Poleward Shift of the Major Ocean Gyres Detected in a Warming Climate. Issue 5 (4th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Hu; Lohmann, Gerrit; Krebs‐Kanzow, Uta; Ionita, Monica; Shi, Xiaoxu; Sidorenko, Dimitry; Gong, Xun; Chen, Xueen; Gowan, Evan J.
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 47:Issue 5(2020)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2020-03-04
• Subjects: ocean gyre -- climate change -- poleward shift -- global warming -- ocean circulation -- sea level rise; Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1029/2019GL085868
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

Abstract: Recent evidence shows that wind‐driven ocean currents, like the western boundary currents, are strongly affected by global warming. However, due to insufficient observations both on temporal and spatial scales, the impact of climate change on large‐scale ocean gyres is still not clear. Here, based on satellite observations of sea surface height and sea surface temperature, we find a consistent poleward shift of the major ocean gyres. Due to strong natural variability, most of the observed ocean gyre shifts are not statistically significant, implying that natural variations may contribute to the observed trends. However, climate model simulations forced with increasing greenhouse gases suggest that the observed shift is most likely to be a response of global warming. The displacement of ocean gyres, which is coupled with the poleward shift of extratropical atmospheric circulation, has broad impacts on ocean heat transport, regional sea level rise, and coastal ocean circulation. Plain Language Summary: Ocean circulation plays a vital role in regulating the weather and climate and supporting marine life. Therefore, it is important to understand whether and how it responds to global warming. However, the available observations are currently sparse and short in duration, making it difficult to track the dynamic changes of large‐scale ocean circulation. Here, we show for the first time, independent satellite observational evidence demonstrating that the large‐scale ocean gyres are moving poleward during the past four decades. Further analysis based on climate models and various other data sets reveal that the poleward shifting of the ocean gyre circulation is most likely to be a consequence of global warming, which so far has not been well recognized by the public and the scientific community. Key Points: Satellite observations show a consistent poleward shift of the major ocean gyres during the past four decades Due to strong natural variability, most of the observed ocean gyre shifts are not statistically significant Climate model simulations suggest that the observed shift is most likely to be a response to global warming