There are two causes of ocean currents: wind and convection. The more important of the two is convection. The act of convection in a fluid is the tendency of a heated part of the fluid to rise up due to the fact the it is less dense and it is replaced by cooler fluid which is then heated, rises up, and again replaced by cooler fluid. There has been plenty of recent research on the topic of ocean currents and convection, some of which might change the way we view the ocean. In this paper I will explain exactly what convection is, I will explain how and why it makes such a drastic effect in our ocean, and I will discuss the latest research that has been done on ocean currents.
So, what exactly is convection? Think of it like this: there is a tank of water with one side heated and the other side cooled. You put red food coloring on the heated side of the tank, then as the water on the left starts to heat up you begin to see the food coloring rise, and move to the right, towards the cold side. The heated water rises because the particles move faster and faster during heating. The faster the particles move, the more volume it takes up which decreases the water’s density, and the hot water now rises and is replaced by cold water, which is then heated and the particles move faster and rise and get replaced by cold water, etc. It is an on-going cycle. It is exactly the same in the ocean except the only difference is that it is a much large tank. In the ocean, the biggest source of heat is from the earth’s mantle, right below the earth’s crust. Under the ocean, the earth’s crust (oceanic crust) is only about 3-5 miles thick.3 The mantle can reach about 870oc (1600oF) which is enough heat to be the driving force of convection in ...
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Fundy tides and the currents of the St John River which flow out of the main
Carson has written this essay to provide insight about the tide currents of the deep waters. She also raises insight awareness on planetary forces and physical dimensions. Carson’s main focus consists on informing the readers about the size, timing, and occurrences the tides correlated with. Statistics and studies are given to further elaborate and assist Rachel’s theory that states “In every country the moon keeps ever the rule of alliance with the sea which-it once for all has agreed upon." From the tone of the essay, it can be seen that the theme contains educational content that has significant importance to the global being.
Ocean currents have been known to change direction or slow down. The heat that escapes from the oceans is in the form of water vapor, the most abundant greenhouse gas on Earth. Yet, water vapor also contributes to the formation of clouds and has a net cooling effect.
The Sun’s radiation heats the upper atmosphere, sending the energy toward the earth’s surface and finally mixes with the planet’s counter-rotational currents, creating jetstream flows. The winds flow over the ocean’s surface creating friction that spawns chops, pushing up the seas forming perfect bands of open ocean swell. Pushed on by gravitational forces, the swells speed away from the winds that they came from, moving across the deeps until they feel the drag of the shallows near the coast. As the swells rise up out of themselves, they peak, curling into the liquid dreams that we surfers ride (Kampton 4).
Some studies have found “that atmospheric CO2 concentration is approximately 383 parts per million by volume (ppmv), a level not seen in at least 650,000 years, and it is projected to increase by 0.5% per year throughout the 21st century.” (Guinotte) “This is because…the ocean absorbs about a third of fossil fuel emissions, but this amount is likely to increase to 90% in the future.” (Bralower) As a result, “the chemistry of the world's oceans is changing at a rate not seen for 65 million years, with far-reaching implications for marine biodiversity and food security, according to a new United Nations study...” (Knight) “…This change is cause for serious concern [for] many marine organisms…, [because they] may not be able to adapt quickly enough to survive these changes.” (Guinotte)
90 percent of the effects of global warming are attributed to rising temperatures and heat. This heat tends to affect our oceans due to the ...
Surface current are found in the upper four hundred meters (400m) and makes up about ten percent (10%) of ocean (Briney, n.d.). Surface ocean currents are as a result of friction between the water and atmosphere interface. The wind exerts a force or stress to the ocean surface and causes the water to move. The winds that most affect the oceans’ currents are the Westerlies which produce belts of ocean currents that flow east in the mid-latitude and the Trade winds which generate currents that flow to the west in tropical latitudes. These winds are mainly a result of warm air from the tropics moving towards the poles. The direction of the current is not the same as the direction of the wind but it is deflected at a forty five degree angle. This deflection is resulted from the earth’s rotation on its axis called the Coriolis force/ effect. Coriolis force and constrains by continental land masses cause surface currents to develop into an alm...
"Ocean Events." GRACE â Uncovering the 2010-11 Decline in Global Mean Sea Level and Its Relation to ENSO (October, 2012). N.p., 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
Roach, John. Global Warming May Alter Atlantic Currents. 27 June 2005. National Geographic News. 24 Jan 2012 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/72476778.html
There is no longer any question that our world climate has changed (King, 2004). Over the last 100 years, "temperatures have risen by about 0.6 degrees Celsius and global sea level has risen by about 20cm" (K...
Scientists appear to have become aware of the issue of rising sea levels in the mid to late 1980s. An article published in Science News in 1987 predicted that “global warming… will cause… the world's oceans to expand, raising the average sea level by 4 to 8 centimeters in the next 40 years” (Monastersky). Though 4 to 8 centimeters sounds like a miniscule amount in relation to the vastness of the world’s oceans, this early article disturbed many readers. Many for this reason: early stud...
Four NOMAD buoys across the North Atlantic registered a 13-degree drop in SST. And soon a series of extreme weather happened in front of my eyes: hurricanes, snow storms, and even cyclones that rapidly pulled cool air from the upper troposphere which made people freeze instantly. Those were the scenes I saw from The Day after Tomorrow, the film that inspired my curiosity in atmospheric sciences in my seventh grade. Although shocked by the catastrophe caused by global warming in the film, I couldn't help take an eager interest in how freshwater from melted polar ice caps brought a shift in the North Atlantic Current, and how the shifted current brought a change in the earth’s climate. Later, as I gathered more information about the climate, I became fascinated by the physical and dynamical mechanisms explaining atmospheric phenomenon. And after three years of undergraduate study of atmospheric sciences, beyond the starting point of fascination, I have taken concrete steps forward with my hard work, independence, and creativity.
Tides are common features of the ocean. Tides occur when large bodies water rise and fall, because of the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. Spring tides are especially strong tides; in spite of the name they have nothing to do with the season spring. They occur when the Earth, the sun, and the moon are in a line. Spring tides occur during the full moon and the new moon. Neap tides are especially weak tides. They occur when the gravitational forces of the moon and the sun are perpendicular to one another. When water moves from side to side, it is called a current. Currents move warm and cold water to different parts of the ocean.