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Evaluation of a Finite-Element Sea-Ice Ocean Model (FESOM) set-up to study the interannual to decadal variability in the deep-water formation rates

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Abstract

The characteristics of a global set-up of the Finite-Element Sea-Ice Ocean Model under forcing of the period 1958–2004 are presented. The model set-up is designed to study the variability in the deep-water mass formation areas and was therefore regionally better resolved in the deep-water formation areas in the Labrador Sea, Greenland Sea, Weddell Sea and Ross Sea. The sea-ice model reproduces realistic sea-ice distributions and variabilities in the sea-ice extent of both hemispheres as well as sea-ice transport that compares well with observational data. Based on a comparison between model and ocean weather ship data in the North Atlantic, we observe that the vertical structure is well captured in areas with a high resolution. In our model set-up, we are able to simulate decadal ocean variability including several salinity anomaly events and corresponding fingerprint in the vertical hydrography. The ocean state of the model set-up features pronounced variability in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation as well as the associated mixed layer depth pattern in the North Atlantic deep-water formation areas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany

    Patrick Scholz, Gerrit Lohmann, Qiang Wang & Sergey Danilov

  2. MARUM, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Patrick Scholz & Gerrit Lohmann

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  1. Patrick Scholz
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  2. Gerrit Lohmann
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  3. Qiang Wang
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  4. Sergey Danilov
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Correspondence to Patrick Scholz.

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Responsible Editor: Pierre Lermusiaux

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Multi-scale modelling of coastal, shelf and global ocean dynamics

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Scholz, P., Lohmann, G., Wang, Q. et al. Evaluation of a Finite-Element Sea-Ice Ocean Model (FESOM) set-up to study the interannual to decadal variability in the deep-water formation rates. Ocean Dynamics 63, 347–370 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-012-0590-0

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