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How is thermohaline circulation influenced by salinity and temperature?
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
A: It is driven by density gradients, which are affected by salinity and temperature, with cold water and water with higher salt concentrations being more dense
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
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What do you call deep ocean circulation driven largely by variations in water temperature and salinity?
thermohaline
What causes thermohaline circulation?
The term thermohaline circulation ( THC ) refers to the part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes
What two characteristics of water combine to form a thermohaline?
temperature and salinity
A thermohaline current is a current which is affected by?
Temperature and salinity
What is the driving force of deep-ocean circulation?
Deep ocean circulation(90% of ocean water) is caused by differences in temperature, salinity and suspended load. It is referred to as "Thermohaline"- meaning heat and salt- circulation.
What is the driving force of oceanic?
Deep ocean circulation(90% of ocean water) is caused by differences in temperature, salinity and suspended load. It is referred to as "Thermohaline"- meaning heat and salt- circulation.
What drives deep ocean currents are driven?
Deep ocean circulation(90% of ocean water) is caused by differences in temperature, salinity and suspended load. It is referred to as "Thermohaline"- meaning heat and salt- circulation.
How can thermohaline circulation regulate climate?
It is gravity that drives thermohaline circulation. It's a gravity current. We usually apply the term thermohaline circulation to the deep ocean currents that are driven by gravity. Colder water or water that has a higher salt content than other water is more dense, and gravity will act on it to pull it "down" deeper. It will displace warmer or less salty water and move to greater depths. This sets the stage for a deep ocean current we call a thermohaline expressway. Use the links below for more information on gravity currents (which are sometimes called density currents)._______________________sflo:I would say this answer is limited in explaining what drives thermohaline circulation. Changes in density certainly affect circulation, particularly when water emerges from the deep or submerges to depths (upwelling and downwelling), but the effects of "gravity" on water masses of varying densities aren't a driver of circulation, per se. I would like to point that within the "thermohaline circulation," "thermo-" and "haline" are both components of the name. Thus in a more elemental manner, it makes more sense to explain this phenomenon by temperature and salinity differences, as well as the resulting changes in density, rather than merely "gravity."For a great snap-shot of our current understanding (or rather lack-therof) of the thermohaline circulation, what drives it, and how it affects or is affected by climate, please look-up:"Thermohaline circulation: The current climate" Nature421, 699 (13 February 2003) | doi:10.1038/421699a == ==
How do temperature and salinity drive ocean current convection and what is the type of ocean current called?
Temperature and salinity drive ocean circulation by altering seawater density. Warm, fresh water is significantly less dense than cold salty water and will therefore rise to the top in the ocean. Any process that alters temperature or salinity (such as rain, sea ice formation or seasonal variation) will change the density of the water and allow it to move in the water column, causing circulation of water on a global scale. This is known as thermohaline circulation. Because things such as rainfall and temperature tend to be relatively constant in a given area over a long period of time, a set current of water known as the global conveyor belt has arisen. It plays an incredibly important role in heat transfer over the earth.
How does the thermohaline current gets started?
By the mixtures temperatures rising and lowering and salinity(amount of salt in sea water)
If salinity increased at the poles the water near the poles would?
it would definitely mess up the circulation of water and temperature. the salinity of the water is right now is based on many factors and it would be hard to be changed.
What factors affect density currents?
Temperature, salinity and total saturation of other minerals, depth.
