OCEAN CIRCULATION

Trujillo and Thurman, 10th  Chapter 7, be sure to read box 7.1, omit box 7.2

Objectives:  Students should be able to

  1. describe gyres and the processes which create them
  2. identify selected surface currents
  3. describe the formation of upwelling and downwelling along coastlines
  4. discuss the causes and effects of El Nino events
  5. describe the processes which create deep ocean circulation
  6. compare and contrast surface and deep ocean circulation

 

LAYERED OCEAN:  surface ocean vs. deep ocean; boundary area in between

SURFACE CIRCULATION:

Wind-driven GYRES  - general pattern

·         Western and eastern boundary currents  - characteristics, western intensification, warm and cold core rings

·         Equatorial currents

·         Ekman transport – cause and description, relationship to gyres

·         Geostrophic currents – causes and description

Selected surface currents:  be able to identify these on a map (match names to some sort of identification on map) similar to the one on page 198

Gulf Stream – Canary Current; Brazil Current – Benguela Current; Peru Current – East Australian Current; Kuroshio Current – California Current; North and South Equatorial Currents, Equatorial Countercurrent; Labrador Current; West Wind Drift

            Upwelling and downwelling along coasts: driven by winds

El Nino – Southern Oscillation:  causes and effects

DEEP OCEAN CIRCULATION

THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION: density-driven

·         Distinct water masses

·         Conveyor belt circulation