GEOL 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Quasiperiodicity, Hydrosphere, Lithosphere
Document Summary
Caused by changes in wind strength in equatorial pacific ocean. West pacific warm pool warmer water on west side compared to east. The void" left is filled by cool water upwelling in the east. Low pressure systems create lots of rain (like hadley cells near equator) Western pacific is warm/wet, eastern pacific is cool/dry. Upwelling brings fish towards surface, el nino hurts south american economy. Southern oscillation air pressure rises in west and drops in east. Rain follows low pressure area, drought in west/landslides in east. During el nino sc has wet/cool winter and dry/warm summer. Water has relatively high heat capacity, absorbs and stores heat. Gulf stream current of warm water moving up from gulf, warms europe. Thermohaline circulation ocean water cycles around, warm on surface, cold on floor. Temperature cools as it moves north, sinks with higher density. Water gets saltier as it moves north, even more dense.