(Pinet)
Major ocean current systems 2
Geostrophy – a frictionless balance between the pressure gradient and the Coriolis acceleration – generates currents that move around the ‘hill’
Sea Surface Topography Sea Surface Temperature
Snapshot of ocean temperature – shows lots of eddies… Warm-core ring Cold-core ring 5
Wind-Driven Circulation Section along 36o North Gulf Stream STRONG NORTHWARD FLOW Open Gyre SLOW SOUTHWARD FLOW km 1 2 3 Med Outflow Part of Thermohaline Circulation 4 5 6 Wind-Driven Circulation Section along 36o North (Fuglister, 1960)
And warmer than the Pacific…. 7
Mediterranean and Red Sea make Atlantic and Indian Oceans salty 8
9
Antarctic Bottom Water Thermohaline sources North Atl Deep Water Mediterranean water Pacific Deep water Red Sea Ant. Inter. water Antarctic Bottom Water 10