Overturning and Climate Lab

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a crucial component of the Earth's climate system. It plays a key role in redistributing heat, freshwater, oxygen, carbon, and nutrients on a global scale. Therefore, the AMOC is vital for maintaining the global climate and weather patterns, as well as marine ecosystems. Our lab focuses on understanding the dynamics of the AMOC and its impact on climate variability and change using a combination of observational and numerical modeling data. We habe been actively involved in the the Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP) to measure the subpolar AMOC variability and to understand its mechanisms.

Subtropical Cells (STCs)

The STCs are wind-driven shallow overturning cells in the upper 500 m of the water column. They consist of a poleward flow in the mixed layer forced by the trade winds, and equatorward return flow in the thermocline as a result of Ekman pumping in the subtropical gyres. The thermocline STC transports supply the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC), which brings water eastward to supply the eastern tropical upwelling. The STC loop system thus plays an important role in ventilating the thermocline and regulating the tropical climate variability. Our lab investigates the dynamics of the STC loop, its interaction with the AMOC, and its role in a changing climate.

See our Research Highlights & Publications for more details →