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Ocean Atmosphere Year 2 In Class Exam > Lecture 5 Part 2 > Flashcards

Lecture 5 Part 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Global fluxes
Salt movement

A

Ocean water masses-surface, intermediate and bottom
Beneath pycnocline - density differences
Surface heat and freshwater flux
THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION
Therme = heat
Halos - salt

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2
Q

Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC)

A

Key part of thermohaline circulation
Gulf Stream- evaporates, inc rainfall - in density - sinks
Measured since 2004 varies from year to year
Will weaken over 21st century
Less dense ocean

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3
Q

Oceanic motion - wind driven

A

When surface ocean has had time to adjust to the wind
Ocean and atmosphere reach state of equilibrium
One of the first theories looking at wind driven currents

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4
Q

Ocean circulation
Gyres (2 types)

A

Subtropical gyres
Sub polar gyres

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5
Q

Ocean circulation - high latitudes

A

Arctic gyres
Antarctic circumpolar current

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6
Q

Boundary currents 4 types

A

Geostrophic currents
Western country currents
Eastern boundary currents
Transverse currents

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7
Q

Westerly bound currents characteristics

A

Narrow
Fast
Deep
Move warm water pole wards
5 large western boundary currents globally

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8
Q

The Gulf Stream

A

Largest westerly bound current
2ms-1
450m deep
160km/day
70km wide
Has:
Meanders
Loops
Sargasso Sea
Unique biology

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9
Q

Eddies

A

Energy supplied = equilibrium = energy dissipated
Water is turbulent and chaotic
Horizontal or vertical shear
Disturbances grow
Non linear
Trap warm or cold water

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10
Q

Cold and warm core eddies rotation

A

Cold core eddies = anticlockwise
Warm core eddies = clockwise

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11
Q

Eastern boundary currents

A

Cold water equatorwards
Wide (1000km)
Shallow (2-4km)
No boundaries
No eddies
Slow (16sv)
2km/hr

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12
Q

Transverse currents characteristics

A

Trade winds (tropics)
Mid latitude westerlies
Wind stress
Link EBC’S and WBC’S
Easterly and westerly
ACC

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13
Q

Western intensification

A

Wester boundary current - concentrated
Eastern boundary current - diffuse
Coriolis effect - peak of the ‘hill’ towards the west

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14
Q

Upwelling and downwelling

A

Divergence and convergence - upwelling and downwelling
Upwelling at the coast - biological productivity, weather
Downwelling at the coast - no effect

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15
Q

Mediterranean water

A

Semi closed sea
Winter cooling - dry mistral wind
Density driven convection
Mixes with Atlantic water
Neutrally buoyant at 1000m

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16
Q

Upper water masses

A

Correlation of gyres and currents
A wry in thickness equatorial waters - low salinity, low density, shallow
Central waters- thicker, sinking water, cooling in winter, instability, homogenous water masses

17
Q

Intermediate water masses

A

Western Atlantic Sub-Arctic water
Mediterranean water
Most common intermediate mass - WASW
AAIW - most widespread mass

18
Q

Deep water masses

A

Flow between surface and intermediate water masses and bed
Bottom water
Main deep water mass
Sub polar gyre in the Greenland sea

19
Q

North Atlantic deep water formation

A

Cold polar water from Strait carried south
North Atlantic surface water carried north
Winter- dense surface water and sinks
Increases in salinity due to shelf ice formation

20
Q

North Atlantic deep water formation

A

Overflows sub marine ridge
Turbulent mixing
Characteristics of water mass
NE Atlantic deep water 2.5 degrees Celsius and 35ppt
Denmark strait and irminger sea
NW Atlantic Deep water

21
Q

Stratification of polar waters

A

Cold fresh surface waters
Below - more dense higher salinity layer
Turbulent mixing
North - density increases - cooler winter winds and ice formation
South - extensive ice formation

22
Q

Stratification of polar waters
Polynyas

A

Open ocean ice free water in an ice covered region
Antarctic - coastal and open ocean
Coastal polynyas - winds
Open ocean topography 1000km by 350km

23
Q

Bottom water

A

Antarctic bottom water
Most widespread mass in the world
Forms off the coast of Antarctica and the depths of the ACC
Densest in the world
Moves very slowly

Ocean Atmosphere Year 2 In Class Exam (2 decks)

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