Gerrit Lohmann
Tellus 55 A, 438-449, 2003.
Oceanic and atmospheric freshwater transports
are analyzed in a numerical experiment where induced freshwater
in the North Atlantic slowed the THC.
During times of weak Atlantic overturning circulation,
it is found that the Intertropical Convergence Zone moves southward
and trade winds at tropical latitudes increase
resulting in enhanced water vapor export out of the Atlantic catchment area.
The experiment reveals furthermore that the oceanic freshwater transport
amounts for a stabilizing effect of similar magnitude than the atmospheric effect.
It is argued that the modeled response can be used as a fingerprint for the
detection of THC changes documented in the paleoclimatic record or
related recent climate change.