The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

2027 Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

January 12-15, 2027

Seasonal to multi-year variability of upwelling along southwest Greenland and the role of atmospheric circulation
ID:420 Oral Presentation

2027-01-14 16:35 (China Standard Time)

Session:Session 5 - Arctic Ocean: Physical Processes and their Effects on Climate and the Ecosystem

Abstract
Wind-driven upwelling along southwest Greenland, accompanied by offshore freshwater transport, has potentially strong implications for Labrador Sea deep convection and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Here we use a decade of mooring measurements from the Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP), along with atmospheric reanalysis fields, to investigate the seasonality and year-to-year variation in the upwelling. Over the time period 2014–2024 the number of summer events increased, while the mean duration of winter events decreased for the first seven years and then rebounded. The latter is consistent with the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), whereas the relationship between the number of summer events and the summer NAO is counterintuitive. A large number of the summer events occurred under an atmospheric scenario that is not typically associated with upwelling in this region. A storm track analysis reveals that these conditions are typical of a low NAO state, thus explaining the above-noted counterintuitive relationship. Our results highlight a previously underappreciated role of high-pressure systems in driving upwelling variability and provide new insights into the factors controlling upwelling along southwest Greenland.
Speaker
Yan Sun Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Author
Yan Sun Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

    Important Dates

    • Jan 30

      2026

      Session / Event proposals open

    • Mar 31

      2026

      Session / Event proposals close
      (Extended to April 7)

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Session acceptance notifications

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions & registration open

    • Jun 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions close
      (Extended to July 21)

    • Aug 31

      2026

      Abstract acceptance notifications

    • Sep 15

      2026

      Scientific program released

    • Oct 15

      2026

      Early bird registration closes

    • Jan 12–15

      2027

      XMAS 2027