Chapter 7 – Ocean Circulation
Read: The entire chapter
Vocabulary:
Surface Currents vs. Deep Currents
Dynamic Topography
Gyres
Subtropical Gyres – be sure you know the location and flow direction
Equatorial Currents
Western Boundary Currents (WBC)
Northern / Southern Boundary Currents
Eastern Boundary Currents (EBC)
Subpolar Gyres
Ekman Transport
Subtropical Convergence
Geostrophic Current
Western Intensification – why and how balanced
Currents and Climate
Coasts next to WBC vs. coasts next to EBC
Asian Monsoons
Upwelling & high surface productivity vs. downwelling
Surface current divergence and upwelling
Surface current convergence and downwelling
Coastal upwelling and downwelling
Offshore wind and upwelling / Onshore wind and downwelling
Important surface currents
Antarctic Circumpolar Current
The Gulf Stream
Eddies
Normal Pacific conditions and Walker Circulation
Warm Pool
Peruvian Fisheries
El Niňo / Southern Oscillation
Effects (changes from normal circulation)
Timing
La Niňa
Effects (changes from normal and El Niňo conditions)
Prediciting El Niňo
Thermohaline Circulation
T / S diagrams
Important bottom currents (where formed and how they flow)
Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW)
North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW)
Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW)
Oceanic Common Water
Role of Oceanic Conveyor Belt in moving heat, nutrients, and oxygen
Homework:
⦁ Compare and contrast surface and deep (thermohaline) currents. Answer S if the statement applies only to surface currents, D if the statement applies only to deep currents, or B if the statement applies to both types of currents.
⦁ The sun is the ultimate source of energy causing water to move ___
⦁ Move approximately 10% of the water in the ocean ___
⦁ Move about 90% of the water in the ocean ___
⦁ Move water both horizontally and vertically ___
⦁ Move water only horizontally ___
⦁ Water speeds approach those of rivers on land ___
⦁ Water speeds much, much slower than rivers on land ___
⦁ Created by downwelling due to density changes at the surface.
⦁ Which of the following contribute to geostrophic or surface current flow? Circle all that apply. a) friction b) the presence of land c) temperature d) gravity e) Coriolis Effect f) density
⦁ How many subtropical geostrophic current gyres exist in today’s oceans? Where are they located?
⦁ The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is a surface current gyre. T or F?
⦁ Fill in the chart below describing the 4 legs of a geostrophic current gyre:
Current Leg Water Temperature – use warm, cooling, cold, or warming Water Speed – use slow or fast Water Volume –
range in Sverdrups Example
Mid-latitude Transverse Current
Eastern Boundary Current
Equatorial Transverse Current
Western Boundary Current
⦁ What is Western Intensification? Why does it occur?
⦁ Which of the following help balance Western Intensification? Circle all that apply! a) countercurrents and undercurrents at the equator b) eddies c) both
⦁ Compare and contrast upselling and downwelling. Answer U if the statement relates to upwelling, D if the statement relates to downwelling.
⦁ Causes water to sink to deeper depths in the ocean ___
⦁ Causes water to rise to the surface from deeper depths ___
⦁ Associated with high productivity (lots of life) ___
⦁ Created by surface current convergence ___
⦁ Occurs when winds move parallel to the shore such that Coriolis Effect moves water away from land ___
⦁ Occurs in the tropics when wind blows directly onshore ___
⦁ Created by surface current divergence ___
⦁ The situation shown in the map at right will result in upwelling. Note: this area is in the southern hemisphere. T or F?
⦁ Deep and bottom currents form at high latitudes because there is no pycnocline here to block downwelling. T or F?
⦁ Concept check 7.4 #3 Describe changes in atmospheric and oceanographic phenomena that occur during El Niňo / La Niňa events, including changes in atmospheric pressure, winds, weather, equatorial surface currents, coastal upwelling/downwelling and the abundance of marine life, and sea surface temperature.
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