Chapter 6: Air-Sea Interaction
Large-scale atmospheric winds at Earth’s
surface over the Oceans
• High-latitudes
– “Westerlies”
– West-to-East
• Low-latitudes
– Trade-winds
– East-to-West
Wind direction given in direction from which it blows….
Coriolis effect really due to difference in speed of Earth’s rotation
at different latitudes… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y1Qi821n-s
But, we live on a rotating planet and must take into account
THE CORIOLIS EFFECT
-it is an effect and not a force (causes no acceleration)
Coriolis effect is due to really two things:
1. The Earth is rotating
2. The Earth is rotating at different speeds depending
on where you are on the Earth
Most Important Point:
In N. Hemisphere, Coriolis effect acts to deflect objects
to the right of their direction of motion
In. S. Hemisphere, Coriolis effect acts to deflect objects
to the left of their direction of motion
Ekman Spiral
2nd effect
• When wind blows over the ocean,
near surface water moves 45o to
the right of the wind in the
northern hemisphere - due to the
Coriolis effect.
• Current rotates and weakens
Water
deeper in water column moves 90o
to the
• Most important point: Add up all right of
the wind
the arrows,
the AVERAGE direction of flow is
90o to the right of the wind! - in
the northern hemisphere.
The Ekman spiral, named after
• The net movement of surface Swedish scientist Vagn Walfrid
water (0-100 m depth) 90o to the Ekman (1874-1954) who first
right of the wind is called Ekman theorized it in 1902, is a consequence
Transport
of the Coriolis effect
Wind-driven surface water circulation
of the major subtropical gyres….major currents
associated with the subtropical gyres
Surface ocean is in motion due to wind blowing on ocean surface
Movement of Air-----> always from regions of high
pressure to regions of low pressure…..this movement of air is
called the wind
Hurricanes are LOW pressure systems
• Katrina (northern
hem.)
• Cyclonic -
counterclockwise
rotation
• Southern Hemisphere
clockwise rotation
(cyclones)
Energy contained in a single
hurricane greater than all
sources generated in US in
last 20 years…..
What fuels hurricanes? What makes them so powerful?
Low pressure cell breaks away
from equatorial region
1.Warm ocean water temps (>25C)
provide abundance of water vapor
to atmosphere through evaporation
2. Surface winds feed moisture into
the storm…this air condenses (rain)
and releases large amounts of
Latent heat of condensation
3. Latent heat of condensation warms surrounding atmosphere
causing air to rise, surface pressure to decrease, and then more
moisture is drawn into the storm --> further strengthening
Generalized Tracks of Hurricanes
Hurricanes are so deadly
not only from powerful
winds but more so from
Storm surge (tremendous
increase in sea level as storm
moves ashore)
Flooding is the cause of
most damage from
hurricanes.
For east coast of the US, you often hear about
the northeast quadrant of the storm…..
13
End of Lecture 9
How does uneven
solar heating affect
the Earth?
At low latitudes, incoming
solar radiation focused over a
smaller area relative to higher
latitudes
Increased solar radiation flux
At low latitudes
ALBEDO: describes proportion
of incoming solar radiation that
is reflected back to space
Ice has high albedo
Average of Earth is ~30%
Ice in high latitude Regions increases the albedo (reflectivity)
of incoming solar radiation leading to decreased solar heat
flux towards the poles….
• Solar energy arrives
as shortwave
Reflected solar
radiation (centered
on the visible part of
the spectrum)
– About 30% is
reflected (albedo) Earth
• Remainder leaves as
outgoing longwave Incoming Solar
radiation (as
infrared)
Outgoing infrared
These are the big 3 greenhouse gases
The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
Earth’s surface and
lower atmosphere
warm the same way
a greenhouse warms
Outgoing longwave
radiation is trapped
by greenhouses
gases (like glass in a
greenhouse)
100 years from now:
Projected continued warming of a few degrees
(0.5-3.0 degrees)
So what ???
South Florida
Sea level
• One important consequence
of climate change.
• (NOW) Thermal expansion
(small)
• Arctic ice melts (small)
• (POTENTIAL) Grounded
ice sheets in Greenland and The dark blue areas are less than
Antarctica melt (huge) 5 meters above sea level
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features-print.cfm?feature=
What Controls the Temperature
of the Planet?
• Balance of incoming and outgoing radiation
• Incoming solar shortwave radiation
– Modified by albedo (reflectivity)
• Outgoing longwave radiation
– Set by temperature of atmosphere
– Modified (trapped) by greenhouse gases
