Mediterranean overflow water in the North Atlantic and its multidecadal variability

The Mediterranean overflow water is one of the most important intermediate-depth water masses in the North Atlantic. To investigate its properties a pre-industrial simulation with the earth system model EC-Earth is used. The multidecadal variability of the outflow is analysed by examining the modelled volume and salt transports through the Strait of Gibraltar as well as different atmospheric patterns (such as the wind pattern and the net freshwater fluxes). The salinity evolution in the main core of the outflow in the mid-Atlantic is also taken into account. The leading empirical orthogonal functions for the modelled salinity 900 m coincided with the modelled distribution of outflow water. The associated principal component showed a multidecadal variability of the salinity field. The variability of the net salt transport through the Strait of Gibraltar showed a similar behaviour where the Atlantic-Mediterranean system manifested two clear states. One of these is when the Mediterranean imports salt from the Atlantic and the other is where salt export to the Atlantic predominates. This result indicates that the Mediterranean Sea acts as a storage of salt alternating between the two states. The negative phase of the North Atlantic oscillation appears to play a role driving the variability of the salt transport and its impact on the overturning circulation in the North Atlantic.