Ocean Test Iii

Front 1

Coriolis Effect:

Back 1

changes the intended path of a moving body

causes moving objects to follow curved paths

it is the result of earths rotation to the east

Front 2

What direction does the coriolis effect move things?

Back 2

Northern Hemisphere: RIGHT

Southern Hemisphere: LEFT

Front 3

What are the six circulation cells?

Back 3

Hadely Cells (N/S)
Ferrel Cells (N/S)
Polar Cells (N/S)

driven by the differences in solar heating and coinciding with the movement of the two adjoining cells

Front 4

Hadely Cells:

Back 4

0-30

Front 5

Polar Cells:

Back 5

60-90

Front 6

Ferrel Cells:

Back 6

30-60

Front 7

polar highs:

Back 7

winds that occur at the poles

high pressure zones caused by descending cool dense air

Front 8

subtropical highs:

Back 8

30 N/S

high pressure zones caused by descending cool dense air

Front 9

equatorial low:

Back 9

equator

column of warm low density air that rises

Front 10

subpolar low:

Back 10

60 N/S

column of warm low density air that rises

Front 11

Wind belt:

Back 11

the lowermost portion of circulation cells

Front 12

trade winds:

Back 12

from subtropical high pressure zones toward equalatorial low

NE Trade Winds: NE->SW (right)
SW Trade Winds: SW-> NE (left)

Front 13

prevailing westerly wind belts:

Back 13

some air that descends in subtropical regions and moves to higher latitudes

North Hem: SE-> NW
South Hem: NW-> SE

Front 14

polar eastery wind belts:

Back 14

air moves away from high pressure at poles

North Hem: from NE
South Hem: from SE

*westerlies rise above easterlies

Front 15

doldrums:

Back 15

the boundary b/t the two trade wind belts along the equator

no wind/ lotsa rain

Front 16

horse latitudes:

Back 16

boundary bt trade winds and westerlies (30 N/S)

high pressure, clear and ry fair conditionswhere air is sinking and surface winds are light

Front 17

polar front:

Back 17

boundary bt prevailing westerlies and polar easterlies (60 N/S)

cloudy w percipitation

Front 18

surface currents:

Back 18

result from friction bt surface and wind

occur in or above pycenonine (1000m)

influenced by continents, gravity, friction and the Corelois Effect

Front 19

thermohaline currents:

Back 19

begin at surface in high latitudes where dense surface water sinks down and other water masses upwell bc water column is isothermal in high latitudes

Front 20

What is the difference bt deep current and surface currents?

Back 20

deep water currenents move larger masses of water and are much slower

deep moves as far in a year as surface currents do in one hour

Front 21

What is the directional relationship bt wind and a wind driven current?

Back 21

if there were no continents the surface currents would follow the major wind belts

Front 22

What happens to wind driven currents that are blocked by continents?

Back 22

create circular moving loops of watere that follow the trade winds then the prevailing westerlies

Front 23

gyre:

Back 23

circular flow of ocean currents within a basin

Front 24

what currents compose a gyre?

Back 24

the equatorial, western boundary,prevailing westerly and eastern boundary

Front 25

what determains the dirsection of a gyres rotation?

Back 25

the coreolis effect

the westerlies and easterlies

North: clockwise
South: counter

Front 26

Why is the sea surface not flat?

Back 26

b/c currents continually move it

wind

water is thicker at the equator because it is spinning faster

Front 27

Ekmin Spiral:

Back 27

caused by wind blowing across the surface and is modified by the coriolis effect

creates different layers of surface water that move in slightly different directions and speeds b/c the effect increases curvature to the right

also friction consumes energy

Front 28

Ekman transport:

Back 28

all layers combine to create net water movement of about 90

Front 29

ekmin spirals in different hemispheres:

Back 29

N: right of wind
S: left of wind

Front 30

can ekmin spirals cause up/ downwelling?

Back 30

coastal

Front 31

how do warm/ cold rings form in ocean?

Back 31

water meandors become more intense and rings break off and isolate

Front 32

warm rings:

Back 32

shallow bowl shaped

1 km dep, 1000 km wide

remove large volumes of water as they disconnect

clockwise

Front 33

cold rings:

Back 33

spinning cone shaped

3.5 km deep, 500 km wide

move 3-7 km daily

counterclockwise

Front 34

what eventually happens to most rings?

Back 34

eventually mix into surrounding waters

sometimes two year life span

Front 35

western intensification:

Back 35

when western boundary cuurents of subtropical gyres are faster narrower and eeper

caused by apex (top) of hill formed by gyre being closer to western boundary

all subtropical gyres are intensified

Front 36

what causes western intensification?

Back 36

corelois effect: increases towards poles so eastward flowing high latitude waters turn toward the equator moves strongly

this causes a wide slow and shallow flow of water toward the equator leaving only a narrow band through which poleward flow can occur on a western margin

Front 37

what is the driving force of thermohaline circulation?

Back 37

temp/salt

upwelling and downwelling due to denser masses of water sinking

Front 38

what is the average salinity/temp of most oceans?

Back 38

salinity: 34-35%
temp: 4%

Front 39

why do deep ocean characteristics remain relatively stable?

Back 39

the density changes all remain above 1000 m

Front 40

Atlantic water masses:

Back 40

N/S Atlantic gyres

poorly developed equatorial countercurrents seperates these two subtropical gyres

Gulf Stream: highest velocity and best studied current which carries water along SE and coast

Front 41

Pacific water masses:

Back 41

N/S subtropical gyres

separated by a well developed equatorial countercurrents

Front 42

Indian water masses:

Back 42

Indian Ocean Gyre which is located mostly in S Hem

Front 43

what causes up/down welling:

Back 43

coast: Ekmin transport

deep:changing of densities at surface

Front 44

what makes antartic bottom water the densest?

Back 44

freezing take out all fresh water

water is so cold and salinitated it sinks

Front 45

Mediteranean Intermediate water:

Back 45

warm enclosed body of water with much evaporation due to low circulation

it creeps over Gibrartar slope into the N Atlantic and settles in the midde cause it is WARM with HIGH salinity

Front 46

equatorial countercurrents:

Back 46

water piles up at western margins of ocean basins due to coreolis effect (2 m higher than eastern side)

water then flows downhill due to gravity creating these currents that flow counter to and between the adjoining equatorial currents

Front 47

why do surface currents flow east and west but thermohaline currents north and south:

Back 47

surface: effected by wid and coreolis effect

deep: created at the poles

Front 48

if the earth roted the opposite direction how would that effect ther coreolis effect?

Back 48

everything would be opposite w/ eastern intensification

Front 49

what winds do Hadely cells produce?

Back 49

trade winds

Front 50

what winds do Ferrel cells produce?

Back 50

westerlies

Front 51

what winds do polar cells produce?

Back 51

easterlies

Front 52

where does Pacific Common water originate?

Back 52

in the upper mid-latitudes of the Pacific -- around 45 -- 50 degrees

the Pacific Ocean, due to land forms, does not have the extreme latitude conditions to produce bottom water

Front 53

asb the NADW flows to Antartica how does the Coreolis effect influence it?

Back 53

it does not move directly northward but goes a bit eastward or westward -- due mostly to the C. effect (and partly due to bottom topography)