Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Temperature
C
0
10
20
30
C
0
10
20
C
Surface
0
Surface
Mixed
layer
Winter
Upper
zone
Seasonal
thermocline
(Summer)
Main
thermocline
zone
1000
Figure 9.7
Typical ocean
temperature profiles for
tropical and temperate
regions. (Redrawn from
Picard and Emery, 1982,
published with
permission.)
Deep
zone
2000
Low latitudes
Mid latitudes
60N
8
12
6
8
16
16
12
40N
20
20
24
24
26
20N
27
28
28
29
27
EQ
S. Eq.
S. Eq.
Figure 9.8
Annual average
sea-surface temperatures and
extratropical ocean surface
currents. (From Rassmusson
et al
.,1993, published with
permission.)
28
26
28
24
20S
24
26
24
20
20
20
16
16
16
40S
60E
120E
180
120W
60W
0
strong and persistent westerly winds and absence of continental barriers give rise
to the Antarctic circumpolar current which is continuous around the globe.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, away from the equator,
anticyclonic gyres occur which involve currents that carry warm water toward
the poles on the eastern side of continents and currents that take cooler water
away from the poles on the western side of continents. At the equator the narrow
currents are east-west but these can change in strength rapidly in response to
influences such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation phenomena described later.
