current
water masses in motion, wind driven or density driven
surface currents
horizontal ocean currents derive their energy from wind, and horizontal motion
deep currents
density driven, temp and salinity. vertical motion, initiated by creation of dense surface water in high latitudes of atlantic ocean where temps are low, and salinity is increased during winter months
where do deep currents form
Circulation is initiated by creation of dense surface water in high latitudes of Atlantic where temp low, and salinity increases in winter due to ice
how do you measure currents directly
release floating device transported by currents and tracked through time, or by lowering into water from stationary position with flow meters
indirect current measuring methods
pressure gradients: bulges and depressions in earth’s surface
radar altimeters
doppler flow meter
radar altimeters
dynamic topography maps are produced from which current flow is inferred
doppler flow meter
low frequency sound signals sent through ocean to determine differences in pressure which indicate current
argo floats
global array of free drifting profile floats. tracked through time, sinks to a depth, drifts for 10 days, resurfaces and transmits, then sinks again
chemical tracers
for detecting deep currents. tritium (produced by uclear bomb tests in 1950’s and 60’s)
chlorofluorocarbons
where do surface currents occur
above pycnocline and affect only 10% of ocean water on earth
surface current formation
friction btwn wind and ocean surface.
2% of wind energy transferred to ocean surface
50 knot wind creates 1 knot current
knot to miles conversion
1 knot = 1.15 miles or 1.85 km
what are surface currents affected by
wind belts and patterns. also affected by distribution of continents. if no continents, they would follow trade winds, westerlies, and easterlies
other current influences
gravity, friction, coriolis effect, geometry of ocean basins, seasonal changes
gyres
large circular loops of moving water
subtropical gyres
around 30 degrees latitude
5 subtropical gyres
Columbus, Navigator, Turtle, Heyerdahl, Majid
North Atlantic Gyre
Columbus Gyre
South Atlantic Gyre
Navigator Gyre
North Pacific
Turtle Gyre
South Pacific
Heyerdahl Gyre
Indian Ocean
Majid Gyre
what are subtropical gyres consisted of
equatorial current, western border current, N or S boundary current, E. boundary current
equatorial current
trade winds from east to west set in motion water between tropics. N or S, travel westward along equator. warm from equatorial, west edge ocean basins
western boundary currents
gulf stream and brazil currents
northern or southern boundary currents
North Atlantic \n Current from west to east, Antarctic Circumpolar current
Eastern Boundary currents
Canary current, Benguela current \n Subtropical Gyres. cool waters
equatorial countercurrents
narrow, easterly flow of water that occurs counter to and between adjoining equatorial currents. E flow btwn N and S equatorial currents
prominent in Pacific, due to minimal coriolis at equator
subpolar gyres
Driven in the westerly direction by polar easterlies \n – Rotate opposite subtropical gyres \n – Smaller and fewer than subtropical gyres \n Other Surface Currentsf
4 factors affecting ocean surface circulation
ekman spiral, ekman transport, geostrophic currents, western intensification of subtropical gyres
ekman spiral
observation that arctic ice moves 20-40 degree angle to right of wind. S hemisphere movement to left of wind
who discovered ekman spiral and when
V. Walfrid Ekman in 1905
What does the ekman spiral describe
balance between friction and coriolis effect
direction and flow of surface waters at different depths
current speed decreases w/ increasing depth bc energy of wind is passed through water column
ekman transport
average movement of surface waters:
90 deg to right in N hemis.
90 deg left in S hemis.
real conditions (ekman spiral <45 deg, and ekman transport in open ocean is ~70 deg from wind direction
subtropical convergence
piling up of water in middle of gyre. hill of water within all subtropical gyres ~6.6 ft high.
geostrophic current
surface water flows downhill and is deflected (right in N, left in S). coriolis effect opposes gravity, balance of coriolis effect and gravitational forces, moves in circular path downhill
western intensification
top of hill of water displaced toward west due to Earth’s rotation. coriolis effect contributes to it.
