ENV100Y5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 43: Continental Shelf, Mid-Ocean Ridge, Halocline

• School: UTM
• Department: Environment
• Course: ENV100Y5
• Professor: Barbara Murck

Document Summary

Monday, january 18, 2016: 71% of earth"s surface, mean depth ~ 3. 8 km (absolute darkness, extremely poorly studied. Imp: major reservoir for co2, gases are vertically stratified (they aren"t homogeneous) Ocean water is vertically structured (top isn"t the same as the bottom: vertical variation in: Cline = zone of rapid transition ( Temperature declines with depth. Surface water heated by solar energy; colder, saltier water is denser and. Density increases with depth sinks: temperature stratification varies with latitude (common in tropical areas) Ocean layers: water: surface: warmed by sunlight and stirred by wind; water density , deeper: Unaffected by winds, storms, sunlight: deep zone, deeper: Thermocline = temperature . Halocline = salinity (generally) Pycnocline = density . Dense, cold, sluggish water. Unaffected by winds, storms, sunlight: deep zone: Areas around oceans = more moderate climates. Surface currents are driven by wind, through friction (e. g. gulf stream: warms the coast of western europe)