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Abstract At present, tides supply approximately half (1 TW) of the energy necessary to sustain the global deep meridional overturning circulation (MOC) through diapycnal mixing. During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 19,000–26,500 years BP), tidal dissipation in the open ocean may have strongly increased due to the 120‐ to 130‐m global mean sea level drop and changes in ocean basin shape. However, few investigations into LGM climate and ocean circulation consider LGM tidal mixing changes. Here, using an intermediate complexity climate model, we present a detailed investigation on how changes in tidal dissipation would affect the global MOC. Present‐day and LGM tidal constituents M2, S2, K1, and O1are simulated using a tide model and accounting for LGM bathymetric changes. The tide model results suggest that the LGM energy supply to the internal wave field was 1.8–3 times larger than at present and highly sensitive to Antarctic and Laurentide ice sheet extent. Including realistic LGM tide forcing in the LGM climate simulations leads to large increases in Atlantic diapycnal diffusivities and strengthens (by 14–64% at 32°S) and deepens the Atlantic MOC. Increased input of tidal energy leads to a greater drawdown of North Atlantic Deep Water and mixing with Antarctic Bottom Water altering Atlantic temperature and salinity distributions. Our results imply that changes in tidal dissipation need be accounted for in paleoclimate simulation setup as they can lead to large differences in ocean mixing, the global MOC, and presumably also ocean carbon and other biogeochemical cycles.
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Dissipation and Bathymetric Sensitivities in an Unstructured Mesh Global Tidal Model
Abstract The mechanisms and geographic distribution of global tidal dissipation in barotropic tidal models are examined using a high resolution unstructured mesh finite element model. Mesh resolution varies between 2 and 25 km and is especially focused on inner shelves and steep bathymetric gradients. Tidal response sensitivities to bathymetric changes are examined to put into context response sensitivities to frictional processes. We confirm that the Ronne Ice Shelf dramatically affects Atlantic tides but also find that bathymetry in the Hudson Bay system is a critical control. We follow a sequential frictional parameter optimization process and use TPXO9 data‐assimilated tidal elevations as a reference solution. From simulated velocities and depths, dissipation within the global model is estimated and allows us to pinpoint dissipation at high resolution. Boundary layer dissipation is extremely focused with 1.4% of the ocean accounting for 90% of the total. Internal tide friction is much more distributed with 16.7% of the ocean accounting for 90% of the total. Often highly regional dissipation can impact basin‐scale and even ocean wide tides. Optimized boundary layer friction parameters correlate very well with the physical characteristics of the locality with high friction factors associated with energetic tidal regions, deep ocean island chains, and ice covered areas. Global complex M2tide errors are 1.94 cm in deep waters. Total global boundary layer and internal tide dissipation are estimated, respectively, at 1.83 and 1.49 TW. This continues the trend in the literature toward attributing more dissipation to internal tides.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1855047
- PAR ID:
- 10445788
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
- Volume:
- 127
- Issue:
- 5
- ISSN:
- 2169-9275
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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