1 / 10

Deep Ocean Circulation

Deep Ocean Circulation. Deep Ocean Circulation. Significant vertical movement Accounts for the thorough mixing of deep- water masses. Density Currents. Vertical movement of water that results from density differences Dense water sinks and spreads out beneath the ocean’s surface

avel
Download Presentation

Deep Ocean Circulation

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Deep Ocean Circulation

  2. Deep Ocean Circulation • Significant vertical movement • Accounts for the thorough mixing of deep- water masses

  3. Density Currents • Vertical movement of water that results from density differences • Dense water sinks and spreads out beneath the ocean’s surface • Increased density caused by: • decrease in temperature • increase in salinity

  4. High Latitudes (decrease in temps.) • where most deep currents begin • sea-ice is formed due to cold temps., leaving behind a greater salinity of remaining water, which then sinks • highest density of ocean water found near Antarctica • ocean water sinks and travels the ocean basin for some 500-2000 years

  5. Evaporation (increases in salinity) • high temps. - increase evaporation • less water leads to greater salinity of remaining water • remaining water sinks to ocean basin and travels the globe

  6. Conveyor Belt – Thermohaline Circulation • the circulation of ocean water around the globe • from the Atlantic through the Indian and Pacific and back

  7. Circulation involves a warm surface current and a cool underlying current • warm surface water flows towards the poles • at the poles water temp. drop - salinity increases making it more dense and it sinks • sinking water then moves towards the equator on the ocean floor

  8. at the equator the water is cold and deep • deep water eventually upwells to complete the circuit – • influences global climate by warm water releasing heat into the atmosphere

  9. Predict: What would happen if thermohaline circulation were to stop?

More Related