These
deep-ocean currents are driven by differences in the water’s density, which is controlled by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline)
. This process is known as thermohaline circulation.
What is meant by thermohaline circulation?
Definition:
Large-scale density-driven circulation in the ocean, caused by differences in temperature and salinity
. In the north Atlantic, the thermohaline circulation consists of warm surface water flowing northward and cold deepwater flowing southward, resulting in a net poleward transport of heat.
What is thermohaline circulation and why is it important?
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 force initiates thermohaline circulation?
The thermohaline circulation is mainly triggered by the
formation of deep water masses in the North Atlantic
and the Southern Ocean caused by differences in temperature and salinity of the water.
What kind of phenomenon is thermohaline circulation?
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 happens if 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.
What does thermohaline mean?
:
involving or dependent upon the conjoint effect of temperature and salinity thermohaline circulation in the Pacific
.
What is an example of thermohaline circulation?
Thermohaline circulation begins in the Earth’s polar regions. … In the Earth’s polar regions ocean water gets very cold, forming
sea ice
. As a consequence the surrounding seawater gets saltier, because when sea ice forms, the salt is left behind. As the seawater gets saltier, its density increases, and it starts to sink.
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.
How long does thermohaline circulation take?
Lecture notes from one of Columbia University’s 2007 “The Climate System” class suggests this process takes
between 100-1000 years
. This paper says Thermohaline Circulation overturns deep water every 600 years or so.
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 thermohaline circulation repeat itself in a cycle?
How does thermohaline circulation repeat itself in a cycle? In the ocean as a whole, salt water is on the surface – because it is hotter than water with less salt. Thus we can say that thermohaline circulation repeats in a cycle
because the new water cools and sinks
.
How do you reduce thermohaline circulation?
Thermohaline circulation is driven by
dense water cooling and sinking
(a). When polar ice melts (b), freshwater pulses in the North Atlantic can reduce contact of the Gulf Stream with ice and reduce its salinity. This leads to warmer, less saline water that is less likely to sink.
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.
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.
