enough for sinking; then blocking of warm surface currents may occur. This abyssal flow is also called thermohaline circulation. The overall water parcel cycle through
all the oceans – along the thermohaline conveyor belt –
takes about 1,000 years.
Changing ocean currents
Ocean circulation varies on interannual and decadal
scales, as seen from the observations from long-term
arrays installed in different parts of the ocean. An example
of water transport variations in different layers of the
Northern Atlantic is presented in Figure 2 (Bryden et al.,
2012). Such variations have impact to weather patterns
and climate, fluxes of dissolved and particular matter,
ocean productivity, fish resources, etc.
Conclusions
Currents are large-scale translational motions of seawater.
Surface currents in the ocean follow the global wind patterns, forming the basin-wide gyres with stronger western
boundary currents. When warm surface waters move
toward the polar regions, they cool down. As the water
density increases, the waters sink toward greater depths
and can move back toward tropical regions. This abyssal
flow is also called thermohaline circulation. Ocean circulation varies on interannual and decadal scales, having
impact to weather patterns and climate, fluxes of dissolved
and particular matter, ocean productivity, and fish
resources.
Bibliography
Bryden, H. L., Robinson, C., and Griffiths, G., 2012. Changing currents: a strategy for understanding and predicting the changing
ocean circulation. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 370,
5461–5479.
Dohan, K., and Maximenko, N., 2010. Monitoring ocean currents
with satellite sensors. Oceanography, 23(4), 94–103.
Emery, W. J., and Thomson, R. E., 2001. Data Analysis
Methods in Physical Oceanography. Amsterdam/New York:
Elsevier.
Talley, L. D., Pickard, G. L., Emery, W. J., and Swift, J. H., 2011.
Descriptive Physical Oceanography: An Introduction. Amsterdam/Boston: Elsevier - Academic Press.
Cross-references
Anoxic Oceans
Beach Processes
Bottom-Boundary Layer
Estuary, Estuarine Hydrodynamics
Sediment Dynamics
Waves
142
CURRENTS
all the oceans – along the thermohaline conveyor belt –
takes about 1,000 years.
Changing ocean currents
Ocean circulation varies on interannual and decadal
scales, as seen from the observations from long-term
arrays installed in different parts of the ocean. An example
of water transport variations in different layers of the
Northern Atlantic is presented in Figure 2 (Bryden et al.,
2012). Such variations have impact to weather patterns
and climate, fluxes of dissolved and particular matter,
ocean productivity, fish resources, etc.
Conclusions
Currents are large-scale translational motions of seawater.
Surface currents in the ocean follow the global wind patterns, forming the basin-wide gyres with stronger western
boundary currents. When warm surface waters move
toward the polar regions, they cool down. As the water
density increases, the waters sink toward greater depths
and can move back toward tropical regions. This abyssal
flow is also called thermohaline circulation. Ocean circulation varies on interannual and decadal scales, having
impact to weather patterns and climate, fluxes of dissolved
and particular matter, ocean productivity, and fish
resources.
Bibliography
Bryden, H. L., Robinson, C., and Griffiths, G., 2012. Changing currents: a strategy for understanding and predicting the changing
ocean circulation. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 370,
5461–5479.
Dohan, K., and Maximenko, N., 2010. Monitoring ocean currents
with satellite sensors. Oceanography, 23(4), 94–103.
Emery, W. J., and Thomson, R. E., 2001. Data Analysis
Methods in Physical Oceanography. Amsterdam/New York:
Elsevier.
Talley, L. D., Pickard, G. L., Emery, W. J., and Swift, J. H., 2011.
Descriptive Physical Oceanography: An Introduction. Amsterdam/Boston: Elsevier - Academic Press.
Cross-references
Anoxic Oceans
Beach Processes
Bottom-Boundary Layer
Estuary, Estuarine Hydrodynamics
Sediment Dynamics
Waves
142
CURRENTS