The document discusses the interconnected relationship between the atmosphere and ocean. Changes in one can affect the other through factors like unequal solar heating creating atmospheric circulation patterns and winds, which transport heat around the globe. This circulation moves warm, moist air upward near the equator and sinks in subtropical regions. Additionally, ocean currents redistribute heat in the ocean. Together, these mechanisms transfer thermal energy between the atmosphere and ocean and influence Earth's climate on a global scale.

1. Chapter 7: Air-Sea Interaction
Fig. 7-20

2.  Atmosphere and ocean one
interconnected system
 Change in atmosphere affects
ocean
 Change in ocean affects
atmosphere

3. Unequal solar heating
 Low latitudes
receive more
solar radiation
 High latitudes
receive less
solar radiation

4.  Equatorial areas excess heat
 Polar regions heat deficient
Fig. 7-3

5. Insolation factors
 Latitude
 Thickness of atmosphere
 Albedo
 Seasons
 Time of day
 Vegetation, bare rock, etc.

6. Atmosphere (troposphere)
 N2, O2, Ar
 Temperature decreases with
increasing altitude
 Warm air is less dense than cool air
 Moist air is less dense than dry air
 Wind flows from high pressure to low
pressure

7. Coriolis Effect
 Deflection in motion of moving
objects
 Rotation of Earth
 Important for objects that move
long distances/long times
 Maximum deflection at poles
 Negligible deflection at equator

8. Coriolis Effect Videos
 Click on Picture to See How  Click on Picture to at Equator vs.
It Works N. Hemisphere vs. S. Hemisphere

9. Atmospheric circulation
 Hadley, Ferrell and polar cells
 Warm, moist air rises
 Equator
 Sub-polar lows (60 o N and S)
 Cool, dry air sinks
 Sub-tropical highs (30o N and S)
 Polar regions

10. Windbelts

11. Cells and surface winds
 Surface winds flow from high pressure to low
pressure
Fig. 7-10

12. Surface winds
 Tradewinds
 About 0o to 30o N and S
 Northeast (Northern hemisphere)
 Southeast (Southern hemisphere)
 Westerlies
 About 30o to 60o N and S
 Polar Easterlies

13. Idealized 3-cell model
 Complicated by
 Seasons, tilt
 Differences in heat capacities of land
and ocean
 Uneven distribution of land and ocean
 Example: monsoon winds in Asia
and Indian Ocean

14. Local winds and their effects
 Sea breeze
 Land breeze
 Sea fog
 Radiation fog

15. Air masses meet at low
pressure
Fig. 7-14

16. Regional winds and storms
 Mid-latitude
storm systems
 Low
pressure
 Warm front
 Cold front
Fig. 7-15

17. Hurricane (tropical cyclone)
 Develop over
tropical ocean
 Warm ocean
 Warm, moist air
rising
 Sufficient
Coriolis Effect to
cause rotation
Fig. 7-17

18. Tropical cyclones
 Destructive high
winds, storm
surge
 Classified by
damage
done/wind speed
 Moved westward
by trade winds

19. Sea ice vs. icebergs
 Sea ice frozen seawater
 Especially important in Arctic
 Pack ice, polar ice, fast ice
 Icebergs broken pieces of glacier
 Float in ocean
 Shelf ice (extremely large plate-like
icebergs)

20. Greenhouse effect
 Energy from Sun shorter wavelengths
 Energy reradiated from Earth longer
wavelengths

21. Fig. 7-24

22. Greenhouse gases
 Absorb infrared radiation from Earth
 Mainly H2O and CO2

23. Other greenhouse gases
 Minor gases: methane, nitrous
oxides, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons
 Anthropogenic sources of
greenhouse gases contribute to
global warming
 Increase in global temperature
 Some natural
 Most artificial

24. CO2 in oceans
 CO2 high solubility in seawater
 Excess CO2 in atmosphere locked
up in oceans
 CaCO3 biogenic sediments
 Stimulate growth of phytoplankton
to use up CO2 in ocean

25. SOFAR Channel
 Sound travels far
 Velocity of sound is temperature-
dependent
 Use sound to measure
temperature in much of ocean
 ATOC (Acoustic Thermometry
of Ocean Climate)

27. End of Chapter 7: Air-Sea
Interaction