Global Warming May Impact The Functioning Of The Deep Ocean Thermohaline Circulation

For a 10-centimeter rise in the ocean level, the boundary between saltwater and freshwater at the mouths of rivers [will] advance 1 kilometer into the river, and saltwater [will] similarly advance into underground deposits of freshwater” (Monastersky). Obviously, if this early study proves accurate, there would be countless ramifications. These are effects that seem very real, and very threatening.

As more of the sun’s energy is retained by increasing greenhouse gases, the earth’s oceans are heating up. This can be seen by an increase in average water temperature and warm water anomalies (water temperature over the average).

In recent months, scientists have been taking notice to record cool temperatures observed in the North Atlantic Ocean, while the rest of the world is experiencing record warmth. They believe this cooling of the water to be due to the accelerated melting of the Greenland ice

A one way trip taking two weeks longer than the other. This was explained with the global ocean conveyor current loops. Global temperatures are rising because of gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and others. Penguin and polar bear population are suffering because of these changes. These changes potentially could stop the ocean currents causing an ice age. Ultimately, this will have an effect on upwelling creating a problem for fish populations. Furthermore, anoxia and sulfide eruptions can have a big toll on the ocean food chain. Mass die off of sea life is becoming more common and unless climate change is stopped they will become more

The ocean's surface waters are separated from colder, deeper water by a thermocline. The upwelling of cold waters, along the equator in the eastern half of the pacific basin, can be blocked when sea level is high, resulting in warm events. When sea levels are low the thermocline tends to be shallow, allowing upwelling motions to bring cold water to the surface, resulting in cold conditions. How it's measured is by devices used to track decadal variability and climate patterns which includes thermometers, rain gauges, and stream gauges. Sea surfaces temperature is important in tracking ENSO and other ocean oscillations. This can be measured by the distance

Since the 1950s, the amount of heat stored in the ocean has significantly increased. Ocean heat content determines sea surface temperature, it also affects sea level and currents. An overall average of the world’s oceans. Since 1880 sea level has risen at a rate of roughly six-tenths of an inch per decade. In recent years, the rate of increase has increased more rapidly to more than an inch per decade. Sea level has risen the most with an increase of more than 8 inches between 1960 and 2015, along parts of the Gulf coast and the Mid-Atlantic coast. However, sea level has decreased relative to the land in parts of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

The movement makes an example of wind that starts to flow and structures an inside.

Altogether, the author effectively shows the damages that climate change causes on the Arctic Ocean. This includes changes in the water’s components, the loss of marine life, and rising oceans. The author is also able to show how imminent these problems are today, and that this is not just a topic for the future. This topic is important because the world’s emissions of greenhouse gases is hurting the ice caps exponentially, which will cause a ripple effect of harmful

In all, Earth’s oceans are diverse systems that all of life depends on for survival. The oceans act as a large conveyor belt; transporting varying volumes of water do different parts of the world. Any kind of alterations or disruptions to this conveyor belt causes regional sea levels to rise. These alterations are greatly impacted by anthropogenic climate change, the long-term alteration of earth’s climate as a result of human activities. The main ingredient behind climate change is the constant changing of global temperatures due to increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions produced by humans. Mankind became intertwined with climate change during the industrial

The oceans is an essential component to surviving, but it’s also one of the most affected by the climate change. According to the EPA website, the greenhouse gases emitted trap heat and this heat is increasing the temperature of the oceans around the world. Over the past three decades, the surfaces temperature of oceans has been increase higher than any other time period. The oceans are a vital part of surviving; it provides 50 percent of all the oxygen in the world. However, with surface temperature increasing, at a rate of 0.3 Celsius per decade, this will result higher sea levels and higher ocean currents. The ocean is an important part to humanity, it provides millions of people with a source of food, and the change in temperature will cause many ocean species to immigrate to a more suitable habitat.

According to ‘Green facts’ the Thermohaline Circulation (THC) is the “Large-scale density-driven circulation in the ocean, caused by differences in temperature and salinity.” The oceans water has different salt contents and different temperatures in different areas. The colder water which is cooled at the poles is denser so will sink below the warmer water which is less dense. Surrounding water then moves in to fill the gap as the colder water sinks, this water is then also cooled and will itself begin to sink- this creates the current. Cooler water is usually found at the poles because as sea ice forms the salt content of the ocean increases, because freshwater is taken away when the ice forms. The THC circulates the globe in a long continuous circle.

1.Thermohaline Ocean circulation are the ocean currents that are directed by density. The density in the water are altered by two factors; temperature and salinity. These factors emerge from the “heating and cooling” of the ocean's surface. The production of sea ice and evaporation increases salinity, while precipitation, runoff and sea ice melting reduce salinity.

Thermohaline circulation or the Ocean Conveyor Belt is responsible for the large-scale ocean circulation. It is driven by global density differences caused by surface heat, and variations in salinity. As the water moves throughout the globe with total transit times of up to 1000+ years, the water masses transport heat energy, and matter (dissolved substances, gases, and nutrients) around the globe.

Despite how important thermohaline circulation is, records constructed from Greenland’s ice cores, revealed the thermohaline circulation has absolutely been disrupted in the past and caused noticeable regional climate change. The sheet that covered most of North America during the last ice age began to recede and as it did, melted water flowed into the North Atlantic Ocean. The addition of this colder fresh water made the ocean surface less dense and it stopped sinking. This disrupted the thermohaline circulation. As a result, Greenland cooled by about 7 degrees. As the water began to slowly heat over thousands of years, the circulation pattern restarted, and Greenland warmed. Scientists believe a disruption of this circulation again could cause severe temperature changes worldwide

     Now that we are aware that global warming is influencing our world’s oceans, we must look at the affects that it is having. I did not find any positive affects of global warming on the oceans. It is sad to say, but I was left with only the negative. One of the effects that warmer temperatures have on the oceans is that they disrupt the ocean circulation rate (Pearce, 1996). As I previously mentioned, oceans must maintain all of its characteristics properly. Warmer temperatures in the atmosphere affect circulation rates in the oceans. If circulation rates in the oceans are altered, then everything in the oceanic environment becomes changed. The oceanic currents become affected, as well.