Ocean Interactions

Question 1

What is seawater?

Answer 1

Pure water, salts like NaCL(80%

Question 2

How does salinity vary regionally?

Answer 2

Max at the subtropics, lowest at the equator.

Question 3

Why is salinity is high at the subtropics?

Answer 3

Descension of Hadley circulation inhibits precipitation thus less albedo meaning increased SW heating.

Question 4

Why does the equator have low sainity?

Answer 4

Hadley circulation ascension and within the ITCZ, lots of cloud cover and freshwater upwelling.

Question 5

What is density increase proportional to?

Answer 5

Temperature decrease and salinity increases

Question 6

What are the three layers of the ocean?

Answer 6

The mixed layer
Thermocline
Deep ocean

Question 7

What is Mixed Layer vertical overturning driven by?

Answer 7

Thermal overturning
Mechanical overturning

Question 8

Overturning

Answer 8

Vertical exchange of dense sinking water with lighter water above.

Question 9

What is mechanical overturning driven by?

Answer 9

Surface winds and wave motion.

Question 10

How does stratifcation vary seasonally?

Answer 10

Colder temp in winter amplifies deeper mixing.

Question 11

Why is thermocline highly stable?

Answer 11

Increasing temperature with decreasing temperature downwards.

Question 12

Isopycnal

Answer 12

A line connecting points of constant density in the ocean or atmosphere, stratifying ocean layers based on density.

Question 13

What is deep ocean characterised by?

Answer 13

Gradual variation of temp/salinit.y

Question 14

How does atmospheric circulation tie into the ocean?

Answer 14

Air blowing with friction, imposing coriolis force.

Question 15

Ekman Spiral

Answer 15

When wind is imposed on the surface of the water, H20 molecules drag deeper layers of water below them in a spiral fashion.

Question 16

Gyres

Answer 16

Circular ocean currents formed by wind patterns and forces, as a function of Earths rotation.

Question 17

What drives Gyres?

Answer 17

Westerlies and Easterlies

Question 18

What is an example of Gyre?

Answer 18

Gulf stream.

Question 19

Gulf stream.

Answer 19

Originates at the tip of FLorida, following eastern coast of US and Canada, crossing the atlantic towards Europe.

Question 20

What are examples of subtropic gyres?

Answer 20

North and South equatroial currents.

Question 21

What are the subtropic gyres complemented by in the NH?

Answer 21

North Pacific and North Atlantic currents.

Question 22

Why is the Gulf Stream important?

Answer 22

Regulates much of europes climates.

Question 23

What regulates DEEP ocean surface circulatiin?

Answer 23

Thermohaline circulation.

Question 24

What is the process of TC formation?

Answer 24

NH freezing increases ocean salinity, reinforcing negative boundary.

Question 25

How does TC move in the deep ocean?

Answer 25

Quasi-horizontally, like the NA deep water, moving along isopycnal surfaces, being highly dense.

Question 26

How are ocean and atmosphere coupled?

Answer 26

Latent heat transfer.

Question 27

Why is the ocean important for the heat budget?

Answer 27

Covers large portion of the Earth, and has poor albedo.

Question 28

Where are two major points of increased evaporation in the ocean?

Answer 28

The ITCZ and North Atlantic/Pacific Storm tracks.

Question 29

How does ocean heat transfer differ on time scales?

Answer 29

Seasonally with the atmopshere, convection on longer time scales.

Question 30

What is an example of a variable ocean circulation?

Answer 30

ENSO

Question 31

Where does ENSO originate

Answer 31

Tropical pacific

Question 32

How does EN and LN differ?

Answer 32

EN is warmer and LN is colder.

Question 33

What is an example of the importance of ENSO in global climate?

Answer 33

1998 had increased global surface temperatures.