1. (Pinet)

2. Major ocean current systems2

3. Geostrophy – a frictionless balance between the pressure gradient
and the Coriolis acceleration – generates currents that move
around the ‘hill’

4. Sea Surface Topography
Sea Surface Temperature

5. Snapshot of ocean temperature – shows lots of eddies…
Warm-core
ring
Cold-core
ring 5

6. 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)

7. And warmer than the Pacific….7

8. Mediterranean and Red Sea make Atlantic and Indian Oceans salty8

9. 9

10. Antarctic Bottom Water
Thermohaline sources
North Atl Deep Water
Mediterranean water
Pacific Deep
water
Red
Sea
Ant. Inter.
water
Antarctic Bottom Water 10