DOCSLIB.ORG

Notes (P. 1 of 10)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Notes (P. 1 of 10) Grade 8 Science Unit: 08 Lesson: 01 Notes (p. 1 of 10) Convection In terms of weather, convection always involves rising air. It usually refers to moist convection where the excess water vapor in rising air condenses to form a cloud. The heat released through this condensation can help to keep the convection process going by warming the air further and making it rise still higher. The additional rising causes more water vapor to condense, and the cycle repeats. Convection can also be dry. This occurs on a sunny day over the desert or in more humid regions early in the day before clouds form. The sun warms the ground, and convective air currents help to remove the excess heat from the surface. Dry convection isn’t easy to see because clouds don’t form. All of the air rising through convection must be balanced by an equal amount of sinking air elsewhere. Clouds represent vertical circulation systems involving rising air where the visible cloud forms and sinking air around the cloud. Convection (both dry and moist) help to make the Earth a tolerable place to live by removing excess heat from the surface, which is where most of the solar energy is absorbed by the Earth and transporting it high into the atmosphere. It has been calculated that, without convection, the average surface air temperature on the Earth would be about 51.7° C (125° F) rather than the current 15° C (59° F). In wind patterns that will be studied later, huge convection cells form at different latitudes. These convection cells drive global wind patterns that affect climate. The atmosphere is in constant motion. Moist Convection: Air flowing Dry Convection: Air flowing upward causes a cloud to form. upward no clouds form. Warm Water or Land Warm Land ©2011, TESCCC 12/07/11 page 1 of 10 Grade 8 Science Unit: 08 Lesson: 01 Notes (p. 2 of 10) Humidity The water from the cotton ball represents humidity. Humidity is how much water vapor is present in the air. On days that humidity is high, the air may feel wet or sticky. On days when the humidity is low, the air may feel dry and crisp. When the fan blows on the two thermometers, the air it produces causes the water on the cotton ball to evaporate quickly. This evaporation causes the temperature on the thermometer with the cotton ball to decrease more rapidly than the thermometer without the cotton ball. Cold air is heavier than warm air, and this is the basis for much of what we call weather. Cold air is denser than warm air because the molecules are packed closer together. The amount of water vapor in the air also affects the density of the air. The more water vapor that is in the air the less dense the air becomes. That is why cold, dry air is much heavier than warm, humid air. The cold, dry air tends to move downward while the warm, humid air tends to rise. There are two different ways to express humidity. Both these terms are used in weather broadcasts. Relative humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapor actually in the air compared to the amount of water vapor that could be in the air at a given temperature and pressure. If the air has half the amount of water vapor it could have, then the relative humidity is 50%. When it is raining or snowing, the maximum amount of water vapor is in the air, and the relative humidity will be at 100%. A relative humidity above 80% will feel humid especially in mild or warm air. A relative humidity below 30% will feel dry. The dew point is the temperature at which the air can no longer hold all of its water vapor, and some of the water vapor condenses into liquid water. The dew point is always lower than (or equal to) the air temperature. If the air temperature cools to the dew point, or if the dew point rises to equal the air temperature, then dew, fog or clouds begin to form. At this point where the dew point temperature equals the air temperature, the relative humidity is 100%. While relative humidity is a relative measure of how humid the air is, the dew point temperature is an absolute measure of how much water vapor is in the air. Relative humidity is measured with a psychrometer. A psychrometer is a system of 2 thermometers, one with a wet material around the bulb and the other bulb is bare. This piece of equipment can be hung in a place where the wind can blow on it or can have a handle attached to it. If the psychrometer is held by this handle and swung through the air, it is called a sling psychrometer. ©2011, TESCCC 12/07/11 page 2 of 10 Grade 8 Science Unit: 08 Lesson: 01 Notes (p. 3 of 10) Air Pressure Atmospheric pressure is the amount of force pressing down on everything at the surface of an area by all the air above that area. When atmospheric pressure of an area is lower than normal, there are fewer air molecules above an area. If an area has a higher than normal atmospheric pressure, there are more air molecules in the atmosphere above it. Because the Earth is warmer at the equator than at the poles, differences in pressure occur. Air moves north and south to try to equalize the pressure difference created by the temperature difference. Pressure variations on the Earth surface causes wind and can affect the weather. High Pressure High pressure areas are usually caused by air masses that are being cooled. As the air mass cools, it contracts and allows surrounding air to fill in the space. This process increases the total amount of atmosphere above the area, which