Resilience of the Gulf Stream path on decadal and longer timescales

Sci Rep. 2019 Aug 9;9(1):11549. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-48011-9.

Abstract

The Gulf Stream is the upper-ocean limb of a powerful current system known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation-the strongest oceanic pacemaker of the Atlantic Ocean and perhaps the entire Earth's climate. Understanding the long-term variability of the Gulf Stream path is critical for resolving how the ocean, as a climate driver, works. A captivating facet of the Gulf Stream as a large-scale ocean climate phenomenon is its astounding resilience on timescales of decades and longer. Although the Gulf Stream has been vigorously explored over many decades, its long-term constancy deserves further scrutiny using the increased volume of in situ marine observations. We report a new study where the decadal variability of the Gulf Stream north wall (defined by the 15 °C isotherm at 200 m)-the major marker of the Gulf Stream pathway-is analyzed using in situ observations collected over the last 53 years.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.