Basin-Width Dependence of Northern Deep Convection

In the current climate there is deep convection in the North Atlantic but not the North Pacific. This has been suggested to be because of zonal asymmetries in freshwater forcing or inter-basin exchange. This study examines the role of basin width in convection shut-off. As the magnitude of freshwater forcing is increased in single basin experiments with a re-entrant Southern Ocean, the convection shuts off at a weaker forcing for the wider basin. Salt-advection feedback and the relative strengths of diffusive upwelling and Southern Ocean upwelling are examined as potential causes for the width dependence.