SCI1300 Midterm: Ocean Circulation notes
3 Sep 2018
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Water has a much higher density than air (x1000) At the bottom of 10m of water, the pressure is the same as that of the whole atmosphere. Water has a much higher heat capacity than air. The lighter fluid will therefore be above the heavier fluid: this is stable and generally suppresses convection in the ocean. Salty water is more dense than fresh water. Lowest salinity is in the mid-high latitudes, then the tropics, and the highest salinity is in the sub-tropics. This is because precipitation levels are low in the sub-tropics. Fresh water is added to the ocean via precipitation, freshwater rivers, and melting ice. Evaporation from the oceans increases the salinity. Combination of high evaporation and low rain in the sub-tropics result in high salinity. Largely driven by the atmospheric wind field through friction. Friction between the air and the ocean moves the uppermost layer of water.
