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Lecture 5 Notes

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Lecture 5 Notes

Uploaded by

mpmzqt96qm
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Physical – lecture 5

Oceans and climate

Importance of oceans for climate


- Huge storage capacity for heat,water and co2
- Global circulation transports heat water and co2 horizontally
- Ocean and atmosphere echange much heat, water and co2 between them
- It has a high specific heat capacity (4180J/Kg) so requires more energy to heat by 1 degree
- As it is transparent, radiation can penetrate further into the ocean

Ocean-atmospheric interactions
- Atmosphere adds gasses and freshwater to the ocean, and water evaporates into the atmosphere.
High rates of evap = increase in salinity. Also affects cloud cover
- Heat exchange affects se surface temps, and rates of evaporation
- Momentum exchange involved transfer of kinetic energy (wind) into the ocean forms currents
- High evap = high latent heat transfer

Ocean co2 uptake – biological pump


- Carbon sequestered in phytoplankton through photosynthesis
- Phytoplankton dies and sinks, where carbon it takes is stored in deep ocean sediments
- Bacterial remineralisation = releases co2 back into the atmosphere

Ocean Acidification
- Co2 dissolves I ocean and forms carbonic acid, h2co3, which brek down into bicarbonate ions and into
carbonate ions, and finally into H+ ions.
- H+ ions lead to lower pH – ocean becomes more acidic
- Weakens skeletal development in ocean biota

Phytoplankton release Dimethyl Sulphide (DMS) and this forms a sulphate aerosol so moisture forms upon it
and forms cloud condensation nuclei (CCN)

CLAWS hypothesis of global climate regulation, negative feedback loop


- Warming = more phytoplankton growth and more DMS
- = more cloud condensation nuclei
- Cooler temps as clouds reflect radiation
- Cooler temps = less phytoplankton growth and less DMS, so less CCN
- Fewer clouds means more sunlight reaches earth

Oceans and climate change


- Warming ocean = deoxygenation of oceanic waters
- Sea level change due to expansion of water due to heating

Observation
- Measurements of temp by ships for 1800s onwards
- Measurements by static Buoys
- Argo floats – drift and descend then ascends, and collect data on temperature, salinity , pressure etc
Observed changes
- Increase in ocean temps – see slides
- Heat contained in the surface experienced even more increase then the deeper waters
- Some parts of ocean are warming OR cooling faster than others
- Oceans may cool due to increased upwelling of cooler water
Ocean circulation

- Follows pattern of global atmospheric circulation


- Cold currents flowing towards equator in east sides of major oceans
- Poleward flowing warm water on the western side of the major oceans
- Ocean Gyres – 5 major circulations
Equatorial countercurrent = a return flow of water from the western side of the ocean basins to the east.

Momentum transfer to ocean surface


- wind blowing over the ocean produces ocean current
- this motion is transferred to the deeper part of the oceans and the current begins to turn, creating a
spiral due to viscosity forces (Ekman drift). Has implicatins for upwelling
Ekman transport and upwelling
- water mass is moved along by wind, and is replaced by deep cold upwelled water.
- The most upwelling occurs on the east of the major oceanic bodies (equatorial moving water)

-
- Cold surface water create stable climate conditions (no vertical ascent of air and little evap and cloud
development). So desert climates are found along the west coast of the major continents
- Vertical ascent of cooler water affects vertical distribution of temperature and minerals. Bring nutrient
rich water to the surface and is useful for basis of the food chain
Deep ocean thermohaline circulation – see videos on slides
- Driven by spatial contrasts in temperature and salinity of ocean surface
- Includes gulf stream which is important for intensity of formation of NADW:
- North Atlantic deep water (NADW) = sinking water which moves back equatorward
- If the NADW shut down, cold air masses from arctic would push further south towards equator
- NADW AKA MOC (meridional overturning circulation)

Global climate and sea levels


- Higher sea levels as ice melts in interglacials

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