Observing Waves and Ocean Circulation (1) Flashcards
What was the name of the first scientific oceanographic vessel?
HMS Challenger
What does the XBT probe look at?
Temperature and Depth
What does an ATSR-SST image show?
Sea surface temperature on a daily basis including areas with a steep temperature change
What is a wind driven current?
A transfer of energy from the air to the water through friction
True or False - Upwelling works with Ekman Spiral.
True
What is a gyre?
Close/Semi-enclosed circulation in the ocean. They are semi-permanent features
How are gyres formed?
Mass movement of water
What do gyres do?
Create mass movement of heat energy from the tropics to the North and to the tropics evening out the temperature gradient
How do gyres impact ocean life?
The centres have decreased nutrient levels e.g. the Sargasso Sea
Which gyres move in the direction of Coriolis?
North and South Atlantic
What is a Western Boundary Current?
A fast flowing North to South current on the Western side of a sub-tropical gyre
What is the flow of the Gulf Stream?
70m cumecs
What is the flow of the UK-Iceland gap?
3m cuemcs
What does Quasi mean?
Almost - A geostrophic balance between Coriolis and the ocean pressure
What is an oceanic front?
A boundary between water masses of different densities
