intransitive verb. : to well up specifically : to move or flow upward.
Is upwell a word?
Yes , upwell is in the scrabble dictionary.
What is an upwelling in the ocean?
Encyclopedic entry. Upwelling is a process in which currents bring deep, cold water to the surface of the ocean . Upwelling is a result of winds and the rotation of the Earth.
What causes upwelling and downwelling?
Upwelling is a process in which deep, cold water rises toward the surface. ... The reverse process, called “downwelling,” also occurs when wind causes surface water to build up along a coastline and the surface water eventually sinks toward the bottom.
What is upwelling quizlet?
What is upwelling? a stream of water moving up towards the ocean surface . ... When surface currents move along the surface of the ocean, water from below moves up to take its place.
What are 3 areas of upwelling in the world?
Worldwide, there are five major coastal currents associated with upwelling areas: the Canary Current (off Northwest Africa) , the Benguela Current (off southern Africa), the California Current (off California and Oregon), the Humboldt Current (off Peru and Chile), and the Somali Current (off Somalia and Oman).
What is Ekman pumping?
Ekman Pumping is the component of Ekman transport that results in areas of downwelling due to the convergence of water. ... Due to the Coriolis effect the surface water gets pulled 90° to the left of the wind current, therefore causing the water to converge along the coast boundary, leading to Ekman pumping.
Why does downwelling happen?
Downwelling occurs when the water on the surface of the sea becomes denser than the water beneath it and so it sinks . Seawater gets denser when it gets colder or saltier. ... Most downwelling happens at the poles.
How does Ekman cause downwelling?
As wind blows along a coastline, Ekman transport moves the surface layer in a direction 90 o to the wind . ... In any coastal upwelling location, if the winds reverse, surface water moves towards the shore and downwelling is the result.
What is the cause of the Coriolis effect?
Because the Earth rotates on its axis, circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere . This deflection is called the Coriolis effect.
What causes an upwelling quizlet?
why does upwelling/downwelling happen? occurs where Ekman transport moves surface waters away from the coast; surface waters are replaced by water that wells up from below. ... Winds blowing from the north cause upwelling along the continents’ eastern coasts in the Southern Hemisphere.
What is the importance of upwelling quizlet?
Upwelling is important because the nutrients that are brought to the surface support the growth of phytoplankton and zooplankton , which supports other life.
What is an upwelling and why is it important?
The deeper water that rises to the surface during upwelling is rich in nutrients. These nutrients “fertilize” surface waters, encouraging the growth of plant life, including phytoplankton. ... Upwelling can also play an important role in the movement of marine animals.
How does wind lead to upwelling?
Winds blowing across the ocean surface often push water away from an area . When this occurs, water rises up from beneath the surface to replace the diverging surface water. This process is known as upwelling.
What would we call a phytoplankton?
Phytoplankton, also known as microalgae , are similar to terrestrial plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require sunlight in order to live and grow. ... The two main classes of phytoplankton are dinoflagellates and diatoms.
Does El Nino cause upwelling?
During an El Niño event, the easterly trade winds converging across the equatorial Pacific weaken. This in turn slows the ocean current that draws surface water away from the western coast of South America and reduces the upwelling of cold , nutrient–rich water from the deeper ocean, flattening out the thermocline.
