Week 2 Flashcards
(17 cards)
Thermal equilibrium
incoming radiation = outgoing radiation
Latitudinal variation:
amount of solar radiation received varies throughout the year and with latitude
Why do the low latitudes not continually warm up and polar regions constantly cool?
Atmospheric and oceanic circulation (which is driven by solar radiation)
Two types of ocean circulation:
Surface circulation
deepwater circulation
What does ocean circulation do?
Moves vast amounts of heat energy from the equator to the poles
Surface currents:
Patterns and drivers
Deep water currents:
The great conveyer system
Upwelling:
Rising of deep cold seawater to the surface
Ekman spiral:
The motion of the water at the surface is driven by the wind, each layer below is driven by the movement of the layer above and slowed down by friction
What is a form of deepwater circulation?
Thermohaline circulation
Thermohaline circulation:
changes in the density of salt and temperature causes this “conveyer”
What drives thermohaline circulation?
Salt concentration and temp
Eustatic sea-level change:
A change in the volume of seawater in one ocean will affect the level in ALL others
The role of the oceans in the climate system
- Absorb and release large amounts of heat (affects sea level)
- trasports heat over large distances (Ocean circulation)
- affects local weather and storm activity
- absorbs and releases huge levels of CO2
Where does majority of incoming solar radiation go?
oceans (84%)
Causes of sea level rise:
Global temp increases which causes:
ocean thermal expansion
melting of glaciers
melting of greenland and antarctic ice
Implications of sea level rise:
coastal erosion
inundation of land
increased flood and storm damage
increased salinity of estuaries and aquifers
