A telecon between US CLIVAR and the CLIVAR Atlantic Region Panel (ARP) has been organised on May 7, 2020, in order to discuss the future cooperation and integration of the US AMOC Science Team with International CLIVAR. Representatives from US CLIVAR, CLIVAR ARP and the ICPO participated in the telecon. This activity was initiated back in 2018, by the US CLIVAR’s presentation at CLIVAR ARP-16 on the Transition and Sunset Plan of the US AMOC Science Team. A Task Team has been formulated within CLIVAR ARP, led by Eric Chassignet and Eleanor Frakja-Williams. The following topics were covered during the telecon: 1) history of US AMOC Science Team; 2) priorities for continued coordination on AMOC; 3) the modality of future integration with CLIVAR and possible funding opportunities, as well as 4) upcoming actions.

1. Priorities for continued coordination

• To organise international science meetings which have alternated between the US AMOC Science Team and the UK RAPID programme.
• To produce summary reports (possibly linked to those meetings) with identified priorities of the AMOC community.  These reports, in particular, are read by agencies/programme managers and help set funding directions.
• To coordinate among observational programmes for AMOC, probably through conducting a similar review as Tropical Atlantic Observing System (TAOS) Review, which is led by ARP. It was noted that the future ‘needed’ AMOC observation should move towards a process-oriented focus to support the modelling community, which will be benefit to the model improvement.

2. Modality for future integration and funding opportunities

• To further explore the possibility to establish an international AMOC Task Team under CLIVAR, with participation not only from ARP, but also OMDP, NORP, etc, and with the support from the ICPO.
• US Funding agencies remain interested in supporting AMOC researches that fulfil their funding objectives.
• New funding opportunity from EU, UK, Canada through the AtlantOS program, with the AMOC as one of their five case studies.

3. Upcoming actions

• US CLIVAR AMOC Science Team has been postponed to Spring 2021, and the final report will be published in summer of 2021, including the meeting outcomes.
• In-person 1/2-day meeting for an ARP AMOC Task team will be organised with US AMOC Science team alongside one of the three relevant events to be organised in Spring 2021:

• US AMOC Science Meeting (Spring 2021, US)
• UK Royal Society Meeting (8-9 March 2021, London, UK)
• CLIVAR Multi-panel workshop titled ‘From global to coastal: Cultivating new solutions and partnerships for an enhanced Ocean Observing System in a decade of accelerating change’ (3-8 May 2021, Trieste, Italy). 

• CLIVAR ARP will prioritise their objectives for the AMOC TT under ARP.
• Another touch base telecon to be organised in 3 months to update on progress/developments by including participation from UK RAPID programme as well.

***************************

Background:

The US AMOC Science Team, originated in 2008, to develop an improved understanding of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), implement components of an AMOC monitoring system, and improve prediction capability. There are five tasks teams under US CLIVAR Science Team, with the fifth coming along in the last three years:

• Task Team 1: AMOC Observing System Implementation and Evaluation
• Task Team 2: AMOC State, Variability and Change
• Task Team 3: AMOC Mechanisms and Predictability
• Task Team 4: Climate Sensitivity to AMOC: Climate/Ecosystem Impacts
• Task Team 5: Paleo AMOC

The US AMOC Science Team will be officially sunset after the next US AMOC Science Meeting (which has now been postponed to 2021 under the current COVID-19 situation).

US AMOC Science Team Sunset Plan

(News prepared by Eleanor Frakja-Williams & Jing Li)