A more quiescent deep ocean under global warming

Abstract

The ocean is a magnificent reservoir of kinetic energy possessed by currents at diverse spatio-temporal scales. These currents transport heat and material, regulating the regional and global climate. It is generally thought that large-scale ocean circulations should become more energetic under global warming, especially in the ocean’s upper layer. However, using high-resolution global climate simulations, here we demonstrate that the total ocean kinetic energy is projected to be significantly reduced in a warming climate, despite overall acceleration of large-scale ocean circulations in the upper layer. This reduction is primarily attributed to weakened ocean mesoscale eddies in the deep ocean. Enhanced vertical stratification under global warming reduces the available potential energy stored in large-scale ocean circulations, diminishing its conversion into eddy kinetic energy. Our findings reveal a more quiescent deep ocean under global warming and suggest a crucial role of mesoscale eddies in determining the anthropogenic change of total ocean kinetic energy. Studies show climate change will alter the ocean, with increased surface layer kinetic energy. This work, using full ocean depth and high-resolution projections with a high-emission scenario, shows an overall ocean kinetic energy decrease due to a calmer deep ocean with weaker mesoscale eddies.