What are the main components of the surface ocean circulation?
Ocean circulation can be conceptually divided into two main components: a fast and energetic wind-driven surface circulation, and a slow and large density-driven circulation which dominates the deep sea. Wind-driven circulation is by far the most dynamic.
What causes the surface ocean circulation?
Large-scale surface ocean currents are driven by global wind systems that are fueled by energy from the sun. These currents transfer heat from the tropics to the polar regions, influencing local and global climate.
How do surface ocean currents circulate in ocean basins?
Wind-driven currents are maintained by momentum transferred by the winds to the ocean surface. Ocean the wind sets the surface waters in motion as a current, the Coriolis force, the density distribution of sea water, and the shape of the ocean basin modify the speed and direction of the current.
How does the ocean circulate?
Ocean circulation is primarily the result of wind pushing on the surface of the water and density differences between water masses. Earth’s spin causes the Coriolis force which deflects the direction of air and water currents moving towards or away from the poles.
Why is ocean water always saline?
The two ions that are present most often in seawater are chloride and sodium. These two make up over 90% of all dissolved ions in seawater. By the way, the concentration of salt in seawater (salinity) is about 35 parts per thousand.
What is the biggest type of ocean circulation?
The wind-driven circulation is strongest in the surface layer. The thermohaline circulation is more sluggish, with a typical speed of 1 cm (0.4 inch) per second, but this flow extends to the seafloor and forms circulation patterns that envelop the global ocean.
What do you mean by circulation of ocean water?
Ocean circulation is the large scale movement of waters in the ocean basins. Winds drive surface circulation, and the cooling and sinking of waters in the polar regions drive deep circulation. Surface circulation carries the warm upper waters poleward from the tropics.
What causes ocean surface currents?
Trade Winds. Trade winds are the winds that blow in the direction from east to west.
What drives surface currents?
Surface currents in the ocean are driven by global wind systems that are fueled by energy from the sun. Patterns of surface currents are determined by wind direction, Coriolis forces from the Earth’s rotation, and the position of landforms that interact with the currents.
What are the four major ocean currents?
The gyre has a clockwise circular pattern and is formed by four prevailing ocean currents: the North Pacific Current to the north, the California Current to the east, the North Equatorial Current to the south, and the Kuroshio Current to the west.
What is surface ocean current?
Surface Currents. Surface currents refer to movement of the top layer of ocean water – the upper 330 feet or so – primarily driven by wind. The large-scale circulation of these surface currents roughly mirrors the large-scale circulation of air, which most simply derives from unequal heating of the planet’s surface by the sun.
