Influence of the Southern Ocean on the Global deep ocean stratification

Abstract:

The stratification of the deep ocean plays a key role in the climate system by influencing the ocean circulation and regulating the outgassing of CO2. Previous studies have suggested that Southern Ocean processes control the global ocean stratification below the main thermocline (i.e., below ~500m). In this study, three ocean-only simulations are carried out with the Community Earth System Model (CESM1): one control simulation forced with Pre-industrial (PI) surface conditions, a second control simulation forced with Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) surface conditions, and a test simulation forced with LGM surface conditions in southern high latitudes and PI surface conditions elsewhere. We find that the test simulation does broadly reproduce the LGM density stratification of the global ocean below 2000m, but not at intermediate depths between 500m and 1500m. We propose a mechanism whereby the stratification of the intermediate-depth waters is influenced by the differing effects on the surface buoyancy distribution of fixed versus restoring aspects of the surface buoyancy forcing. This implies the Southern Ocean exerts less influence over the global deep ocean stratification than has been previously suggested, at least when considering the difference between LGM and PI climates in CESM1.