Global ocean circulation patterns, adapted from Gilroy ECA presentation on ocean circulation. Website: gilroyeca.blogspot.com

2. GeosphereImage from NASA

3. Atmosphere & Ocean Circulation Atmospheric Circulation Depends on density Ocean Surface Circulation Depends on the wind Deep Ocean Circulation Depends on density

4. Why is Ocean Circulation Important? Transport ~ 20% of latitudinal heat Equator to poles Transport nutrients and organisms Influences weather and climate Influences commerce

5. Temperature Structure of Ocean thermocline

6. Ocean circulation patterns – Wind

7. Ocean circulation patterns – Surface Currents

8. Ocean Circulation

11. Sea Surface Temperature http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/dees/ees/climate/slides/sst_march.gif

13. Thermohaline circulation The Great Conveyor The conveyor circulation transports heat to the North Atlantic. The sinking which takes place is susceptible to changes in surface salinity. If the surface of the North Atlantic gets too fresh, NADW won’t sink. Global warming could increasemelting of ice caps and sea ice, causing more fresh water to enter the Atlantic. Many models suggest that a shutdown of the conveyor would cause cooling over the North Atlantic and Europe. The conveyor has been off in the past during global cold periods, such as the last ice age and during the Younger Dryas. One hypothesis is that the shutdown of the conveyor, coupled with resultant atmospheric changes, is enough to throw the world into an ice age - or at least a cold snap.

14. Thermohaline Circulation North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW 15 million m3 of near surface water descend into the deep ocean each second.

15. Thermohaline Circulation - The Ocean Conveyor

16. Equatorial to polar heat transport and water flow

17. Ocean – Atmosphere Circulation

18. ENSO El Niño/Southern Oscillation 3-7 year cycle of warming in E. Pacific

19. ENSO El Niño/Southern Oscillation NASA/Goddard Space Flight CenterScientific Visualization Studio

20. ENSO El Niño/Southern Oscillation http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a000200/a000287/index.html NASA/Goddard Space Flight CenterScientific Visualization Studio