Progress and Priorities of the US AMOC Program

Abstract:

Now in its seventh year, the US AMOC program aims to develop an improved understanding of the mechanisms behind fluctuations of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), leading to new capabilities for monitoring and predictions of AMOC and its influence on climate. The program is implemented by a Science Team, comprised of over 100 investigators on 60+ projects funded by NASA, NOAA, NSF, and DoE. The Science Team meets annually to share research advances, foster collaborations, and determine near-term priorities to address four objectives: implementation and evaluation of an AMOC observing system; assessment of AMOC state, variability, and change; assessment of AMOC mechanisms and predictability; and assessment of the role of AMOC in the global climate and ecosystems. The US AMOC program also seeks to develop and strengthen collaborations with the broader Earth system community, particularly with: paleo-oceanography to enable centennial-scale reconstructions and fingerprinting of AMOC; cryospheric sciences to understand the accelerating changes in Arctic sea ice extent and Greenland ice sheet mass, and the impact of fresh melt water on North Atlantic circulation and regional sea level rise; and ocean biogeochemistry for understanding carbon cycle changes and ecosystem impacts. We will highlight progress on the program objectives as well as updated near- and long-term priorities for future research emerging from the September 2014 meeting of Science Team.