Modeling CFC inventories and formation rates of Labrador Sea Water -: art. no. 1050

[1] A high-resolution model of the North Atlantic Ocean is used to examine the potential of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) inventories for calculating the rate of Labrador Sea Water (LSW) formation. While the simulated CFC-11 inventory and its geographical distribution in 1997 is fairly similar to observations, the model indicates pronounced variations in the history of CFC uptake, reflecting pulsations in LSW renewal in response to changes in wintertime atmospheric conditions. The LSW formation rate based on the volume of newly homogenized water during a winter season varies between 0 Sv and 11 Sv, and it is correlated ( with a lag of 1 year) with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index. The CFC-based estimate of the mean LSW formation rate is 3.5-4.4 Sv, approximately representing the mean volumetric formation rate ( 4.3 Sv) for the period 1970-1997.