increases the pressure the air mass is pushing down with. The difference in pressure between the high pressure area and the surrounding areas with lower pressure causes wind. High pressure areas have a tendency to seek out low pressure areas causing gusts. Because of the rotation of the Earth, the wind is deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere. This causes wind to flow in a clockwise direction around a high pressure zone. Weather associated with high pressure areas is dry conditions, light winds, and fair skies. The symbol for high pressure on a weather map is a capital letter H in blue. Low Pressure When air warms, it expands. The air becomes lighter and rises. This usually happens along the boundary between warm and cold air masses. The air flows between them try to equalize the difference in temperature by the colder air flowing under the warmer air mass and the warmer air flowing over the colder air mass. The winds flow in a counterclockwise. The symbol for low pressure on a weather map is a capital letter L in red. Pressure Area and Fronts A high pressure area generally moves toward a low pressure area. When the two air masses of different pressures and temperatures meet, they will form a front, which will cause local weather changes. ©2011, TESCCC 12/07/11 page 3 of 10 Grade 8 Science Unit: 08 Lesson: 01 Notes (p. 4 of 10) Fronts Fronts are the boundaries between two air masses with different temperatures and pressures. Fronts bring changes in weather. If cold air is moving toward warm air, it is called a cold front. Colder air forces the warm air higher into the atmosphere. This warm air that is pushed up cools and forms clouds. This causes rain and thunderstorms to develop along a cold front. Cold fronts can move up to twice as fast as warm fronts and can produce sharper changes in weather. Cold fronts are usually associated with low-pressure areas. On a weather map, cold fronts are shown as a blue line with triangles lined up on the front edge of the line. The triangles point in the direction the front is moving. If warm air is moving toward cold air, it is called a warm front. Warm, moist air slides over the cold, dense air. This also causes clouds to form, but many miles ahead of the front. As the front approaches and passes it can cause steady rain or snow to fall. After all of this happens, the sky becomes clear and the temperature starts to rise. Warm fronts move more slowly than cold fronts do. On a weather map, warm fronts are shown as a red line with half circles on it. The half circles face the direction the front is traveling. If neither air mass is moving very much, the result is a stationary front. A stationary front is a boundary between two different air masses, neither of which is strong enough to replace the other. A stationary front tends to remain essentially in the same area for long periods of time. A wide variety of weather can be found along a stationary front. Often though, you will have clouds and long periods of precipitation, On a weather map, this is shown by an inter-playing series of blue triangles pointing one direction and red half circles pointing the other. ©2011, TESCCC 12/07/11 page 4 of 10 Grade 8 Science Unit: 08 Lesson: 01 Notes (p. 5 of 10) Jet Stream To understand about the jet stream, an explanation of part of the layers if the Earth’s atmosphere is first necessary. The troposphere is the lowest major atmospheric layer extending from the Earth's surface up to the bottom of the stratosphere.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ocean Currents and the Pacific Garbage Patch
    ocean currents and the Pacific Garbage Patch photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography The image above shows a net tow sample from the Pacific Garbage Patch. The sample contains small fish and many small pieces of plastic. The Garbage Patch is primarily composed of this small plastic “confetti” suspended throughout the surface water of the North Pacific Gyre, and is not a island of trash as suggested by some media outlets. The region where the trash converges in the center of the North Pacific Gyre, in a region where surface currents are weak and convergent, thus concentrating large amounts of trash in an area estimated to be close to the size of Texas. With this slide I often show a video clip about the Garbage Patch. Although the links may change, here is one from ABC that I’ve used several times: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFMW8srq0Qk this video is a bit over the top but it gets the point across. There is additional information from Scripps Institution of Oceanography SEAPLEX experiment: http://sio.ucsd.edu/Expeditions/Seaplex/ and several videos on youtube.com by searching the phrase “SEAPLEX” Pacific garbage patch tiny plastic bits • the worlds largest dump? • filled with tiny plastic “confetti” large plastic debris from the garbage patch photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography little jellyfish photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography These are some of the things you find in the Garbage Patch. The large pieces of plastic, such as bottles, breakdown into tiny particles. Sometimes animals get caught in large pieces of floating trash: photo: NOAA photo: NOAA photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography How do plants and animals interact with small small pieces of plastic? fish larvae growing on plastic Trash in the ocean can cause various problems for the organisms that live there.
