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Understanding Ocean Circulation and Atmospheric Dynamics in Climate Systems

This overview explores the intricate relationship between the atmosphere and ocean circulation, highlighting how wind patterns drive upper layer flows and major gyres. It discusses net heat and freshwater exchanges that contribute to buoyancy flows, akin to a conveyor belt mechanism. Key features like the equatorial trade winds, Westerlies, and Easterlies are examined, along with the impact of Earth's rotation on wind direction. Seasonal changes, monsoons, and the roles of cyclones and anticyclones in heat transport are also covered, emphasizing the dynamic interactions between air-sea systems.

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Understanding Ocean Circulation and Atmospheric Dynamics in Climate Systems

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Presentation Transcript

  1. The Atmosphere • Wind Field • Drives upper layer flows of the major gyres • Net Heat & Freshwater Exchanges • Drives buoyancy flows (like the conveyor belt) • Chapter 2 - Ocean Circulation (we will skip parts)

  2. Stupid things that drive Dave crazy... • Easterly winds are from the east (to the west) • Westward winds are to the west (from the east) • Oceanographers say westward winds • Meteorologists say easterly winds • I’m right...

  3. Major Features of the Global Wind Field • Trades to Westerlies to Easterlies (toward poles) • Convergence of trades leads to ITCZ • Ascending moist air at equator • Drying & subsidence leads to a high over the subtropical ocean • Polar front is another region of convergence

  4. Global Salinity & Air-Sea Fluxes

  5. Global Salinity

  6. Global Wind Field

  7. Hadley Cells

  8. Major Features of the Global Wind Field • Winds blow from high to low pressure • BUT Earth rotation turns them to the right (left) in the northern (southern) hemisphere • Hence, winds are mostly zonal (along zones of constant latitude)

  9. Earth Rotation • Earth’s rotation gives rise to a fictitious force called the Coriolis force • It accounts for the apparent deflection of motions viewed in our rotating frame • Analogies • throwing a ball from a merry-go-round • sending a ball to the sun

  10. Earth Rotation

  11. Earth Rotation • Motions in a rotating frame will appear to deflect to the right (NH) • Deflection will be to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern • No apparent deflection right on the equator

  12. Real Winds • Real winds are not zonal • Land masses mess this up • Seasonal changes happen • intensification in high latitudes • monsoons

  13. July climatology

  14. January climatology

  15. Real Winds • Location of ITCZ shifts seasonally • Seasonal changes in the monsoon • SW in July • NE in January • Driven in large degree by greater seasonal heating on the land

  16. Cyclones/Anticyclones • Mid-latitude storms do most of the atmospheric heat transport • Cyclones • low pressure & CCW (NH) rotation • Anticyclones • high pressure & CW rotation

  17. Cyclones/Anticyclones Combination of cyclones & anticyclones lead to poleward heat transport

  18. Cyclones/Anticyclones

  19. Cyclones/Anticyclones

  20. Air Sea Interactions • We’ve seen this. • Warming of ocean leads to high SST • High SST leads to warm atmosphere • Tropics - High SST corresponds to regions of rising moist air

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