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Thermohaline circulation. Thermohaline circulation (THC) is a part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes. [1] [2] The adjective thermohaline derives from thermo-referring to temperature and -haline referring to salt content, factors which together determine ...
The salinity, along with temperature and pressure, determines the density of the water. ... as discussed in the "Influence on the Thermohaline Circulation" chapter.
Thermohaline staircases are patterns that form in oceans and other bodies of salt water, characterised by step-like structures observed in vertical temperature and salinity profiles; the patterns are formed and maintained by double diffusion of heat and salt. The ocean phenomenon consists of well-mixed layers of ocean water stacked on top of ...
The adjective thermohaline derives from thermo-referring to temperature and -haline referring to salt content, factors which together determine the density of seawater. The thermohaline circulation is a part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes.
Winds drive ocean currents in the upper 100 meters of the ocean's surface. However, ocean currents also flow thousands of meters below the surface. These deep-ocean currents are driven by differences in the water's density, which is controlled by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline). This process is known as thermohaline circulation.
This process is significant in thermohaline circulation, contributing to the global ocean's deep water mass formation. [1] Overflows influence global climate by transporting heat and salt, impacting sea levels, and affecting marine ecosystems. Overflows are driven by differences in water density, usually due to variations in temperature and ...
Due to global warming and increased glacier melt, thermohaline circulation patterns may be altered by increasing amounts of freshwater released into oceans and, therefore, changing ocean salinity. Thermohaline circulation is responsible for bringing up cold, nutrient-rich water from the depths of the ocean, a process known as upwelling. [69]
This gives an idea of how the properties of different water masses compare to each other, which can give an idea of the way that thermohaline circulation works. In general, the depth of the water increases as you move to the bottom right corner of the graph (high salinity, low temperature), but there is some variation.