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Abstract

Surface wind stress strongly influences AMOC variability on interannual time scales. On longer time scales, however, its role in AMOC variations is less clear. Here, we show a non-linear AMOC response to globally reduced and enhanced wind stress forcing, based on sensitivity experiments with MPI-ESM1.2. Under reduced wind stress forcing, the AMOC strength strongly decreases. In contrast, under enhanced wind stress forcing the AMOC strength increases only in the first decades and then decreases, stabilizing at a value similar to the reference simulation. To reveal possible mechanisms underlying this response, we assess the response of the northern North Atlantic circulation and climate to the changed wind stress forcing. Initially, the response is linear: reduced wind stress forcing weakens the gyre circulation and the associated heat and salt transport, leading to larger winter sea ice extent and a shutdown of subpolar deep convection. In the Nordic Seas, the fresher and lighter subsurface state leads to a decrease in the baroclinic pressure and the overflow strength. Under enhanced wind stress forcing, initially the opposite is happening. However, eventually subpolar surface density anomalies are determined by warmer temperature rather than increased salinity, leading to a decrease in surface density and a weakening of subpolar deep convection. The resulting AMOC weakening reduces the Atlantic inflow salinity, and subsequently the Nordic Seas baroclinic pressure and overflow strength. The quasi-equilibrium response of the northern North Atlantic circulation and climate under enhanced wind stress forcing differs from the reference simulation, even though the AMOC strength converges.