Oceans, Upwelling,

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Oceans, Upwelling, El Nino

WHY study Oceans?

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Oceans Create Our Quality of Life
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Oceans Cure Cancer
Untreated cancer cells
Cancer cells treated with discodermolide
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Oceans Won The Cold War
October, 1984 STS-41G
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Oceans Are The Origins of Life
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Oceans Give Us Energy Security
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Oceans Are Key To Forecasting Climate and Weather
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• El Nino La Nina
• Upwelling
• wind transports near surface water away from a
  coast, cooler nutrient-rich water moves from the
  depths of the ocean up to the surface
• Downwelling
• wind transports near surface water toward a
  coast, warmer oxygen-rich (but nutrient-poor)
  water sinks from the surface to the depths of the
  ocean
• Impacts
• fisheries, local and global climate, links
  wind-driven surface currents and density-driven
  deep circulation

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What is El Nino?

• A disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in
  the tropical Pacific
• Normally, northeasterly trade winds combined with
  upwelling off of the coast of Peru keep waters
  cool in the central and eastern Pacific
• During El Nino, trade winds relax in the western
  Pacific leading to warmer waters in the central
  and eastern Pacific

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http//www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlin
k/MJO/enso.shtml