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Thermohaline Circulation/Upwelling/Blue Whales

Thermohaline Circulation/Upwelling/Blue Whales

Salt changes water density: seawater is denser than freshwater

  • Water = H2O
  • Atoms of opposite charge attract e/o
  • Freshwater has H2o molecules that have lots of space b/t them
  • In one container (volume) there are only so many H2O molecules
  • The weight of the water in that container Β is called DENSITY
  • If one adds salt (NaCl or 1 Na+ and Β 1 Cl-) to freshwater, it will DISSOLVE into individual atoms of Na+ and Cl-s
  • Atoms place themselves close to opposing charges

Thermohaline Circulation

  • Water Β in the ocean is in motion: the wind pushes it around
  • As currents move towards cold area its gets colder Β (denser)
  • The wind evaporates water but not the salt β†’ seawater becomes also saltier β†’ denser
  • Surface water sinks
  • Currents at bottom of the ocean that moves β€œpacks” of water with different densities (combination of salt/temp.) around the globe Β β†’ THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION

Blue Whales

  • The biggest animal on earth: 100-150 tons
  • Marine mammals
  • Eat tiny animals named krill: more than 4 tons/day
  • Blue whales/other marine mammals depend on areas where they can find lots of food, like upwellings
  • High energy demand due to size which is why it eats 4 tons
  • Krill in areas of upwelling because there are more food/nutrients in the surface waters where the sun shines

Upwellings

  • Nutrients accumulate in deep waters as they move out of the photic zone (where nutrients etg used up in photosynthesis) and the remains of organisms sink and decompose
  • Upwelling = process of deep, nutrient-rich bottom waters flowing to the surface of the ocean
  • When the nutrients reach shallow water, where there is light/tiny algae called phytoplankton can grow. These plants are the basis of the ocean food chain
  • Upwelling areas are therefore v important for all animal life: shrimp to blue whales

How does Β it work

  • Wind + Coriolis = current flow
  • N-hemisphere: right of wind direction
  • S-hem: left of wind direction
  • Cont

Ocean Currents

  • Can be caused by
  • Density differences
  • Wind
  • Oceanographers study many things abt currents
  • How currents Β form
  • Where Β currents will flow
  • How currents will change
  • How currents impact the environment

Thermohaline Circulation/Upwelling/Blue Whales

Salt changes water density: seawater is denser than freshwater

  • Water = H2O
  • Atoms of opposite charge attract e/o
  • Freshwater has H2o molecules that have lots of space b/t them
  • In one container (volume) there are only so many H2O molecules
  • The weight of the water in that container Β is called DENSITY
  • If one adds salt (NaCl or 1 Na+ and Β 1 Cl-) to freshwater, it will DISSOLVE into individual atoms of Na+ and Cl-s
  • Atoms place themselves close to opposing charges

Thermohaline Circulation

  • Water Β in the ocean is in motion: the wind pushes it around
  • As currents move towards cold area its gets colder Β (denser)
  • The wind evaporates water but not the salt β†’ seawater becomes also saltier β†’ denser
  • Surface water sinks
  • Currents at bottom of the ocean that moves β€œpacks” of water with different densities (combination of salt/temp.) around the globe Β β†’ THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION

Blue Whales

  • The biggest animal on earth: 100-150 tons
  • Marine mammals
  • Eat tiny animals named krill: more than 4 tons/day
  • Blue whales/other marine mammals depend on areas where they can find lots of food, like upwellings
  • High energy demand due to size which is why it eats 4 tons
  • Krill in areas of upwelling because there are more food/nutrients in the surface waters where the sun shines

Upwellings

  • Nutrients accumulate in deep waters as they move out of the photic zone (where nutrients etg used up in photosynthesis) and the remains of organisms sink and decompose
  • Upwelling = process of deep, nutrient-rich bottom waters flowing to the surface of the ocean
  • When the nutrients reach shallow water, where there is light/tiny algae called phytoplankton can grow. These plants are the basis of the ocean food chain
  • Upwelling areas are therefore v important for all animal life: shrimp to blue whales

How does Β it work

  • Wind + Coriolis = current flow
  • N-hemisphere: right of wind direction
  • S-hem: left of wind direction
  • Cont

Ocean Currents

  • Can be caused by
  • Density differences
  • Wind
  • Oceanographers study many things abt currents
  • How currents Β form
  • Where Β currents will flow
  • How currents will change
  • How currents impact the environment