The Oceans And Local Climate Susan Howard Research Associate Earth & Space Research www.esr.org

Rice Heat Pack vs. Hot Water Bottle

Review! Heating of Earth comes from Sun This heating is UNEVEN The uneven heating causes the air and ocean to MOVE Because the earth is rotating, the motion CURVES

Basic Atmospheric circulation

Basic Ocean Circulation

The Oceans And Local Climate Specific Heat Heat from Ocean Currents Upwelling/Downwelling

Specific Heat Definition: Specific heat is how much energy is needed raise the temperature of something. HIGH the specific heat: heats up and cools down SLOWLY. Water has a very high specific heat. That means it needs to absorb a lot of energy before its temperature changes. But likewise, it takes a long time to cool down wants that energy is absorbed. LOW the specific heat: heats up and cools down QUICKLY.

Specific heat Specific Heat of common things: Material Specific heat Liquid Water 4.18 Water vapor 2.11 Dry air 1.01 Basalt 0.84 Granite 0.79 Iron 0.45 Lead 0.13 Which heat’s up the quickest?

Rice Heat Pack vs. Hot Water Bottle Has anyone changed their mind?

Why do we care? The oceans are WATER and have a HIGH SPECIFIC HEAT. They heat up slowly, but cool off slowly as well. Oceans have an AMAZING ability to store heat!

Take a look at another two locations at nearly the same latitude Nations Online Project: http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/usa_map.htm

Daily HiGH And low temperature www.unca.edu/~dmiller/Chapter%2003-Air%20Temperature.ppt‎

Average Jan Temperatures Seattle: High 47 F , Low 37F Bismarck: High 23 F , Low 2F From Weather channel: www.weather.com

The ocean tends to stores heat during the summer months, and slowly releases it during the winter. This is why coastal regions tend to have milder climates than areas that are far inland. Continental interiors, far from the ocean, experience greater extremes of temperature than coastal regions Winter Summer

Ocean Sea Surface Temperatures at Neah Bay

The ocean near Seattle helps to keep the temperature more even. From Weather channel: www.weather.com The lowest recorded temperature in Bismarck was -45°F The lowest recorded in Seattle temperature was 10°F

No Water, large extremes Desert day/night cycle movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKzWxD0NRNo

The windy coast – Ocean breezes explained! Daily differences in heating & cooling in land vs water leads to on and offshore breezes! Day: Land heats up Ocean is Constant Night: Land cools down Ocean is Constant http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.breezes

Sea Breeze movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ULgGOdoY8Q

The Oceans And Local Climate Specific Heat Heat from Ocean Currents Upwelling/Downwelling

Basic Ocean Circulation

Some of the currents are moving warm water – and some are moving cool water From http://tornado.sfsu.edu/geosciences/classes/m356/OceanCurrents/Global_currents.jpg

Current movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu_Ga0JYFNg

North Pacific Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Map. Water temperature bulletin for the North Pacific on 13 April 2011. Credits: Mercator Ocean.

North Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Map. North Atlantic sea surface temperature from satellites for January 2008. Source: NOC/UK Met-Office OSTIA data.

Lets compare two place On the Atlantic Ocean. London, England Halifax, Nova Scotia

Lets compare two places near the ocean Halifax, Nova Scotia Latitude 44.67o N Average Jan temp High 29oF Low 13oF London, England Latitude 51.5072° N Average Jan Temp High 5ooF Low 41oF

Notice: this is an average of the daily highs and lows for each month. The sea is colder around Halifax than around London in the winter. This leads to colder winter temperatures in Halifax. In Aug, the sea temperature for both places is the same. AND, therefore, the air temperature in both places is about the same. http://www.holiday-weather.com

Lets compare two place near the ocean

North atlantic TemperatuRe Map 2oC = 35.6 oF 10oC = 50 oF North atlantic TemperatuRe Map North Atlantic sea surface temperature from satellites for January 2008. Source: NOC/UK Met-Office OSTIA data.

The west coast has a different climate than the east, partly due to the ocean currents. http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/ocean/sst/contour/

East Coast weather Gulf stream and Weather movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-zO8L66uyg

Current ocean temperAture IN THE Pacific Northwest 13oC = 55.4oF 9.7oC = 49.46oF

The Oceans And Local Climate Specific Heat Ocean currents Upwelling/downwelling

Upwelling and DOwnwelling Ocean Basics: Temperature is not constant with depth. The deeper you go, the colder it gets! Source: http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/qrb/2010_06/article_05.php

There are more nutrients in cold/deeper water LOW Nutrients HIGH Nutrients

Upwelling

Upwelling http://solspot.com/content/surf-articles/adam-wright/ocean-science-101-upwelling-downwelling-and-other-random-acts-of-shrinkage

Upwelling moving http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al8WrXkLuL4

http://centerforoceansolutions.org/climate/impacts/ocean-circulation/

http://agate.coas.oregonstate.edu/ocs/detailed_upwelling.html http://agate.coas.oregonstate.edu/ocs/detailed_upwelling.html

Upwelling areas are highly productive areas! Although coastal upwelling regions account for only one percent of the ocean surface, they contribute roughly 50 percent of the world's fisheries landings. NOAA: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/02quest/background/upwelling/upwelling.html

soMETIMES, WE GET DOWNWELLING TOO SOURCE: http://www.naylamp.dhn.mil.pe/enlaces/afloramiento_costero.htm

Upwelling & downwelling influence : Temperature Fishing Weather patterns

The Oceans And Local Climate Specific Heat: land and ocean differences coastal climate is milder: warmer in winter/cooler in summer Heat from Ocean Currents affects a region’s climate Upwelling/Downwelling affects temperature as well fish habitat.