A&O SCI 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Ekman Transport, Coriolis Force, Upwelling
12 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Temperature, salinity, and density are the key variables describing the state of the ocean. Salinity is the amount of salts contained in seawater, expressed in g/kg or parts per thousand. Density is the mass per unit volume of seawater, expressed in kg/m3. Density is a function of both temperature and salinity. As water warms, it expands and becomes less dense. The average depth of the ocean is about 4000m. Unlike the atmosphere, the ocean is heated from above. Warm water is less dense than cold water so it tends to float above it. Temperature drops off very quickly around 100m, a zone known as the thermocline. The freshest waters are located nearest the surface because of precipitation. Because warmer and fresher water is less dense, this creates a stratified environment which is very stable and has very little vertical motion. The stratification makes it very hard to mix surface waters with deep waters.
