Asymmetric Response of the North Atlantic Gyres to the North Atlantic Oscillation

Abstract

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a leading mode of atmospheric variability, affecting the North Atlantic Ocean on sub-seasonal to multi-decadal timescales. The NAO changes the atmospheric forcing at the ocean's surface, including winds and surface buoyancy fluxes, both of which are known to impact large-scale gyre circulation. However, the relative role of other physical processes (such as mesoscale eddies and topography) in influencing gyre circulation under NAO variability is not fully understood. Here, we analyze a series of ocean-sea ice simulations using a barotropic vorticity budget to understand the long-term response of the North Atlantic gyre circulation to NAO forcing. We fi..