Rivers in the Ocean

1. Rivers in the Ocean • Prevailing surface winds and the heating of water at the equator start a process that creates giant rivers in the oceans • The Coriolis effect and the positioning of the continents also influences the movement of these currents

2. Gyres • Because the continents do not allow currents to circulate unimpeded around the globe like winds, large circular currents are set in motion called Gyres • The west side of a gyre is warm and moist and the east side is cool and dry

3. Ocean Currents and Biomes

4. The Gulf Stream • The Gulf Stream is responsible for raising the average temperature of parts of Europe ands Scandinavia by as much as 10 degrees Celsius • It is the strongest current on earth with peak velocities near 2 m/s • At its source 30 million cubic meters per second to become the Gulf Stream • For comparison, the Mississippi, the Amazon and the sum of all other rivers surging into the Atlantic amount to a meager 0.6 million cubic meters per second

6. The Oceanic Conveyor • A combination of gravity, temperature and salinity causes currents in the ocean move vertically allowing for a 3 dimensional cycling of heat and nutrients • Evaporation causes warm ocean currents to become progressively salty • Higher concentrations of salt meet cold arctic water and become very dense • This water sinks and continues moving deep under the ocean

7. Ocean Currents and Climate Change • Alteration of ocean circulation due to changes in water temperature and salinity may lead to rapid climate change • This may happen due to decreased salinity in North Atlantic from melting sea ice and glaciers. • The faster the increase in fresh water the greater the risk to permanently shutting down thermohaline currents • This would drastically alter the energy balance on Earth and have potentially catastrophic impact for parts of our planet