ENVS 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Mahi-Mahi, North Pacific Gyre, Pacific Ocean
8 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Large, wind-driven currents flowing at the surface (surface currents) Continents and basin topography deflect the moving water into a circular pattern. Gyre = flow around the periphery of the ocean basin ( circle ) (5 total) All 4 currents are constantly circulating clockwise, creating a gyre . Seawater flows in 6 great surface circuits. Oceans are connected by a conveyor belt, or heat transport mechanism that connects all the basins. Little ice age = conveyor belt stopped transferring warm water up to the u. k. Both of them transport large amounts of heat around the world. Major way gases in the atmosphere are transported to the deep sea (major mechanism that co2 is getting down to the deep sea) Collection of marine debris in the north pacific ocean. Largely composed of plastics that do not biodegrade, but photodegrade (break down into smaller pieces due to sunlight microplastics)
