The coupled reanalysis global meridional overturning circulation imprinted by historic volcanic eruptions
The global ocean meridional overturning circulation (GMOC) is central for ocean transport and climate variations. However, a comprehensive picture of its historical mean state and variability remains vague due to limitations in modelling and observing systems. Incorporating observations into models offers a viable approach to reconstructing climate history, yet achieving coherent estimates of GMOC has proven challenging due to difficulties in harmonizing ocean stratification. Here, we demonstrate that multiscale data assimilation that integrates atmospheric and oceanic observations into two coupled models in a dynamically consistent way robustly retrieves the past 80-year GMOC. By diagnosing volcanic eruption-induced North Atlantic cooling and surface buoyancy loss, we show historic volcanic eruption events are imprinted in variability of the rebuilt GMOC. The Mt. Pinatubo (1991) volcanic eruption produces a multidecadal characteristic of the overturning evolution by the chain of enhancing diapycnal mixing - strengthening deep convection - mediated by eddy activities.
Authors
- Yingjing Jiang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2419-2495)
- Zikuan Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3931-3210)
- Lu Ls
- Wenju Cai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6520-0829)
- Xiaolin Yu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4544-7730)
- Yang Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6444-6544)
- Xiaopei Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6413-4479)
- Mingkui Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6957-0963)
- Lai-Yung Ruby Leung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3221-9467)
- Lixin Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4694-5531)
- Bin Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5726-108X)
- Shaoqing Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6569-9842)
- Xueshun Shen
- Deliang Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0288-5618)
Institutions
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (US)
- Qingdao University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Harbin Engineering University (CN)
- Shantou University (CN)
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (US)
- Laoshan Laboratory
- Ocean University of China (CN)
- University of Gothenburg (SE)
- Tsinghua University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2026-07-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75651-z
- Primary Topic
- Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China