Ocean currents

Surface Currents

Control the top 10% of the ocean's water and are primarily wind-driven

Deep-Ocean Currents

Mobilize 90% of the ocean's water and are driven by density differences

Coriolis Effect

The deflection of moving air and water caused by Earth's rotation

Gyres

Large-scale circular patterns of surface currents

Thermocline

The transition layer between warm surface water and cooler deep water

Upwelling

The movement of cold nutrient-rich water from the ocean floor to the surface

Downwelling

The process of warm water piling up at the surface and sinking

Thermohaline Circulation

Deep-ocean currents driven by variations in temperature and salinity

Global Ocean Conveyor Belt

A global-scale system linking surface and deep currents to transport heat and nutrients

Salinity

The percentage of salt in a body of water affected by evaporation and precipitation

Walker Circulation

The east-west atmospheric circulation in the tropical Pacific during neutral conditions

El Nino

A climate phase where trade winds weaken and warm water moves to the eastern Pacific

La Nina

A climate phase where trade winds strengthen leading to cooler eastern Pacific SSTs

Ocean Acidification

The reduction of ocean pH due to excess CO2 absorption which harms marine life

Ocean Deoxygenation

The decline of dissolved oxygen in warmer oceans creating dead zones

Carbon Sink

The ocean's function as the largest reservoir for storing CO2 on Earth

Hurricane Formation

A multi-step process requiring warm water above 26.5C and low wind shear

Eye Wall

The area of a hurricane with the strongest winds and heaviest rain

Coral Bleaching

The death of coral caused by warmer waters stripping away symbiotic algae

MOC Slowdown

The deceleration of Atlantic circulation which may lead to extreme regional climate shifts