PHY-02 Atlantic Ocean Variability
On the Decadal Variability in the Subpolar North Atlantic Upper-layer Ocean Heat Content
Chunyu Ren* , School of Geographic and Oceanographic Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Feili Li, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science & College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China

The surface temperature changes over the North Atlantic Warming Hole (NAWH) region is suggested to be an indicator for the North Atlantic large-scale ocean circulation variations, e.g., the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Nevertheless, the contribution from the AMOC in the NAWH region remains under debate. In this abstract, we will use the output from high-resolution reanalyses to diagnose the relationships among the AMOC, the subpolar gyre circulation, and the upper-layer ocean heat content in the NAWH region. We also perform the heat budget analysis in the region to isolate and evaluate the relative contribution from the AMOC and gyre circulation over the interannual and decadal time scales. This work will provide insights into physical processes behind the changes in the NAWH region.