lec 8 deep ocean circulation and poles

monsoons

wind systems that exhibit pronounced seasonal reversal in direction

asian monsoon

found in south asia, strongly influenced by amount of solar heating received by vast asian continent, shifting of ITCZ

north american monsoon

produces dry spring followed by comparatively rainy summer

oceans stable to convection because

densest water stays at the bottom and it is heated from the surface → doesn’t want to go down

ekman spiral

current slows and turns clockwise with increasing depth, eventually flowing in opposite direction to surface wind

geostropic flow

upwelling

flow of subsurface waters to the surface

antarctica stays cold because of

circumpolar current

greenland became glaciated because

isthmus of panama closed, gulf stream formed, precipitation

productivity

seasonal and spatial patterns of biological activity in oceans and on land surface, measured in photosynthetic plant or alga biomass production rates