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Environmental Science
chapter 5 Hydrosphere
Thermohaline Circulation
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Elsie Coote
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thermohaline circulation
global ocean currents driven by differences in temperature and
salinity-
help
redistribute
heat over the world
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thermohaline circulation
global oceanic flow that is driven by variations in
temperature
and
salinity
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what
is the thermohaline circulation known as?
Great
Ocean Conveyor Belt
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Role
of thermohaline circulation in heat distribution
->primary mechanism of
heat distribution
->moves warm water from
equator
towards the
poles
->moves cold water from
poles
to the
equator
->movement of heat influences weather patterns,
ocean temp
and
wind currents
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Gulf
Stream
A
warm
ocean current that flows from the Gulf of
Mexico
northward through the Atlantic Ocean, warming Western Europe
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Impact
of thermohaline circulation on clime regulation
-cold deep currents, such as the North Atlantic deep water (NADW), sequester carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, helps mitigate climate change
-ocean
carbon storage
-disruption can cause rapid
warming
or
cooling
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Significance
of salinity
•areas of high salinity cause water to become
denser
and sink, driving the
circulation
•melting polar ice can
reduce
salinity and therefore the density, potentially
slowing down
or even halting the thermohaline circulation
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Surface
current
Wind-powered
ocean current that moves
parallel
to Earth's surface. Top 10% of water
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Deep ocean currents
convection
currents occurring deep in the ocean-
bottom 90
% of water
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Role of thermohaline circulation in ocean life
>
nutrients
brought up from the deep, during
upwelling
event, help support a variety of marine ecosystems
>aids in
spreading
and
migration
of marine species across different parts of the ocean
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Modern
technology
-satellite data and oceanography buoys, give critical insite into how the thermohaline circulation works and how it's effected but climate change
-vital for
climate models
, predictions and forming mitigation strategies against
climate
change
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