GEOLOGY 103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Thermocline, Mixed Layer
25 Aug 2016
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Document Summary
Mixed layer near the surface where the temperature is roughly that of the surface water. Thermocline part of water column where temperature decreases rapidly from the mixed water layer temperature to a much colder deep water temperature. Solar energy heats the surface of the ocean in the low to mid-altitudes. This creates warm less dense surface layer over very cold and dense deep waters. The permanent thermocline in the intervals through which temperatures decrease rapidly with increasing water depth. The permanent thermocline extends from the base of the mixed layer (~50-100) to approximately 1000m water depth. The depth of the mixed layer is a function of mixing (homogenization) of the warmed surface waters by the day-to-day winds and storms, waves, and surfaces currents. Winter storms tend to be bigger than summer storms. Summer heating and less mixing by storms causes a seasonal-thermocline at mid- latitudes: ex. A steeper temperature gradient in summer compared to winter.
