rain and flooding
The global current conveyor belt begins on the surface of the ocean near the pole in the North Atlantic.
The global current conveyor belt begins in the North Atlantic Ocean, where warm water from the Gulf Stream moves northward to the Arctic. This warm water eventually cools and sinks in the Labrador Sea, starting a deep current that travels southward along the ocean floor.
The simplified pattern of ocean currents,looks like a conveyor belt,moving water between the oceans
thermohaline circulation
Global Conveyor Belt
A change in salinity can significantly impact the global conveyor belt, which is driven by differences in water density. Increased salinity, often due to processes like evaporation or ice formation, can make surface water denser, potentially enhancing downwelling in certain regions. Conversely, decreased salinity from melting ice or increased rainfall can reduce water density, disrupting the conveyor belt's flow and affecting global climate patterns. These changes can lead to altered weather systems, ocean circulation, and marine ecosystems.
ice age!
Individual molecules move in a random manner. Furthermore, the ocean conveyor belt has many divisions and loops. For example, there are six main entries and exits surround the Antarctic, so a minimum of four 'laps' would be required to encounter them all. Finally, water at different depths move at varying speeds and directions.With all those conditions in mind, scientists have estimated it to take 1000 years for a section of water to fully travel the global circuit.
Global climate change could potentially disrupt the global conveyor belt by altering temperature and salinity patterns in the ocean. This could lead to changes in ocean currents and potentially weaken or even shut down parts of the global conveyor belt, impacting global climate systems. This could have far-reaching consequences on weather patterns, marine ecosystems, and even regional climates around the world.
The global oceanic conveyor belt, is a unifying concept that connects the ocean's surface and thermohaline (deep mass) circulation regimes, transporting heat and salt on a planetary scale.
The global conveyor belt transfers heat energy through a process called thermohaline circulation, driven by differences in water temperature and salinity. Warm surface waters near the equator flow towards the poles, where they become denser and sink to deeper layers, carrying heat energy along. This circulation pattern helps regulate the Earth's climate by distributing heat around the world.
A conveyor belt. There is not a special name for it.