The Atlantic overturning circulation: observations, theories & machine learning approaches - but no predictions!

Markus Jochum, Professor at the Ice and Climate Section, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is the sum of the numerous processes in the Atlantic Ocean that bring heat from the tropics to Europe. Understanding its strength and variability is a still unsolved problem of geophysical fluid dynamics. We will provide a short overview of the theoretical & observational frameworks, results of numerical simulations, and some recent advances in equation discovery and causal inference that may allow us to converge on a solution. Most importantly, though, we will highlight areas where oceanography may benefit from the expertise at Biocomplexity, or may provide a testbed for theoretical tools developed there.