Ocean Currents

Why is Ocean Circulation Important?

Transport ~ 20% of latitudinal heat Equator to poles Transport nutrients and organisms Influences weather and climate Influences commerce

Non-rotating Earth

Convection cell model

Add rotation and add landmasses unequal heating and cooling of the Earth

Physical properties of the atmosphere: Density

Warm, low density air rises Cool, high density air sinks Creates circularmoving loop of air (convection cell)

Physical properties of the atmosphere: Water vapor

Cool air cannot hold much water vapor, so is typically dry Warm air can hold more water vapor, so is typically moist Water vapor decreases the density of air

Physical properties of the atmosphere: Pressure

90o

High pressure, dry climate

60o

Low pressure, wet climate

High pressure, dry climate

30o

0o

30o

ITCZ intertropical convergence zone= doldrums Low pressure, wet climate

60o

90o

The Coriolis effect

The Coriolis effect
Is a result of Earths rotation Causes moving objects to follow curved paths:
In Northern Hemisphere, curvature is to right In Southern Hemisphere, curvature is to left

Changes with latitude:

No Coriolis effect at Equator Maximum Coriolis effect at poles

The Coriolis effect on Earth

As Earth rotates, different latitudes travel at different speeds The change in speed with latitude causes the Coriolis effect

North Pole

Buffalo moves 783 mph Quito moves 1036 mph

Buffalo

15o

Quito
79oW

N
Buffalo Quito

South Pole

A) B)

Idealized winds generated by pressure gradient and Coriolis Force. Actual wind patterns owing to land mass distribution..

Ocean Currents
Surface Currents The upper 400 meters of the ocean (10%). Deep Water Currents

Thermal currents (90%)

Surface Currents
Forces

1. Solar Heating (temp, density)

2. Winds

3. Coriolis

Wind-driven surface currents

Wind-Driven and Density-Driven Currents

Wind-driven currents occur in the uppermost 100 m or less Density differences causes by salinity and temperature produce very slow flows in deeper waters.

Sailors have know about ocean currents for centuries

Sailors have know that rivers flow in the seas since ancient times. They used them to shorten voyages, or were delayed by trying to stem them. If navigators do not correct to deflection by currents, they may be far away from where they think they are and meet disaster.

Ben Franklin and the Gulf Stream

Matthew Fontaine Maury

The first systematic study of currents was done by Maury based on logbooks in the US Navys Depot of Charts and Instruments. His charts and Physical Geography of the Sea assisted navigators worldwide.
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/brady/gallery/97gal.html

Winds and surface water

Wind blowing over the ocean can move it due to frictional drag. Waves create necessary roughness for wind to couple with water. One rule of thumb holds that wind blowing for 12 hrs at 100 cm per sec will produce a 2 cm per sec current (about 2% of the wind speed)

Top-down drag
Wind acts only on the surface water layer. This layer will also drag the underlying water, but with less force. Consequently, there is a diminution of speed downward. Direction of movement is also influenced by the Coriolis Effect and Ekman Spiral

Ekman spiral
Ekman spiral describes the speed and direction of flow of surface waters at various depths Factors:
Wind Coriolis effect

Ekman transport
Ekman transport is the overall water movement due to Ekman spiral Ideal transport is 90 from the wind Transport direction depends on the hemisphere

Ekman Transport

Water flow in the Northern hemisphere- 90o to the right of the wind direction Depth is important

Currents in the Real Ocean

Currents rarely behave exactly as predicted by these theoretical explanations due to factors such as Depthshallow water does not permit full development of the Ekman spiral Densitydeeper currents moving in different directions influence the overlying surface movement

Geostrophic Flow
Surface currents generally mirror average planetary atmospheric circulation patterns

Current Gyres
Gyres are large circular-moving loops of water Five main gyres (one in each ocean basin): North Pacific South Pacific North Atlantic South Atlantic Indian Generally 4 currents in each gyre Centered about 30o north or south latitude

Geostrophic flow and western intensification

Geostrophic flow causes a hill to form in subtropical gyres The center of the gyre is shifted to the west because of Earths rotation Western boundary currents are intensified
Figure 7-7

Western intensification of subtropical gyres

The western boundary currents of all subtropical gyres are:
Fast Narrow Deep

Western boundary currents are also warm Eastern boundary currents of subtropical gyres have opposite characteristics

Boundary Currents in the Northern Hemisphere

Type of Current
Western boundary Currents Gulf Stream, Kuroshio

General Features
warm narrow deep cold broad shallow

Speed
swift

Special Features
sharp boundary w/coastal circulation, little coastal upwelling diffuse boundaries separating from coastal currents, coastal upwelling common

Eastern Boundary Currents California, Canary

slow

Pacific Ocean surface currents

Hills and Valleys in the Ocean A balance between the

Ekman transport and Coriolis effect produces hills in the center of the gyres and valleys elsewhere Gravitational effects from sea floor features also produce variations in sea surface topography
http://earth.usc.edu/~stott/Catalina/Oceans.html

What do Nike shoes, rubber ducks, and hockey gloves have to do with currents?

