Midterm 1 Ocean

Question 1

Wind-driven surface currents:

Ekman spiral due to Coriolis. Water flows 90° right of winds in Northern Hemisphere, 90° left in Southern Hemisphere

Subtropical gyres

Equatorial upwelling due to divergence

Question 2

Deep - ocean circulation:

The poles are the only places where water is a ______ temperature (and thus density)

Deep and surface ocean can only exchange/mix in high latitudes where there is small
temperature (and therefore density) difference with depth

An impenetrable lid of warm
water sits on the cold deep
ocean everywhere else

Answer 2

Deep - ocean circulation:

The poles are the only places where water is a SIMILAR temperature (and thus density)

Deep and surface ocean can only exchange/mix in high latitudes where there is small
temperature (and therefore density) difference with depth

An impenetrable lid of warm
water sits on the cold deep
ocean everywhere else

Question 3

Water sinks in the North Atlantic. Atmospheric circulation causes net transfer of freshwater
from Atlantic to Pacific; therefore, Atlantic is saltier and waters in North Atlantic are cold and
salty enough to sink down to deep ocean (North Pacific is too fresh for waters to sink)

Question 4

Westerly winds around Antarctica pull water away from continent and draw deep waters back
up to surface

Question 5

Deep ocean circulation transports heat ______ to the North Atlantic

Answer 5

northward

Question 6

Deep ocean circulation can ____ rate of surface warming by sequestering heat into the depths of the
ocean

Answer 6

slow