    [Show full text]
  • Surface Circulation2016
    OCN 201 Surface Circulation Excess heat in equatorial regions requires redistribution toward the poles 1 In the Northern hemisphere, Coriolis force deflects movement to the right In the Southern hemisphere, Coriolis force deflects movement to the left Combination of atmospheric cells and Coriolis force yield the wind belts Wind belts drive ocean circulation 2 Surface circulation is one of the main transporters of “excess” heat from the tropics to northern latitudes Gulf Stream http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/gulf_stream_modis_lrg.gif 3 How fast ( in miles per hour) do you think western boundary currents like the Gulf Stream are? A 1 B 2 C 4 D 8 E More! 4 mph = C Path of ocean currents affects agriculture and habitability of regions ~62 ˚N Mean Jan Faeroe temp 40 ˚F Islands ~61˚N Mean Jan Anchorage temp 13˚F Alaska 4 Average surface water temperature (N hemisphere winter) Surface currents are driven by winds, not thermohaline processes 5 Surface currents are shallow, in the upper few hundred metres of the ocean Clockwise gyres in North Atlantic and North Pacific Anti-clockwise gyres in South Atlantic and South Pacific How long do you think it takes for a trip around the North Pacific gyre? A 6 months B 1 year C 10 years D 20 years E 50 years D= ~ 20 years 6 Maximum in surface water salinity shows the gyres excess evaporation over precipitation results in higher surface water salinity Gyres are underneath, and driven by, the bands of Trade Winds and Westerlies 7 Which wind belt is Hawaii in? A Westerlies B Trade
    [Show full text]
  • Reading Handout: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    Reading Handout: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch The world’s oceans are connected by a complex network of water and wind currents, which combine to form gyres. The movement of wind and water in a gyre form large, slowly rotating whirlpools. The North Pacific Gyre is an area of the ocean between the continents of Asia and North America, and its whirlpool-like effect has pulled in pollution from around the world, forming the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a massive accumulation of trash, large and small, in the North Pacific Gyre. {It is like a giant landfill floating in the ocean.} It is a combination of the Western Pacific Garbage Patch, located east of Japan and west of Hawaii, and the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch, which floats between Hawaii and California. The two are connected by a thin 6,000-mile long current called the Subtropical Convergence Zone, which is also home to a large amount of pollution. The Patch is huge! However it cannot be seen from space, or even an airplane, because it is mostly made up of microplastics floating in the water column. Microplastics are pieces of plastic trash that are smaller than 5mm. Microplastics form when larger plastics break down, or come directly from a manufacturer in the form of nurdles (small plastic pellets used to make other plastic products). Nurdles absorb a lot of toxins as they float in the ocean, and those toxins become concentrated. Researchers estimate that for every 6 pounds (2.72 kilograms) of plastic, there is 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) of plankton.
