ERTH 2403 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Horse Length, Wave Power, Refraction
2 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
High latitude (subpolar) currents / gyres (polar easterlies) Geostrophic flow results in the formation of a hill in subtropical gyres. North atlantic gyre current: gulf stream. Warm water flows to the north: moves right to the canary current, which sinks, compressing the layer beneath, forcing those layers to spread. Western boundary currents: the western boundary currents of subtropical gyres are: Eastern boundary currents: eastern side of ocean basin, have opposite properties of western boundary currents. Equatorial counter currents: are currents that flow in the surface in the opposite direction from man current. Wind can cause vertical movement of ocean water: upwelling and downwelling: upwell and downwells, vertical movement of water a. i. Upwelling = upward movement of deep water a. i. 1. a. i. 2. Downwelling = downward movement of surface water a. ii. 1. Moves warm, nutrient depleted, oxygen-rich surface water to depths a. ii. 2. Antarctic circumpolar current (west wind drift: encircles earth, transport more water than any other current.
