Inter-ocean exchange of water through the atmosphere

Abstract:

The freshwater cycle is traced as one integrated process in the ocean and atmosphere, not treating these as separated into two different systems. This has been done for both present and possible future climates. To accomplish this we have introduced a new method to calculate the water-mass transport from the region of evaporation to where it precipitates. The method is based on water-mass conservation in an Earth-System model and includes not only advection of moisture by the winds but also the vertical water-mass transport due to the precipitation. We have hence been able to close the oceanic overturning circulation and discovered a number of atmospheric hydrological cells, which are direct extensions of the oceanic overturning cells.  The 3D water mass flux field is also used to trace the hydrological cycle with Lagrangian trajectories connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

The freshwater cycle is traced as one integrated process in the ocean and atmosphere, not treating these as separated into two different systems. This has been done for both present and possible future climates. To accomplish this we have introduced a new method to calculate the water-mass transport from the region of evaporation to where it precipitates. The method is based on water-mass conservation in an Earth-System model and includes not only advection of moisture by the winds but also the vertical water-mass transport due to the precipitation. We have hence been able to close the oceanic overturning circulation and discovered a number of atmospheric hydrological cells, which are direct extensions of the oceanic overturning cells.  The 3D water mass flux field is also used to trace the hydrological cycle with Lagrangian trajectories connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.