MARE Introduction
Climate variability
Climate variability at interannual, decadal to millennial time scales is
coupled to variations in the oceans thermohaline circulation (THC). Interocean
exchange of water around South Africa is thought to be a key link in the
maintenance of the THC. As a result, variability in interocean exchange induces
variability in the global THC and can affect the production of North Atlantic
Deep Water (NADW) and associated climate variability over Europe.
Agulhas Rings
Interocean exchange, or Agulhas leakage, occurs on an intermittent basis. It
is determined largely by the shedding of Agulhas Rings which is extremely
variable on interannual time scale. As a result Agulhas Rings seem to be the
most likely source of South Atlantic circulation anomalies that influence NADW
production. However at present it is unclear what proportion of Agulhas Ring
Water is transferred by mixing to the THC.
MARE project
The main objective of the MARE programme is therefore to determine the
proportion of Agulhas leakage that contributes to the northward branch of the
THC, estimate its variability at interannual to millennial time scales and
determine the impact of anomalous Agulhas leakage on the strength of the
Atlantic overturning circulation and associated (actuo- and paleo-) climate
fluctuations over the northeast Atlantic sector.
Components
Scientists from the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht
University (IMAU), the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), the Royal
Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), the University of Cape Town (South
Africa) and the Free University (VU) are involved in the MARE project.
The MARE project is divided into several components with different
coordinators:
|
Component Title
|
Coordinator
|
|
MARE
|
Prof. Dr.
W.P.M. de Ruijter (IMAU)
|
|
MARE-A: Observations of Agulhas Ring mixing
|
Drs. C. Veth
(NIOZ)
|
|
MARE-B: Modelling and data assimilation of Agulhas Ring
mixing
|
Dr. P.J. van
Leeuwen (IMAU)
|
|
MARE-C: Paleoceanographic observations of the Agulhas Ring
Corridor
|
Dr. J.H.F.
Jansen (NIOZ)
|
|
MARE-D: Impact of Agulhas leakage on South Atlantic
anomalies
|
Dr. S.S. Drijfhout (KNMI)
|
|
MARE-E: Impact of South Atlantic anomalies on European climate
variability
|
Dr. S.S. Drijfhout (KNMI)
|
More detailed information on the these
components can be found in the 'Proposals' section.
