What affects ocean circulation?
Ocean currents can be caused by wind, density differences in water masses caused by temperature and salinity variations, gravity, and events such as earthquakes or storms. Currents are cohesive streams of seawater that circulate through the ocean.
What would cause ocean circulation to slow down quizlet?
GLOBAL WARMING, which increases glacier melting and increases precipitation, could lead to an increase in freshwater in the northern oceans, resulting in a slowdown or shutdown of these currents.
What could cause the thermohaline circulation to slow or stop in the future?
At the moment, despite the warming, ice is not melting in Antarctica, but only near the Arctic. This pattern will tend to slow down or even shut down thermohaline circulation. If ice were to melt in Antarctica as well, then thermohaline circulation may not be affected in the same way.
What would happen if this important ocean circulation slows or stops?
If this circulation shuts down, it could bring extreme cold to Europe and parts of North America, raise sea levels along the U.S. East Coast and disrupt seasonal monsoons that provide water to much of the world, the Washington Post said.
What do you mean by ocean circulation?
Ocean circulation is primarily the result of wind pushing on the surface of the water and density differences between water masses. Nutrients are also transported to and from near and offshore environments, and to various depths by ocean currents.
Which of the following is responsible for deep ocean circulation quizlet?
Terms in this set (23) These deep-ocean currents are driven by differences in the water's DENSITY, which is controlled by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline). This process is known as thermohaline circulation.
What two factors affect thermohaline circulation?
These deep-ocean currents are driven by differences in the water's density, which is controlled by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline). This process is known as thermohaline circulation.
What can disrupt thermohaline circulation?
Freshwater entering the Atlantic Ocean from melting ice sheets, river runoff and increased precipitation can weaken thermohaline circulation by causing the seawater to become less dense and sink at a slower rate.
How does climate change affect ocean circulation?
Warming temperatures result in weakened currents. If the water at the poles is not as cold and dense, it simply won't be able to circulate as well. Additionally, the melting of the Greenland continental ice sheet is pouring freshwater into the salty ocean, again altering the density of the water masses.
How are humans affecting ocean currents?
Virtually all Ocean habitats have been affected in some way via drilling or mining, dredging for aggregates for concrete and other building materials, destructive anchoring, removal of corals and land “reclamation”.
What would happen if ocean water stopped circulating?
If it continues to slow, that could have profound consequences for Earth's inhabitants. Studies suggest it would mean much colder winters and hotter summers in Europe, changing rainfall patterns in the tropics, and warmer water building up along the U.S. coast that can fuel sea level rise and destructive storms.
What happens if thermohaline circulation slows down?
- If global warming shuts down the thermohaline circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean, the result could be catastrophic climate change. The environmental effects, models indicate, depend upon whether the shutdown is reversible or irreversible.
What would happen if the thermohaline circulation shut down?
And even if the thermohaline circulation did shut down, winds would still likely drive the Gulf Stream; however, there would be less warm water from the tropics and the Gulf Stream could become cooler and not reach as far north.
What would cause the great ocean conveyor belt to stop?
Global climate change could disrupt the global conveyer belt, causing potentially drastic temperature changes in Europe and even worldwide. The global conveyor belt is a strong, but easily disrupted process. Research suggests that the conveyor belt may be affected by climate change.
What drives thermohaline circulation quizlet?
thermohaline circulation- vertical circulation caused by changes in density; driven by variations in temperature and salinity.
How long does the thermohaline circulation take?
It is estimated that it can take 1,000 years for a "parcel" of water to complete the journey along the global conveyor belt. Cold, salty, dense water sinks at the Earth's northern polar region and heads south along the western Atlantic basin.
How has CO2 affected the ocean?
The center’s scientists say rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have affected the AMOC and slowed the redistribution of heat in the North Atlantic. Waters along the Northeast Continental Shelf have warmed, and the Gulf of Maine has warmed faster than 99 percent of the global ocean over the past 10 years, impacting the distribution of fish and other species and their prey.
What would happen if the Earth's climate was slow?
Studies suggest it would mean much colder winters and hotter summers in Europe, changing rainfall patterns in the tropics, and warmer water building up along the U.S. coast that can fuel sea level rise and destructive storms.
Why is the conveyor belt sunk?
After ruling out most other causes, scientists say an influx of cold, fresh water from melting Greenland ice is probably disrupting the ocean conveyor belt at a delicate point , where the cooled surface water starts sinking.
How would AMOC affect weather?
If the AMOC continues to weaken at the pace shown by the new research, it would affect temperatures and weather patterns in all countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, as well in the ocean itself by changing rainfall patterns around the equator.
Why is the thermohaline circulation called the thermohaline circulation?
Scientists call this the thermohaline circulation because it’s driven by temperature and salinity. “The ocean is the flywheel of the climate,” said oceanographer Lisa Beal, with the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. “It sets the timing of climate change.
Does the weakening of the Atlantic circulation affect the U.S.?
There are already signs that the weakening of the Atlantic circulation is having an effect on U.S. fisheries and storms. Ice melting off Greenland as the Arctic warms is believed to play a key role. Credit: NASA
Does AMOC strength fluctuate?
Scientists know the AMOC’s strength fluctuates. For example, previous NASA research looking at much shorter periods of time found no change from 2002 to 2009.
