deep ocean circulation is not negligible. Geothermal heating contributes to
an overall warming of bottom waters by about 0.4 -C decreasing the stability of the water
column and enhancing the formation rates of North Atlantic Deep Water and Antarctic
Bottom Water by up to 10 and 33%, respectively. In addition, a stronger and deeper
Atlantic meridional overturning circulation cell results in a warming of the deep
western boundary current in the North Atlantic by about 1.4 -C. Increased influx of
Antarctic Bottom Water leads to an enrichment in radiocarbon of Pacific Ocean
waters, increasing Î14C values in the deep North Pacific from -269---- when
geothermal heating is ignored, to -242---- when geothermal heating is included. |
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