ESA's satellite magnetometer mission Swarm is supposed to lower the limit of observability for oceanic processes. While periodic magnetic signals from ocean tides are already detectable in satellite magnetometer observations, changes in the general ocean circulation are yet too small or irregular for a successful separation. An approach is presented that utilizes the good detectability of tidal magnetic signals to detect changes in the oceanic electric conductivity distribution. Ocean circulation, tides, and the resultant magnetic fields are calculated with a global general ocean circulation model coupled to a 3‐D electromagnetic induction model. For the decay of the meridional overturning circulation, as an example, the impact of climate variability on tidal oceanic magnetic signals is demonstrated. Total overturning decay results in anomalies of up to 0.7 nT in the radial magnetic M2 signal at sea level. The anomalies are spatially heterogeneous and reach in extended areas 30% or more of the unperturbed tidal magnetic signal. The anomalies should be detectable in long time series from magnetometers on land or at the ocean bottom. The anomalies at satellite height (430 km) reach 0.1 nT and pose a challenge for the precision of the Swarm mission. Climate variability induced deviations in the tide system (e.g., tidal velocities and phases) are negligible. Changes in tidal magnetic fields are dominated by changes in seawater salinity and temperature. Therefore, it is concluded that observations of tidal magnetic signals could be used as a tool to detect respective state changes in the ocean.
In contrast to ocean circulation signals, ocean tides are already well detectable by electromagnetic measurements. Oceanic electric conductivities from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) climate simulations are combined with tidal currents of M2 and O1 to estimate electromagnetic tidal signals and their sensitivity to global warming. Ninety‐four years of global warming leads to differences of ±0.3 nT in tidal magnetic amplitudes and ±0.1 mV/km in the tidal electric amplitudes at sea level. Locally, the climate‐induced changes can be much higher, e.g., +1 nT in the North Atlantic. In general, all studied electromagnetic tidal amplitudes show large‐scale climate‐induced anomalies that are strongest in the Northern Hemisphere and amount to 30% of their actual values. Consequently, changes in oceanic electromagnetic tidal amplitudes should be detectable in electromagnetic records. Electric and magnetic signals, as well as tides of different frequencies, contain complementary regional information.
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