EVPP 108 Lecture 25: Lecture 25- Monday October 31

• School: George Mason University
• Department: Environmental Science and Public Policy
• Course: EVPP 108
• Professor: Kim Largen

Document Summary

Physical environment: atmosphere and oceans circulation cont: principle oceanic surface currents. Four main types: western boundary currents. Currents that are deep, strong, very defined. Moves warm water towards different areas that change the climate there. Currents that are shallow, relatively weak, and much less defined: polar circulation large-scale movement of air, and together with ocean. Ex: beaufort gyre, antarctic circumpolar current/ west wind drift. Warming of the ocean surface, or above-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern, enhanced convection across the entire equatorial tropical pacific. Weaker low-level atmospheric winds along the equator. Effects are strongest during northern hemisphere winter cause ocean temperatures are at warmest. Weather effect: bring exceptionally wet or exceptionally dry condition to a large part of the planet. Noteworthy el ninos 1982 1983/ 1997-1998. La nina knows as cool phase stronger low-level atmospheric winds along the equator. Winter temperatures are often warmer than normal in the southeast.