Lecture 12- Ocean Circulation 4

Question 1

speed of circulation

Answer 1

• from 14C radioactive decay tracer

- cold dense water sinks in the North Atlantic and around Antarctica to form deep water

Question 2

14C levels

Answer 2

high in the north but gets lower as you go south

Question 3

oldest deep waters (2000 years) are in

Answer 3

the deep Pacific

Question 4

locations of deep water formation in the North Atlantic

Answer 4

• Labrador
• Irminger Sea
• Greenland
• Norwegian Seas

Question 5

locations of deep water formation around Antarctica

Answer 5

• Ross

- Weddell Sea

Question 6

speed of deep ocean circulation

Answer 6

• slow

- hundreds to thousands of years

Question 7

speed of surface current

Answer 7

• fast

- decades

Question 8

conveyor belt circulation

Answer 8

• combination of deep ocean currents and surface currents

- super idealized pattern

Question 9

example of conveyor belt circulation

Answer 9

Gulf Stream in Europe

Question 10

conveyor belt circulation and temperature

Answer 10

acts to pull heat away from the equator and give it to the atmosphere/high latitudes

Question 11

more water vapor means

Answer 11

less density

Question 12

pressure from warm, moist air

Answer 12

creates low pressure at the equator