9: Ocean Circulation
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter you should:
- know the major ocean surface currents of the world (i.e. the gyres) and how they are created
- know the features of the Gulf Stream, including the formation of warm and cold core rings
- understand the causes and effects of the Ekman spiral
- understand geostrophic flow, and how it helps keep the gyres flowing even when wind dies down.
- understand why gyre currents are more intense on the western side of the oceans – i.e. western intensification
- know what causes upwelling and downwelling, and the impacts of these events on primary production
- know the locations of some of the major upwelling regions on Earth
- understand the causes and effects of ENSO events
- understand Langmuir cells
- understand the processes that drive thermohaline circulation
- understand how T-S diagrams work
- know the major global sites of deep water formation
- be familiar with the major global water masses
- understand how deep water circulates throughout the world ocean
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