Why is ocean circulation important?
However, it is an important job considering that these waters affect Earth’s climate, as well as habitats for plants and animals, even on land.
Why do ocean waters move?
Density differences are the key to why ocean waters move. The oceans are mostly composed of less dense water near the surface over more dense water in the ocean depths. These two regions don't mix except in certain special areas.
Where does ocean water go?
All this heating and cooling and melting and thawing creates a layered ocean: warmer fresher water on top, cold salty water at the bottom. Organisms move from one layer to another, and plant and animal remains containing nutrients "rain" down, but the layers stay fairly separate in all but a few places.
How does water expand?
Like the heated air in a hot-air balloon, heated water expands. Heat makes water lighter, so it rises. Solar heat absorbed at the equator causes water to expand. In this way, heated water raises the normal level of the sea surface. The heat in the water is carried to higher latitudes by ocean currents where it is released into the atmosphere. Water chilled by colder temperatures at high latitudes contracts (thus gets denser), sinks, and moves back toward the equator.
What is the effect of thermohaline ocean currents on the Earth's climate?
The thermohaline ocean currents have a strong effect on the Earth System. This “conveyer belt” type circulation moves heat around the Earth through all of the ocean basis; the interconnected process of “overturning circulation” helps to regulate Earth’s climate.
How does temperature affect water density?
Temperature is another factor that affects density. Heat makes water lighter, or less dense. Both salinity and temperature work affect the density of water at the same time, so things can get complicated. For example, warm salt water might float on colder, less salty water. Each of these characteristics of ocean water, salinity and temperature, ...
Why is it easier to float in the ocean than in a fresh water pool?
The saltiness of water is one factor that affects its density. In general, ocean water is more dense than fresh water, since ocean water contains more salt. That is why it is easier to float in the ocean than in a fresh-water swimming pool or lake, and fresh water floats on top of salty ocean water.
Why is the ocean circulation slowing down?
The slowdown of ocean circulation is directly caused by warming global temperatures and has been predicted by climate scientists.
How does slowing ocean circulation affect sea levels?
One of the main impacts of the slowing ocean circulation is on sea levels, especially those of the US East Coast. "The northward surface flow of the AMOC leads to a deflection of water masses to the right, away from the US East Coast. This is due to Earth's rotation that diverts moving objects such as currents to the right in ...
What is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation?
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) transports water across the planet's oceans, including the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian. The region contributing to the slowdown is the North Atlantic, according to the research. Read More.
How much will the AMOC slow down?
When asked whether the AMOC could slow down further or even stop, Rahmstorf said climate models suggest currents will slow down to between 34% and 45% by 2100.
Why does warm water turn back south?
As warm water currents move north, they typically turn back south as it gets cooler and heavier. Added freshwater from the melting ice is causing this turn to be slower because of reduced salinity.
Why are hurricanes closer to the coast?
An increase in heat waves across Europe and stronger hurricanes closer to the US coastline because of warmer water drifting closer to the coast can be linked to the ocean circulation , Rahmstorf said.
What are the impacts of slowing ocean circulation?
One of the main impacts of the slowing ocean circulation is on sea levels, especially those of the US East Coast.
Why is ocean circulation important?
Ocean circulation is such an important process in the Earth system because currents transport heat, oxygen, nutrients, and living organisms. Most of the sunlight absorbed by water on Earth’s surface gets stored in our oceans as heat, and heat from the atmosphere is also absorbed by the ocean, which increases the ocean’s temperature.
What is the ocean circulation?
Ocean circulation. The ocean covers 71% of Earth’s surface and is constantly in motion. Large masses of water that move together, called ocean currents, transport heat, marine organisms, nutrients, dissolved gasses such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, and pollutants all over the world. Climate and ecosystems everywhere on Earth, ...
How does the world change as it warms?
As the world warms due to increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from human activities, changes in ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns will alter regional climate and ecosystems around the globe.
What is the movement of large masses of water at and below the surface?
Ocean circulation patterns, the movement of large masses of water both at and below the surface, are determined by atmospheric circulation patterns, variation in the amount of sunlight absorbed with latitude, and the water cycle. Surface currents, also called horizontal currents, are primarily the result of wind pushing on the surface of the water, ...
How does the Gulf Stream affect climate?
For example, the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean brings heat from near the equator to Europe, making it much warmer than other areas at similar latitudes .
Why do currents not move in straight lines?
Currents, like winds in the atmosphere, do not move in straight lines because of the spin of the Earth, which causes the Coriolis effect. Currents that move up and down in the water column, also called vertical currents, are created by differences in the density of water masses, where heavier waters sink and lighter waters rise. ...
What is surface current?
Surface currents, also called horizontal currents, are primarily the result of wind pushing on the surface of the water, and the direction and extent of their movement is determined by the distribution of continents. Currents, like winds in the atmosphere, do not move in straight lines because of the spin of the Earth, ...
What caused melting of the North American plate?
a. the San Andreas strike-slip fault caused melting of the North American plate.
Which type of plate produced granitic magmas that cooled deeper in the crust?
e. subduction of an oceanic plate beneath the North American continent produced granitic magmas that cooled deeper in the crust.