    [Show full text]
  • 6 Ocean Currents 5 Gyres Curriculum
    Lesson Six: Surface Ocean Currents Which factors in the earth system create gyres? Why does pollution collect in the gyres? Objective: Develop a model that shows how patterns in atmospheric and ocean currents create gyres, and explain why plastic pollution collects in them. Introduction: Gyres are circular, wind-driven ocean currents. Look at this map of the five main subtropical gyres, where the colors illustrate enormous areas of floating waste. These are places in the ocean that accumulate floating debris—in particular, plastic pollution. How do you think ocean gyres form? What patterns do you notice in terms of where the gyres are located in the ocean? The Earth is a system: a group of parts (or components) that all work together. The components of a system have different structures and functions, but if you take a component away, the system is affected. The system of the Earth is made up of four main subsystems: hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), geosphere (land), and biosphere (organisms). The ocean is part of our planet’s hydrosphere, but it is also its own system. Which components of the Earth system do you think create gyres, and why would pollution collect in them? Activity 1 Gyre Model: How do you think patterns in ocean currents create gyres and cause pollution to collect in the gyres? Use labels and arrows to answer this question. Keep your diagram very basic; we will explore this question more in depth as we go through each part of the lesson and you will be able to revise it. www.5gyres.org 2 Activity 2 How Do Gyres Form? A gyre is a circulating system of ocean boundary currents powered by the uneven heating of air masses and the shape of the Earth’s coastlines.
    [Show full text]
  • Coastal Upwelling Revisited: Ekman, Bakun, and Improved 10.1029/2018JC014187 Upwelling Indices for the U.S
    Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans RESEARCH ARTICLE Coastal Upwelling Revisited: Ekman, Bakun, and Improved 10.1029/2018JC014187 Upwelling Indices for the U.S. West Coast Key Points: Michael G. Jacox1,2 , Christopher A. Edwards3 , Elliott L. Hazen1 , and Steven J. Bograd1 • New upwelling indices are presented – for the U.S. West Coast (31 47°N) to 1NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Monterey, CA, USA, 2NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, address shortcomings in historical 3 indices USA, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA • The Coastal Upwelling Transport Index (CUTI) estimates vertical volume transport (i.e., Abstract Coastal upwelling is responsible for thriving marine ecosystems and fisheries that are upwelling/downwelling) disproportionately productive relative to their surface area, particularly in the world’s major eastern • The Biologically Effective Upwelling ’ Transport Index (BEUTI) estimates boundary upwelling systems. Along oceanic eastern boundaries, equatorward wind stress and the Earth s vertical nitrate flux rotation combine to drive a near-surface layer of water offshore, a process called Ekman transport. Similarly, positive wind stress curl drives divergence in the surface Ekman layer and consequently upwelling from Supporting Information: below, a process known as Ekman suction. In both cases, displaced water is replaced by upwelling of relatively • Supporting Information S1 nutrient-rich water from below, which stimulates the growth of microscopic phytoplankton that form the base of the marine food web. Ekman theory is foundational and underlies the calculation of upwelling indices Correspondence to: such as the “Bakun Index” that are ubiquitous in eastern boundary upwelling system studies. While generally M. G. Jacox, fi [email protected] valuable rst-order descriptions, these indices and their underlying theory provide an incomplete picture of coastal upwelling.
    [Show full text]
  • Current Inventory of Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide in the North Pacific Subarctic Gyre
    NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL PMEL-60 CURRENT INVENTORY OF ANTHROPOGENIC CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE NORTH PACIFIC SUBARCTIC GYRE J. D. Cline R. A. Feely K. Kelly-Hansen J. F. Gendron D. P. Wisegarver C. T. Chen Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory Seattle, Washington March 1985 UNITED STATES NATIONAL OCEANIC AND Environmental Research DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION Laboratories Malcolm Baldrige. Vernon E. Derr•. Secretary Director NOTICE Mention of a commercial company or product does not constitute an endorsement by NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories. Use for publicity or advertising purposes of information from this publication concerning proprietary products or the tests of such products is not authorized. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Summary ... 1 2.0 Introduction 3 3.0 Methods 5 3.1 Analysis of F-ll 5 3.2 Analysis for Total Carbon Dioxide, 7 Total Alkalinity and Nutrients 4.0 Models 8 4.1 Vertical Diffusion-Advection Model 8 4.2 Vertical Mixing Parameters Derived from the 13 Distribution of F-ll 4.3 CO2 Source Function .... 17 4.4 Back-Calculation Method for Excess C02 19 4.5 Excess TC0 2 Model and Source Function 23 5.0 Results and Discussion 25 5.1 Excess C02 Model Predictions 25 5.2 Model Predictions of Excess CO 2 in the 28 North Pacific Gyre 6.0 Conclusions 29 References . 31 Appdendix 1 37 iii 1.0 SUMMARY The most significant environmental issue of the next century will be systematic changes in the earth's climate due to increases in the atmospheric burden of carbon dioxide. This secular increase is the result of the burning of fossil fuels and massive deforestation currently underway.
