Ocean Climate – Home assignment 2

1/3 2023

Ocean Circulation

Ocean circulation refers to the movement of water within the world's oceans. The ocean circulation
is a complex process influenced by factors such as wind, temperature, salinity, and Earth's rotation.
Ocean circulation are divided into two types of flow according to the factors that drives them. We
distinguish between the wind-driven there controls the surface currents, and the density-driven
currents there give power to the subsurface circulation (Pinet, 2016).

The wind driven currents in the surface circulation is a result of wind drag, pressure gradients and
Coriolis deflection (Pinet, 2016). To understand those currents, we need to understand the global
wind patten. The global wind patten reflects the uneven solar radiation that reaches the Earth and
thereby differences in the heating of the air (ibid.). From that we see low-pressure and high-pressure
zones. The wind blows from high- to low-pressure. If the Earth was not rotating the wind would go
directly, but because of the Coriolis effect the wind gets deflected to the right in the Northern
Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere (ibid.).
This global wind patten have a great influence on the large-scale circulation of surface water in the
ocean. The wind is forming a drag in the surface water, which sets water in motion (Pinet, 2016).
When wind blows over the ocean, is creates a force that moves water at a 45° angle to the right of
the direction of the wind in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
When the surface water is set to moving there is formed movement further down in the water
column, because of a friction drag which sets moving to the underlying water. This is called Ekman
Theory. Between each water layer there is a deflected slightly to the right of the layer above it, and
a spiraling current is formed, and the net water transport ends up flowing at an angle of 90° to the
right of the wind at the Northern hemisphere and to the left at the southern Hemisphere (Ibid.).

Geostrophic currents refer to the movement of water in the ocean due to the balance between the
Coriolis effect and the pressure gradient force (Pinet, 2016). As a result of Ekman transport water
gets buildup in a mound, cause water gets pushed to the right at the Northern Hemisphere and to the
left at the Southern Hemisphere. This water pile can grow in volume and height until the pressure
gradients causes the water to flow downslope. The water their flows down creates a circular motion

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known as gyre. At the Northern Hemisphere the down flowing water gets deflected to the right. In
that way there is formed a clockwise spinning around the gyre in the Northern Hemisphere, and a
counterclockwise spinning around the gyre in the Southern Hemisphere (Ibid.). The ocean currents
that we see in a gyre is in that way cause of the balance between Coriolis deflection and pressure
gradient.

The circulation formed by Ekman transport and the geostrophic currents are powered by wind and
therefore primely have an influence on the upper level of the water column. Deep circulation, also
known as the thermohaline circulation, refers to the movement of water in the ocean arise from
differences in temperatures and salinity. The thermohaline circulation is therefore a density-driven
circulation. Density of water is a function of its temperature and salinity, where low temperature
gives a high density and high salinity gives a high density. Water gains heat from the solar radiation
and salinity is determined by the radio between precipitation and evaporation plus runoff from land
and ice formation (Pinet, 2016). All process which depends on the climate and therefore the
latitude.
When water becomes denser then it sinks, this is called downwelling. The most important places
where downwelling takes place is in the polar regions and it is here deep-water is formed (Pinet,
2016). If we look into the North Atlantic – Artic Ocean, the Gulf Stream transport salty surface
water towards north and it cools down. Cold salty water will sink because it gets denser than the
surrounding water (Holden, 2012). The deep-water flows towards equator and here due to the
Coriolis effect and Ekman transport, water is transported away from equator and away from the
eastern sides of oceans basins, which makes space for upwelling. By upwelling, deep-water now
becomes surface water. The thermohaline circulation is by that an exchange of surface and deep-
water across the oceans (Pinet, 2016). The thermohaline circulation plays an important role in
regulating climate on earth and distribute heat and nutrients around the planet (Ibid.).

In conclusion, the three theories of ocean circulation that we have examined plays a crucial role in
the movement of water within the ocean and there by effects the global climate on Earth. Different
driving forces drive the circulation and the circulation occurs at different depths and regions.

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Reference list
Joseph Holden, 2012. An introduction to physical geography and the environment. 3th edition.
Pearson, Harlow.

Paul R. Pinet, 2016. Invitation to oceanography, 7th edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning, Burlington.