Thermohaline circulation plays an
important role in supplying heat to the polar regions
. Therefore, it influences the rate of sea ice formation near the poles, which in turn affects other aspects of the climate system (such as the albedo, and thus solar heating, at high latitudes).
What is the purpose of thermohaline circulation?
Effects on global climate
The thermohaline circulation plays an important role
in supplying heat to the polar regions
, and thus in regulating the amount of sea ice in these regions, although poleward heat transport outside the tropics is considerably larger in the atmosphere than in the ocean.
What is thermohaline circulation and how does it work?
The basic thermohaline circulation is
one of sinking of cold water in the polar regions
, chiefly in the northern North Atlantic and near Antarctica. These dense water masses spread into the full extent of the ocean and gradually upwell to feed a slow return flow to the sinking regions.
What does thermohaline circulation help regulate?
The thermohaline circulation plays an important role in supplying heat to the polar regions, and thus in regulating
the amount of sea ice in
these regions, although poleward heat transport outside the tropics is considerably larger in the atmosphere than in the ocean.
How does thermohaline circulation affect Europe?
The thermohaline circulation
heats the North Atlantic and Northern Europe
. It extends right up to the Greenland and Norwegian Seas, pushing back the winter sea ice margin.
What is an example of thermohaline circulation?
Thermohaline circulation begins in the Earth’s polar regions.
When ocean water in these areas gets very cold, sea ice forms
. … This process is known as thermohaline circulation. In the Earth’s polar regions ocean water gets very cold, forming sea ice.
What happens if the thermohaline circulation stops?
– If global warming shuts down the thermohaline circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean, the result
could be catastrophic climate change
. … Between Greenland and Norway, the water cools, sinks into the deep ocean, and begins flowing back to the south.
How long does the thermohaline circulation take?
The conveyor belt moves at much slower speeds (a few centimeters per second) than wind-driven or tidal currents (tens to hundreds of centimeters per second). It is estimated that any given cubic meter of water takes
about 1,000 years
to complete the journey along the global conveyor belt.
How does temperature affect thermohaline circulation?
Thermohaline circulation describes the movement of ocean currents due
to differences in temperature and salinity in different regions of water
. Temperature and salinity change the density of water, resulting in the water to move accordingly. Cold water is usually denser than warm water (4°C is where water is densest).
What causes deep ocean circulation?
In contrast to wind-driven surface currents, deep-ocean currents are caused by
differences in water density
. The process that creates deep currents is called thermohaline circulation—“thermo” referring to temperature and “haline” to saltiness. … This water also cools and sinks, keeping a deep current in motion.
Why do deep water form at high latitudes?
The production of deep-water masses via downwelling occurs in high-latitude regions of the northern and southern hemispheres where the surface ocean is cooled by winds. …
Falling temperature and increasing salinity
render these surface water masses denser, allowing them to downwell.
How does thermohaline circulation affect marine life?
Like a conveyor belt, thermohaline circulation
moves nutrients from one part of the ocean to another
. … As the deep, cold water travels through the oceans, it mixes with warmer water. The water eventually becomes warm enough to rise, creating a slow upwelling that brings nutrients to the surface.
What is the circulation of the ocean?
Ocean circulation is
the large scale movement of waters in the ocean basins
. Winds drive surface circulation, and the cooling and sinking of waters in the polar regions drive deep circulation. Surface circulation carries the warm upper waters poleward from the tropics.
How does wind affect thermohaline circulation?
Change the wind stress, and the thermohaline circulation will change;
alter thermohaline forcing
, and the wind-driven currents will also change. It is because of thermohaline forcing that wind-driven currents are relegated to the upper ocean — in unstratified water they would extend to the bottom.
What does thermohaline stand for?
:
involving or dependent upon the conjoint effect of temperature and salinity thermohaline circulation in the Pacific
.
What causes a Halocline?
A halocline is also a layer of separation between two water masses by difference in density, but this time it is not caused by temperature. It occurs
when two bodies of water come together, one with freshwater and the other with saltwater
. Saltier water is denser and sinks leaving fresh water on the surface.
