Oceanography & Climate Synthesis Question: If all of the oceans currents changed direction, would they then heat the equator and cool the poles?

Oceanography & Climate

Synthesis Question: If all of the oceans currents changed direction, would they then heat the equator and cool the poles?

• Why does the equator receive more heat than the poles?

• Why is heat transported from the equator to the poles?• Why must any ocean current move heat from where it

is warmer to where it is cooler?

• Which way do theses currents transport heat?

• What of the overturning circulation? Note the deep water formation in both poles.

• What is heat transport?

• Figure 5.11 Northward heat transport for 1988 in each ocean. From Houghton et al., (1996: 212), which used data from Trenberth and Solomon (1994).

• What does sign mean?• Why is Atlantic always positive?

• How does this alter land climate?

• What if ocean thermohaline circulation changes?

• Effects– Greenland– Black Death & Agricultural productivity– Culture matters.

• Effects– Greenland– Black Death & Agricultural productivity

• What might change THC in future?• What might happen to Europe in Global Warming?

(unlikely)• Is THC changing now?

• What if surface circulation changes?• Is this likely?