The role of mountains in shaping the global meridional overturning circulation

Haijun Yang (), Rui Jiang, Qin Wen, Yimin Liu, Guoxiong Wu and Jianping Huang
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Haijun Yang: Fudan University
Rui Jiang: Peking University
Qin Wen: Nanjing Normal University
Yimin Liu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Guoxiong Wu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jianping Huang: Lanzhou University

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the ocean is a key player in the global climate system, while continental topography provides an essential backdrop to the system. In this study, we design a series of coupled model sensitivity experiments to investigate the influence of various mountain ranges on the global thermohaline circulation. The results highlight the influence of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) on the global thermohaline circulation. It emerges as a requisite for establishing the Atlantic MOC (AMOC) and a determining factor for the cessation of the Pacific MOC (PMOC). Additionally, the Antarctic continent plays a vital role in facilitating the TP to form the AMOC. While the formation of the AMOC cannot be attributed to any single mountain range, the TP alone can inhibit the PMOC’s development. By modifying the global hydrological cycle, the TP is likely to have been crucial in molding the global thermohaline circulation.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46856-x

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