Multiple Steady Solutions of a Model Subpolar Ocean Forced by Localized Wind

A simple model of the subpolar North Atlantic can produce closed, recirculating cells in the Irminger and Labrador Seas, consistent with float data. But it can also produce an inertial solution with swift, open currents that do no recirculate. We explore this transition in an idealized model to isolate the dynamics at work. Weak forcing leads to the beta plume of linear theory, while strong forcing causes a nonlinear transition to a stronger, global solution that encompasses the entire domain.