Lost at Sea

Duckie Progress
January 1992 - shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of China November 1992 - half had drifted north to the Bering Sea and Alaska; the other half went south to Indonesia and Australia 1995 to 2000 - spent five years in the Arctic ice floes, slowly working their way through the glaciers 2001 - the duckies bobbed over the place where the Titanic had sunk 2003 - they were predicted to begin washing up onshore in New England, but only one was spotted in Maine 2007 - a couple duckies and frogs were found on the beaches of Scotland and southwest England.

2004-2007 Barbers Point

North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Estimate: 46,000 pieces of floating garbage/mi2.

North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

135 to 155W and 35 to 42N

North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Great Pacific Garbage Patch- Good Morning America 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLrVCI4N67M&feature=player_embedded

http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html#6

Eddy
A circular movement of water formed along the edge of a permanent current In an average year, 10-15 rings are formed 150-300 km in diameter Speed 1 m/sec Warm core ring 1. Rotates clockwise 2. Found on the landward side of the current Cold core ring (cyclonic eddy) 1. Rotates counterclockwise 2. Forms on the ocean side of the current

Sargasso Sea

Upwelling and downwelling

Vertical movement of water ()
Upwelling = movement of deep water to surface
Hoists cold, nutrient-rich water to surface Produces high productivities and abundant marine life

Downwelling = movement of surface water down

Moves warm, nutrient-depleted surface water down Not associated with high productivities or abundant marine life

upwelling

downwelling

Langmuir Circulation

Satellite Observations
TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason 1, and other satellites have observed patterns of change over the past few years Animation of seasonal and climaticallyinfluence shifts available at
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/MOVIES /Topex_Dynamic_Ocean_Topography.mpg

El Nio-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

El Nio = warm surface current in equatorial eastern Pacific that occurs periodically around Christmastime Southern Oscillation = change in atmospheric pressure over Pacific Ocean accompanying El Nio ENSO describes a combined oceanicatmospheric disturbance

El Nio

Oceanic and atmospheric phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean Occurs during December 2 to 7 year cycle
Sea Surface Temperature Atmospheric Winds Upwelling

Normal conditions in the Pacific Ocean

El Nio conditions (ENSO warm phase)

La Nia conditions (ENSO cool phase; opposite of El Nio)

Non El Nio

El Nio

1997

Non El Nio

upwelling

El Nio

thermocline

El Nio events over the last 55 years

El Nio warmings (red) and La Nia coolings (blue) since 1950. Source: NOAA Climate Diagnostics Center

World Wide Effects of El Nio Weather patterns

Marine Life
Economic resources
El Nino Animation http://esminfo.prenhall.com/science/geoanimations/ani mations/26_NinoNina.html

Effects of severe El Nios

Surface and Deep-Sea Current Interactions

Unifying concept: Global Ocean Conveyor Belt

http://seis.natsci.csulb.edu/rbehl/ConvBelt.htm

Heat Transport by Currents

Surface currents play significant roles in transport heat energy from equatorial waters towards the poles May serve as heat sources to cooler overlying air, heat sinks from warmer Evaporation and condensation participate in latent heat exchanges

Matter Transport and Surface Currents

Currents also involved with gas exchanges, especially O2 and CO2 Nutrient exchanges important within surface waters (including outflow from continents) and deeper waters (upwelling and downwelling) Pollution dispersal Impact on fisheries and other resources

Global ocean circulation that is driven by differences in the density of the sea water which is controlled by temperature and salinity.

White sections represent warm surface currents. Purple sections represent deep cold currents

What effect does global warming play in thermohaline circulation?

http://www.youtube.com/v/MZbsMlr9WRI?version=3

CO2 fossil fuel combustion

Atmospheric and ocean temp

Subtropical evaporation

High latitude precipitation & runoff

North Atlantic regional cooling

Deep water formation & thermohaline circulation
6

Nordic seas salinity & deep convection

5

Potential feedback of increased tropical salinity

Global climate interconnections

Inquiry
1. What is a convection cell? 2. Which direction do currents get deflected in the Southern Hemisphere? 3. What depth should the water be for an Ekman spiral to occur? 4. How are surface currents created? 5. What is a gyre? 6. How can an El Nino impact upwelling? 7. Coriolis Effect is strongest near the _____?