(14) geo: atmosphere & ocean
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35 Terms
what were the observations of surface circulation?
western explorers in the artic discovered sea ice didn’t follow the winds, and moved at a 45 degree angle away from it.
where are nutrient poor areas?
subtropics
where are nutrient rich areas?
coastal regions
why does wind blow one way and sea ice the other way?
the coriolis force
where does wind blow from 0° to 30°
tropical easterlies
where does wind blow in 30° to 60°
westerlies
where does wind blow in 60° to 90°
polar easterlies
what is wind stress?
wind flowing over the ocean and dragging surface water with it
the wind imparts a force on the ocean surface
the ocean surface is mostly…
flat with wind pulling a slab along with it
how does wind drive surface layers?
surface winds create friction, which pulls the top layer of water in the direction of the wind
which way does wind deflect in the NH?
to the right
which way does wind deflect in the SH?
to the left
what does wind apply onto the ocean?
a shear stress
what is a sheer stress?
a force that acts acts parallel to the surface
sheer stress (detailed)
when wind blows across the ocean surface, it drags the water, creating a frictional force (ss)
what force affects surface ocean circulation?
the coriolis force
wind stress + coriolis force causes..
the surface current to deflect at 45°
how does the coriolis force work below the surface of the ocean?
surface water imparts a force on water below the surface
due to the coriolis force, water is deflected to the right of the wind
water moves below the surface at 45 degrees because of friction
which direction does the ekman spiral move?
90° to the direction of the wind
what is ekman transport?
the total movement of water in the upper ocean at a 90° angle to the wind direction
what is the difference between the ekman sprial and ekman transport?
ekman spiral focuses on indvidual movement (45°)
ekman transport focuses on the sum of all movements (90°)
what does this image represent?
red line: movement of water
blue line: ekman transport deflecting
which way do westerly winds point and deflect at 30° in the NH?
point upward to the east
deflect downward to the east
which way do westerly winds deflect at the 30° in the SH?
point downward to the east
deflect upward to the east
which way do easterly winds point and deflect deflect at 0° at the equator?
point downward to the west
deflect upward to the west
which way do easterly winds point at 30° in the SH?
point upward to the west
deflect downward to the west
divergence of surface water happens at the…
equator (easterlies)
convergence of surface water happens at the…
subtropics
PGF with more water in the subtropics means…
less water in the equatorial region
why does water flow away from the center?
gravity influenced by the coriolis force
what is the circular rotation in an ekman transport called?
a gyre
what is an upwelling?
an area of divergence associated with water being sucked up from the deep ocean
what is an upwelling called in terms of ekman?
an ekman suction
what is a downwelling?
an area of convergence associated with water being pumped down into the deeper ocean
what is a downwelling in terms of ekman?
ekman pumping
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Flashcards (49)