how do western boundary currents work in both hemispheres
intensify on eastern side of ocean basins (opposite properties of W boundary currents), become faster narrower, deeper, warmer
upwelling
vertical movement of cold, nutrient rich water to surface, creates high biological productivity, abundance of algae at base of food web
downwelling
vertical movement of surface water downward in water column, carries oxygen-rich water
equatorial upwelling
divergence of currents at equator generates upwelling and high productivity
what is converging surface water
gulf stream, labrador current, east greenland current all come together in same region causing convergence. water piles up, low biological productivity
coastal upwelling
ekman transport moves surface seawater away from shore. cool nutrient rich waters come up (west US and san fran)
coastal downwelling
Ekman transport moves surface seawater toward shore \n • Water piles up, moves downward in water column \n • Lack of marine life \n Coastal Upwelling and Downwelling
what are other causes of upwelling
offshore winds
Seafloor obstruction \n Coastal geometry change \n Lack of pycnocline \n High latitude oceans \n Other Causes of Upwelling
Antarctic circulation
dominated by movement of water masses in S Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. also called West Wind Drift, Penguin Gyre
antarctic circumpolar current
west wind drift, West to East. Strong westerlies (Roaring Forties, Furious Fifties, Screaming Sixties) \n Only current to completely encircle Earth \n Moves more water than any other current \n Antarctic Circulation
Antarctic convergence
Cold, dense Antarctic waters converge with warmer, less dense \n sub-Antarctic waters \n – Northernmost boundary of Antarctic Ocean
East Wind Drift
Polar easterlies, creates surface divergence w/ opp flowing Antarctic circumpolar current
Antarctic divergence
abundant marine life
North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre
rotates clockwise due to trade winds and coriolis and these currents:
North Equatorial Current \n Gulf Stream \n North Atlantic Current \n Canary Current \n – Atlantic Equatorial
S. Atlantic subtropical gyre
rotates counterclockwise, S Equatorial current splits into Brazil current, and canary current. Antarctic circumpolar current, W. Wind Drift. Benguela Current
Gulf stream
N along East Coast, moderates climates, formed by N Equatorial current and S. which splits into Antilles current and Caribbean. merges with sargasso sea
West Indies geography
Caribbean basin, region of N Atlantic ocean which includes island countries and surrounding H2O of Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles, and Lucayan Archipelago (bahamas)
greater antilles
comprising the islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico;
lesser antilles
including the Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Saint Kitts and Nevis, \n Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, \n Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, \n Barbados, and Grenada; and those of the South American \n shelf, including Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, and \n Bonaire
lucayan archipelago
bahama archipelago, an island group comprising the commonwealth of the bahamas and british overseas
warm core rings
warmer sargasso sea water trapped in loop surrounded by cool H2O. rotates clockwise in gulf stream
Cold-core rings
cold water trapped in loop, surrounded by warmer water; rotate counterclockwise
north atlantic currents
labrador, irminger, canary (cold, move south), norwegian, N Atlantic (both warm, move north)
loop current
warm ocean surface current in Gulf, generates warm loop current eddies, hurricanes intensify when passing over warm cores
Monsoons
seasonal reversal of winds over N indian ocean, heat capacity differential, NE monsoon is in winter
Indian Ocean Monsoon
during winter, NE trade winds called NE monsoons. rapid air cooling over asian mainland strengthens them. high pressure cell forces atm. masses off continent into ocean with low pressure.
Indian ocean circulation
driven by subtropical gyre and agulhas current, australian current, leeuwin current
pacific ocean circulation
2 large subtropical gyres
North pacific subtropical gyre
N. Equatorial Current: flows westward
Kuroshio: Warms japan
N Pacific
California: cool
Alaskan
South pacific subtropical gyre
S. Equatorial current: flows westward into E. Australian C
E Australian Current: western intensified
Antarctic circumpolar current
peru current: humboldt current
equatorial counter current: better developed bc pacific ocean basin is larger and more unobstructed than atlantic ocean
Humboldt Current System (HCS)
peru current (major east boundary upwelling ecosystem). Flows along W coast of S America. Eastern boundary current flows in direction of equator.
highly productive, many species; sardines, anchovies, jack mackerel
mainly pelagic
walker circulation cell (normal conditions)
E. Pacific: high pressure, sinking air, coastal regions of W South america, cloudy, precipitation, thermocline.
El Nino Southern Oscillation ENSO
walker cell circulation disrupted (high pressure in E pacific weakens. Low biological productivity, reverse southeast trades
la nina ENSO cool phase
Increased pressure difference across equatorial Pacific \n • Cooler equatorial Pacific ocean \n • Like normal conditions, only intensified! \n • Stronger trade winds \n • Stronger upwelling in eastern Pacific \n • Shallower thermocline \n • Cooler than normal seawater \n • Higher biological productivity \n La Niña – ENSO Cool Phase
occurrence of ENSO events
El Nino every 2-10 years, irregular, last 12-18 months.
Deep ocean currents
low latitude regions, temp is too high to become dense and sink. deep currents only in high latitudes. sometimes only occur due to ice formation.
thermohaline circulation
deep ocean circulation driven by temp density differences in water. below pycnocline, 90% of all ocean water, slow velocity (10-20km)
Deep water masses
antarctic bottom water, N Atlantic deep water, Antarctic intermediate water, oceanic common water
power from currents
cold water dissolves more oxygen than warm water, deep water is o2 and nutrient rich, currents carry more energy than winds, Florida gulf stream current system. underwater turbines