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Slow and steady: ocean circulation. the influence of sea surface height on ocean currents
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Haekkinen, Sirpa |
| Copyright Year | 2000 |
| Description | The study of ocean circulation is vital to understanding how our climate works. The movement of the ocean is closely linked to the progression of atmospheric motion. Winds close to sea level add momentum to ocean surface currents. At the same time, heat that is stored and transported by the ocean warms the atmosphere above and alters air pressure distribution. Therefore, any attempt to model climate variation accurately must include reliable calculations of ocean circulation. Unlike movement of the atmosphere, movement of the ocean's waters takes place mostly near the surface. The major patterns of surface circulation form gigantic circular cells known as gyres. They are categorized according to their general location-equatorial, subtropical, subpolar, and polar-and may run across an entire ocean. The smaller-scale cell of ocean circulation is known' as an eddy. Eddies are much more common than gyres and much more difficult to track in computer simulations of ocean currents. |
| File Size | 3836808 |
| File Format | |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 2000-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Oceanography Atmospheric Circulation Climate Atmospheric Pressure Vortices Air Water Interactions Pressure Distribution Gas Pressure Computerized Simulation Sea Level Ocean Surface Ocean Currents Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
