Ocean currents Flashcards
Gyres
Large scale patterns of water circulation that move clockwise in Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
Upwelling
When surface currents diverge causing deeper water to rise and replace water that has moved away
Movement of water towards the surface as a result of diverging currents
Thermohaline Circulation
Sinking of dense salty waters in the North Atlantic drives deep cold currents that move slowly around the world
Heat Transport
Ocean current can affect the temperature of nearby landmasses
Issue
Less salty water (melting of ice) could prevent warm water from moving around hence colder temps in areas
El Nino
Southern Oscillation: Trade winds weaken or reverse warm surface water builds up along the coast of South America and prevents upwelling of deep cold water
Oceanic circulation patterns are a result of what
Differential heating, gravity, prevailing winds, the coriolis effect, and the location of the continents
Gyres redistribute
the gyres help to redistribute heat from low to high latitudes
Upwelling explains why
Explains why some regions of the ocean support highly productive ecosystems
The deepwater brings what
Nutrients from the ocean bottom that support large producers. The producers in turn support large populations of fish
What helps determine the direction ocean water moves
The tropical waters being pushes away from the equator by gravity
What is Thermohaline Circulation crucial for
Moving heat and nutrients across the globe
Thermohaline Circulation drives the mixing of what
Surface water and deep water