    [Show full text]
  • Nutrient Limitation of Primary Productivity in the Southeast Pacific (BIOSOPE Cruise) Sophie Bonnet, C
    Nutrient limitation of primary productivity in the Southeast Pacific (BIOSOPE cruise) Sophie Bonnet, C. Guieu, F. Bruyant, O. Prášil, France van Wambeke, Patrick Raimbault, T. Moutin, C. Grob, M. Y. Gorbunov, J. P. Zehr, et al. To cite this version: Sophie Bonnet, C. Guieu, F. Bruyant, O. Prášil, France van Wambeke, et al.. Nutrient limitation of primary productivity in the Southeast Pacific (BIOSOPE cruise). Biogeosciences, European Geo- sciences Union, 2008, 5 (1), pp.215-225. hal-00330343 HAL Id: hal-00330343 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00330343 Submitted on 14 Oct 2008 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Biogeosciences, 5, 215–225, 2008 www.biogeosciences.net/5/215/2008/ Biogeosciences © Author(s) 2008. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Nutrient limitation of primary productivity in the Southeast Pacific (BIOSOPE cruise) S. Bonnet1, C. Guieu1, F. Bruyant2, O. Pra´silˇ 3, F. Van Wambeke4, P. Raimbault4, T. Moutin4, C. Grob1, M. Y. Gorbunov5, J. P. Zehr6, S. M. Masquelier7, L. Garczarek7, and H. Claustre1
    [Show full text]
  • North Pacific Climate Overview N. Bond (UW/JISAO)
    North Pacific Climate Overview N. Bond (UW/JISAO) Contact: [email protected] NOAA/PMEL, Building 3, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-6349 Last updated: September 2015 Summary. The state of the North Pacific atmosphere-ocean system during 2014-2015 featured the continuance of 2013-2014 sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies with some evolution in the pattern. This development can be attributed to the seasonal mean sea level pressure (SLP) and wind anomalies such as the cyclonic wind anomalies in the central Gulf of Alaska in fall 2015 and winter 2015, with a reversal to anticyclonic flow in the following spring and summer of 2015. The Bering Sea experienced the second consecutive winter of reduced sea ice, in what may turn out to be the early stage of an extended warm spell. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) was positive during the past year, especially during the winter months. The climate models used for seasonal weather predictions are indicating strong El Niño conditions for the winter of 2015-16, and its usual impacts on the mid-latitude atmospheric circulation, which should serve to maintain a positive state for the PDO. 1. SST and SLP Anomalies The state of the North Pacific climate from autumn 2014 through summer 2015 is summarized in terms of seasonal mean sea surface temperature (SST) and sea level pressure (SLP) anomaly maps. The SST and SLP anomalies are relative to mean conditions over the period of 1981-2010. The SST data are from NOAA’s Extended Reconstructed SST analysis; the SLP data are from the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis project.
    [Show full text]
  • Diatom Fluxes to the Deep Sea in the Oligotrophic North Pacific Gyre at Station ALOHA
    MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES Published June 11 Mar Ecol Prog Ser Diatom fluxes to the deep sea in the oligotrophic North Pacific gyre at Station ALOHA Renate Scharek*, Luis M. Tupas, David M. Karl Department of Oceanography, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA ABSTRACT: Planktonic diatoms are important agents of vertical transport of photosynthetically fixed organic carbon to the ocean's interior and seafloor. Diatom fluxes to the deep sea were studied for 2 yr using bottom-moored sequencing sediment traps located in the vicinity of the Hawaii Ocean Time- series (HOT) program station 'ALOHA' (22'45'N, 158" W). The average flux of empty diatom frustules was around 2.8 X 10' cells m-' d ' in both years, except in late summer when it increased approximately 30-fold. Flux of cytoplasm-containing diatom cells was much lower (about 8 X 103 cells n1Y2 d") but increased 500-fold in late July 1992 and 1250-fold in August 1994. Mastogloia woodiana Taylor, Hemj- aulus hauckii Grunow and Rliizosolenia cf. clevei var. communis Sundstrom were the domlnant diatom species observed during the July 1992 event, with the former 2 species again dominant in August 1994. The 1994 summer flux event occurred about 3 wk after a documented bloom of H. hauckii and M. woodiana in the mixed-layer and a simultaneous increase in vertical flux of these species. This surface flux signal was clearly detectable at 4000 m, suggesting rapid settling rates. A further indication of very high sinking speeds of the diatoms was the much larger proportion of cytoplasm-containing cells in the bottom-moored traps during the 2 summer events.
