Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2005. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (page 44). / The oceanic circulation plays a significant role in earth's climate by transporting heat polewards. Here the ocean's thermohaline circulation is studied using the Marotzke and Stone four box ocean-atmosphere model under both the buoyancy constraint proposed by Stommel and the energy constraint proposed by Huang. Both a sensitivity study and stability analysis is performed. In the sensitivity study it is evident that the model under the buoyancy constraint reacted to variations in flow between ocean boxes, net incoming radiation gradient and longwave radiation reflection coefficient in the same manner regardless of whether it was in thermal mode or haline mode. Under the energy constraint the study yielded similar results in both modes, with the exception of the equilibrium temperature and salinity having opposite relationships to the energy parameter in the thermal and haline modes. The model under the buoyancy constraint under both limits becomes more sensitive to changes in both the net incoming radiation gradient and the longwave radiation reflection coefficient as the rate of flow between the two ocean boxes decreases. The model under the energy constraint, in contrast, becomes more sensitive to changes in the longwave radiation reflection coefficient as the energy parameter decreases but the model's sensitivity to changes in the net incoming radiation gradient is unaltered by changes in the energy parameter. This suggests that the model under the energy constraint is less sensitive to global climate changes. The stability analysis shows that the model under both the buoyancy and energy constraint is stable to realistic perturbations in temperature and salinity. / by Christie Wood. / S.B.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MIT/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/114115 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Wood, Christie L. (Christie Lynn) |
| Contributors | Paola M. Rizzoli., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. |
| Publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Source Sets | M.I.T. Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 44 pages, application/pdf |
| Rights | MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission., http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 |
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