Physics – Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
Scientific paper
2004-07-29
Physics
Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
37 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Clim. Dyn
Scientific paper
10.1007/s00382-004-0484-z
We reconsider the problem of the stability of the thermohaline circulation as described by a two-dimensional Boussinesq model with mixed boundary conditions. We determine how the stability properties of the system depend on the intensity of the hydrological cycle. We define a two-dimensional parameters' space descriptive of the hydrology of the system and determine, by considering suitable quasi-static perturbations, a bounded region where multiple equilibria of the system are realized. We then focus on how the response of the system to finite-amplitude surface freshwater forcings depends on their rate of increase. We show that it is possible to define a robust separation between slow and fast regimes of forcing. Such separation is obtained by singling out an estimate of the critical growth rate for the anomalous forcing, which can be related to the characteristic advective time scale of the system.
Artale Vincenzo
Calmanti Sandro
Lucarini Valerio
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