Oceanic Energy Transport

Created by

Mia Tabitha

Cards (42)

what are the three physical roles of the ocean in climate?
absorbs and stores solar radiation, distributes heat around the globe and is integral to the water cycle
what are the two chemical roles of the ocean in climate?
absorb atmospheric CO2 and produce atmospheric oxygen
why is there a delay between a temperature decreases and the cooling of the ocean?
the ocean takes a long time to cool down
how do the oceans distribute heat?
ocean currents carry warm water poleward and cold water to the equator
how do the oceans regulate the global climate?
they counteract the uneven distribution of incoming solar radiation
what are the largest carbon sinks in the world?
the oceans
what do the oceans trasnfer?
water and energy
how is almost all of the rain that falls on land from the ocean?
global winds carry clouds - the wind carries them from oceans to over land
what % of the world's carbon dioxide is stored in algae, marine vegetation and corals?
93 %
what does the storage of carbon in the ocean lead to?
ocean acidification
what does carbon dioxide and water react to form?
carbonic acid
why is the ocean not able to absorb all of the CO2 being produced by burning fossil fuels?
it is reaching saturation
what % of atmospheric oxygen is produced by marine organisms?
70 %
what are the four physical properties of the ocean to consider?
salinity, temperature, rainfall and density
what is surface ocean salinity like?
very variable - determined by the latitude and the river inputs
what is deeper ocean salinity like?
much more uniform - it is determined by the formation in polar regions
what is the sharp change between the shallow and deeper ocean salinitys?
the halocline
what are surface ocean temperatures like?
variable - determined by latitude and river inputs
what are deeper ocean temperatures like?
more uniform - determined during their formation in polar regions
what is the sharp change between shallow and deep ocean temperatures called?
the thermocline
where is the thermocline not seen?
the poles
what is the rapid change in density in the ocean represented by?
the pycnocline
what does the difference in densities in the ocean drive?
ocean dynamics
how many major ocean gyres are there?
five
what are ocean gyres?
circular ocean currents formed by the earth's wind patterns and forces created by the rotation of the planet
what do the worlds major ocean gyres help to drive?
the ocean conveyor belt
what does the ocean conveyor belt do?
circulate ocean water around the entire planet
what is the circulation of ocean water around the entire planet by the ocean conveyor belt called?
thermohaline circulation
what is the ocean conveyor belt essential for?
regulating temperature, salinity and nutrient flow throughout the ocean
how long is it estimated to take one "parcel" of water to make its way round the ocean conveyor belt entirely?
1000 years
what is thermohaline circulation driven by?
differences in the waters density, which is determined by temperature and salinity
what determines the differences in the waters densities?
temperature and salinity
which side of the gyre is more intense?
the western side
which side of a continent will experience more intense currents off their coast?
east
what is it called when the western side of the gyre is more intense than the currents on the eastern side?
western boundary intensification
what does western boundary intensification describe?
how the western side of a gyre is more intense than the currents on the eastern side
what is the Coriolis effect due to?
the fact that at different latitudes, the earth is rotating at different speeds, and the apparent path taken by an object is deflected as it moves between areas of different rotation speeds
the greater the change in rotation speed the ...?
stronger the Coriolis force
how does latitude change the speed of rotation of the earth?
the speed of rotation changes more quickly with latitude near the poles than the equator
where is the Coriolis force the strongest?
near the poles