ocean circulation
DESCRIPTION
PowerpointTRANSCRIPT
Components of the Climate System
• Atmosphere• Ocean
• Biosphere• Geosphere
Image from NASA
Atmosphere & Ocean Circulation
• Atmospheric Circulation– Depends on density
• Ocean Surface Circulation– Depends on the wind
• Deep Ocean Circulation– Depends on density
Why is Ocean Circulation Important?
• Transport ~ 20% of latitudinal heat
– Equator to poles
• Transport nutrients and organisms
• Influences weather and climate
• Influences commerce
Temperature Structure of Ocean
thermocline
Ocean Circulation
Wind-drive ocean surface currentsWind driven surface currents
• How fast? A few miles/hr (Gulf Stream off of Miami = 4.5 mph)
• How much? Total water in ocean surface circulation = about 100 Amazon Rivers (20 million m3/s).
Atmosphere & Ocean Circulation
• Atmospheric Circulation– Depends on density
• Ocean Surface Circulation– Depends on the wind
• Deep Ocean Circulation– Depends on density
Sea Surface Temperature
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/dees/ees/climate/slides/sst_march.gif
Ocean Salinity
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/dees/ees/climate/slides/sal_march.gif
•http://ingrid.ldgo.columbia.edu/
Temperature-Salinity (density) Diagram
Thermohaline Circulation
North Atlantic Deep Water
(NADW
15 million m3 of near surface water descend into the deep ocean each second.
Thermohaline Circulation - The Ocean Conveyor
Equatorial to polar heat transport and water flow
Ocean – Atmosphere Circulation
UNEQUAL HEATING OF EARTH
BUT – Outgoing solar radiation is not as uneven