Theoceanscovermorethan70%ofearthssurface,andthedetailsonhowtheoceansystems

workandnavigateseemstobeaplethora.Thisseemslikethetypeofinformationthatonly
scientistswouldneedtoknow,buttheoceanshaveagreateffectonEarthasawhole,our
Earth.Thatmeanstherearetraitstotheoceanthataffectthewaywelivetodayandprovetobe
moreimportantinourdailylivesthenwhatmeetstheeye.Soitsimportanttoknowhowthe
oceansystemsoperate.Morespecificallyinthiscase,howthecurrentsoftheoceanoperate.
Currentsareapartofnearlyeverywatersystemoftheworld.Sowhatcausescurrentsinocean
systems?

Well,currentsareacollectiveresultofmanyfirsthandcauses.Currentscanbecausedbywind,
densitydifferenceswithinthewatermassescausedbytemperatureandsalinityvariations,
gravity,andlargeeventslikeearthquakes.Ingeneral,therearetwocurrentsystems.First,there
issurfacecirculationthatwhirlsonthethinupperlayerofthewaters.Thesesurfacecurrentsare
primarilydrivenbythewinds.Onacalmdayatthebeach,youcanplainlyseehowthewaters
seemprettycalm.Onadayatthebeachwhenthewindspickupandblowfast,youcannotice
howthecurrentsinthewatermoveatamorerapidpaceandcanbemuchstronger.Thisishow
wildwavescanbeformed,typicallyoccurringwhentherearelargeregionsofopenwaterthat
heavywindscanaffect.Mostly,surfacecurrentsaredirectedbywindpatterns.Tradewindscan
directwateronthetoplayeroftheocean.Anexampleofthemovementofwinddriven
circulationistheGulfStream.IttakesverywarmwaterfrompartsoftheCaribbeanSea,mostly
thoughfromtheGulfofMexico,andtransportsitnorthward.Thisalongwiththewarmairthat
moveswiththeGulfStreamovertheAtlantichelpkeepthetemperaturesalongthewestern
coastofEuropewarmerthaninareasfarthereastfromthecoast.

Second,theresdeepcirculationswhichmovesalongthedeepoceanfloors.Thesecurrentscan
eitherbeshortlivedendingfairlyquickly,whileotherareimmenseflowsthatcantakecenturies
tocompleteajourneyaroundtheglobe.Salinityanddifferencesintemperaturearewhatdrive
mostlargecurrents.Thesedeepoceancurrentsarewhatcarriesheatenergyinordertobring
warmthtocertainareasaroundtheworldandtheEarthsclimateasawhole.Thedeepcurrents
arethereasonthatGreatBritainisaswarmasitis.

Salinityisimportantbecauseitcanhavedramaticeffectsonthewatercycleandocean
circulation.Surfacewindsproducecurrentsonthesurfaceandupperocean.However,deep
oceancirculationisgeneratedprimarilybychangesinseawaterdensity.Saltiswhatmakes
seawatermoredense,andtemperatureplaysapartinthedensityaswell.Whencoldsalty
waterintheArcticisleftbehindwhiletheiceisfreezing,thatdensewatersinkstotheseafloor.
ThisisthebeginningofaplanetarycurrentpatterncalledtheGlobalConveyorBelt.Thiscurrent
movesgraduallyandtakes100yearstomakeacompletecircuit.Thisisanexampleofjustone
ofEarthslargecurrents.Thelargestcurrentsarewhatformtheearthsglobalclimatepatterns
astheymoveheatenergyandmatterssuchassolids,dissolvedsubstances,andgasesaround
theworld.Sincetheoceanstoresmoreheatinthetop3meterswaterthantherestofthe
atmosphere,thisdensitycontrolledcirculationisnecessarytomaintainEarthsclimate.The

oceanoperatesasaclimatecontrolforwhateverareasitcomesincontactwith.Itprovides
convectiveheattransferascirculationoccurs,supplyingclimaticadjustmentforeverylatitudeby
meansoftheThermohalineCirculation(THC).THCisasegmentofthelargescaleocean
circulationwhichisdrivenbyglobaldensitygradients.Thisagainbringssalinityintothepicture
againsince
thermo
inTHCreferstotemperatureand
haline
referstosalinity,bothdeterminethe
densityofseawater.Salinityprovestobeakeycomponenttorunningtheoceansystems.

Sowhileitisgoodtoknowtheeffectsofsalinity,itsalsoimportanttounderstandwhereitcame
from.Byobservingtheoceansthreephysicalstates,liquid,vapor,andice,itgivesabetter
understandingofwhytheoceanissalty.Intheliquidstate,watertakespartintheweatheringof
rocksandsedimentsovertime.Ontheotherhand,otherstateslikevaporandiceplayapartin
theevaporationofoceanwater,andtheformationofseaicethatcontributetoincreasing
salinitylevelsofoceans.Evaporationleavessaltbehindaswatervaporrisesintothe
atmosphere,makingthewaterincreaseinsalinity.Areaswithhighconcentrationofsalinity
havehighratesofevaporation,tendingtobeawayfrommouthriverswhichinputfreshwater.In
areaswhereprecipitationisgreaterthanevaporation,salinityislow.However,theserising
factorsareconstantlybeingcounterbalancedbyeventsthatdecreasesalinitylevelslikefresh
watersfromriversconstantlyenteringoceanwaters,theprecipitationofrainandsnow,and
meltingofice.SalinityisneededintheoceanandiscrucialtomaintainingEarthsclimate.
Withoutsalinity,oceanswouldnotbeabletodistributetheheatenergyandmineralsneededto
maintainEarthsclimate,thereforemakingtheclimateunstable.

Sowhyshouldyouevencareabouttheoceansystems?Welltheoceansystemsandlandare
nottwoseparatethings,butthetwothingsareconnected.Thismeansthattheoceansverywell
affectourlives,andlifewithoutthemworkingthewaytheydowouldresultinthehumanrace
strugglinggreatly.Theoceanscurrentshaveaprofoundimpactonearthsoverallclimate,so
theworldwouldendupbeingmuchcoolerwithoutthattransferofheat.Adecreaseinclimate
wouldalsomeanagreateffectonlargeeconomieslikeEuropeandtheUnitedStates.Dontbe
worriedaboutthelackofoxygen,thatwouldonlybeanaturalresultduetothefactthatfewer
plantswouldbefed.Currentsmovenutrientsaroundtheworldhelpingtofeedanimalsand
plants,sowhenthatflowstopsthingsdontplantsdontgetfedandoxygenwouldgodown.So
thethingswetakeforgranted,likeEarthsmaintainedclimateandbreathingwithoutstruggle,
couldbetakenawayfromusjustlikethat.Sothatswhyweshouldcareabouthowtheocean
systemswork.Whetheryoulikeitornot,theoceansystemsaffectourdailylivesandeconomy.
Youcanignoreit,butitwillalwaysbesupplyingusthecomfortofliving.

Sources:

http://ocean.si.edu/oceannews/currentswavesandtidesoceanmotion

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/currents.html

http://science1.nasa.gov/earthscience/oceanography/physicalocean/salin
ity/

http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/TheOceaninAction/ScienceIdeasan
dConcepts/Oceansalinity

https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Physical_properties_of_the_oceans

https://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.oceancirculations

Convection:thetransferofheatthroughafluidcausedbymolecularmotion

Theflowofcurrentsisaffectedbymorethanjustwinds,temperaturesandsalinitylevels,but
tides,precipitation,evaporationrates,shapeoftheoceanfloor,andinflowfromriversand
borderingseasalsotakepartinaffectingcurrents.