Components of the Climate System

1
Components of the Climate System

• Atmosphere
• Ocean

• Biosphere
• Geosphere

Image from NASA
2
Atmosphere Ocean Circulation

• Atmospheric Circulation
• Depends on density
• Ocean Surface Circulation
• Depends on the wind
• Deep Ocean Circulation
• Depends on density

3
Why is Ocean Circulation Important?

• Transport 20 of latitudinal heat
• Equator to poles
• Transport nutrients and organisms
• Influences weather and climate
• Influences commerce

4
Temperature Structure of Ocean
thermocline
5
Ocean Circulation
6
Wind-drive ocean surface currents
Wind driven surface currents

• How fast? A few miles/hr (Gulf Stream off of
  Miami 4.5 mph)
• How much? Total water in ocean surface
  circulation about 100 Amazon Rivers (20 million
  m3/s).

7
Atmosphere Ocean Circulation

• Atmospheric Circulation
• Depends on density
• Ocean Surface Circulation
• Depends on the wind
• Deep Ocean Circulation
• Depends on density

8
Sea Surface Temperature
http//www.ldeo.columbia.edu/dees/ees/climate/slid
es/sst_march.gif
9
Ocean Salinity

• http//www.ldeo.columbia.edu/dees/ees/climate/slid
  es/sal_march.gif
• http//ingrid.ldgo.columbia.edu/

10
Temperature-Salinity (density) Diagram
11
Thermohaline Circulation
North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW
15 million m3 of near surface water descend into
the deep ocean each second.
12
Thermohaline Circulation - The Ocean Conveyor
13
Equatorial to polar heat transport and water flow
14
Ocean Atmosphere Circulation
15
UNEQUAL HEATING OF EARTH
BUT Outgoing solar radiation is not as uneven