Thermohaline current investigation 2022
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De Anza College *
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6B
Subject
Geography
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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Uploaded by ChancellorHedgehog475
Thermohaline circulation Investigation
Paraphrase google answers-don’t cut and paste (a little more time-a lot more learning)
Hot/cold water experiment(red/blue):
Put a screenshot of your video at the 0
second mark.
Put a screenshot of your video at the 5
second mark.
Put a screenshot of your video at the 10
second mark.
Put a screenshot of your video at the 30
second mark.
Put a screenshot of your video at the 1
minute mark.
Explain why the cold/hot water experiment
stratified. (formed two layers)
The stratification is due to a difference in
density between the two temperatures.
Once the warmer water formed a layer on
top of the colder water, was there any
movement?
It is usually called a “cap”.
Why?
No - It’s called a cap because it keeps the
water locked into it’s strata
What is an inversion layer in the
atmosphere?
layer in the atmosphere where temp
increases with height
How do atmospheric inversion layers affect
air quality? Explain why.
inversion traps pollutants near the ground,
locking in poor air quality
Back to the ocean: How does the
El Nino
current affect fisheries in Peru? Explain why.
(use the word cap and
upwelling in your
answer)
El Nino causes warmer water on the coast of
Peru. Without cold upwelling, the hot water
rises and forms a cap. The water no longer
has the nutrients the fish need.
As the surface water heats up due to
Globa
l
warming
, will that drive a stronger or weaker
It will drive a weaker vertical current because
global warming the surface temp will rise,
vertical current?
Explain.
locking in the stratification and reducing
vertical currents.
Salty water v
freshwater experiment:
(green/yellow)
Put a screenshot of your video at the 0
second mark.
Put a screenshot of your video at the 5
second mark.
Put a screenshot of your video at the 10
second mark.
Put a screenshot of your video at the 30
second mark.
Put a screenshot of your video at the 1
minute mark.
Why did the addition of salt to one side
create a current(movement of water)?
Salt water is denser, so it caused
stratification.
Explain why it stratified? (formed layers)
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Why do the stratified layers prevent a
vertical current? (vertical would be from the
bottom surface to the top surface)
The stratification essentially causes barriers
within the water, which stops any motion or
mixing from happening.
Math is fun:
Calculate the percent salt.
You
added 40 grams of salt to 2500 ml of water.
Usually expressed as per 1000 as opposed
to percent (per hundred). Show work for
credit.
2500/2.5 = 1000
40/2.5 = 16
16/1000
The ocean is 35 parts per thousand.
Was
our water saltier or less salty than the
ocean?
It was less salty
In the tropics, where the surface water is
more salty.
Why? (usually the exception)
they are areas with high evaporation and low
precipitation, so the water remains quite
concentrated
In normal conditions, these deadly structures
form in the arctic in the winter. Watch this
short video
, (under 2 minutes) and give a
running account of what you see happening
(from beginning to end) Use bullet points.
sea ice leaves behind salty brine that sinks
it freezes and creates a sheath
it grows down
the cicile grows all the way to the sea floor
and kills everything it touches by trapping it in
ice
From the short video above, now explain
why
the ice structure formed.
because the salty brine sinks and freezes
Why are estuaries so productive?
Our favorite estuary: note the delta on the far
right of the image.
water filtering through them brings in nutrients
from other waterways
Define brackish water. In our model, what
color was the brackish water?
water that is a combo of slaty and fresh -
brown
Why is thermohaline circulation so
important?
supplies heat to polar regions
Why is the Thermohaline current called a
“conveyer belt’?
moves warm water downward and brings
nutrient rich water up like a converter belt
How long does it take for water to make the
entire trip of the conveyor belt?
~ 600 years
What does AMOC refer to?
Atlantic meridional overturning circulation
What is the name of the part of the AMOC
that flows along the surface from the Gulf of
gulf stream
Mexico to Greenland?
Does that current bring warm or cold water
to England?
warm
Even though England has a high
latitude,51°it has a relatively mild climate.
Why? (refer to previous question).
It is warmed by the gulf stream coming up, so
it’s climate remains much warmer than
expected
This flower is named:
Dryas octopeptala
. It is
an indicator species for what environmental
condition?
It is an indicator for climate warming reversal
and a return to more glacial conditions
When was the “Younger Dryas”? (Named
after the flower)-look in wiki.
It will be a
range of years.
a return to glacial conditions that temporarily
reversed climate warming
What conditions prevailed during the
Younger Dryas?
It was quite sudden, but the flowering of dryas
octopeptala was an indicator
In wiki, scroll down to the section: Causes.
What is the immediate cause?
That it was caused by a stop in the north
american section of the AMOC
What was the source of freshwater in this
case?
the Mackenzie River
How much has the AMOC slowed down in
the last 200 years?
15-20%
The Brits (from England) are known for
getting irony.
What will happen to England
if
global warming causes the AMOC to stop?
It will become really cold there because
although global temps will rise from global
warming, they will see colder weather
because they will no longer get toe warm
water front the gulf stream
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