    [Show full text]
  • Governing a Continent of Trash: the Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution
    University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Honors Scholar Theses Honors Scholar Program Spring 5-1-2020 Governing a Continent of Trash: The Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution Anne Longo [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses Part of the Environmental Studies Commons, and the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Longo, Anne, "Governing a Continent of Trash: The Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution" (2020). Honors Scholar Theses. 704. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/704 Anne Cathrine Longo Honors Thesis in Political Science Dr. Mark A. Boyer Dr. Matthew M. Singer May 1, 2020 Governing a Continent of Trash: The Global Politics of Oceanic Pollution Convenience is King and Plastic is the King of Convenience: So, Who is the King of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Abstract There is a new continent growing in the North Pacific Ocean known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Patch is composed of a vast array of marine pollution, discarded single-use items, and mostly microplastics. This thesis explores how and why governments and other entities do or do not deal with the growing problem of ocean pollution. Sovereignty roadblocks and balance of power prove to be obstacles for such efforts. This thesis then attempts to create the ideal model of governance for ocean plastics using the policy-making process. The policy analysis reviews bilateral, multilateral, and non-governmental solutions for the removal of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and subsequent maintenance efforts. Following the analysis of these three policies, this thesis concludes that a combination of factors from each solution is likely the best course of action.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Ocean Surface Velocities from Drifters: Mean, Variance, El Nino–Southern~ Oscillation Response, and Seasonal Cycle Rick Lumpkin1 and Gregory C
    JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH: OCEANS, VOL. 118, 2992–3006, doi:10.1002/jgrc.20210, 2013 Global ocean surface velocities from drifters: Mean, variance, El Nino–Southern~ Oscillation response, and seasonal cycle Rick Lumpkin1 and Gregory C. Johnson2 Received 24 September 2012; revised 18 April 2013; accepted 19 April 2013; published 14 June 2013. [1] Global near-surface currents are calculated from satellite-tracked drogued drifter velocities on a 0.5 Â 0.5 latitude-longitude grid using a new methodology. Data used at each grid point lie within a centered bin of set area with a shape defined by the variance ellipse of current fluctuations within that bin. The time-mean current, its annual harmonic, semiannual harmonic, correlation with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), spatial gradients, and residuals are estimated along with formal error bars for each component. The time-mean field resolves the major surface current systems of the world. The magnitude of the variance reveals enhanced eddy kinetic energy in the western boundary current systems, in equatorial regions, and along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, as well as three large ‘‘eddy deserts,’’ two in the Pacific and one in the Atlantic. The SOI component is largest in the western and central tropical Pacific, but can also be seen in the Indian Ocean. Seasonal variations reveal details such as the gyre-scale shifts in the convergence centers of the subtropical gyres, and the seasonal evolution of tropical currents and eddies in the western tropical Pacific Ocean. The results of this study are available as a monthly climatology. Citation: Lumpkin, R., and G.
    [Show full text]
  • On North Pacific Circulation and Associated Marine Debris Concentration
    Marine Pollution Bulletin 65 (2012) 16–22 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Marine Pollution Bulletin journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul On North Pacific circulation and associated marine debris concentration ⇑ Evan A. Howell a, , Steven J. Bograd b, Carey Morishige c, Michael P. Seki a, Jeffrey J. Polovina a a NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2570 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA b NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, 1352 Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA c NOAA Marine Debris Program/I.M. Systems Group, 6600 Kalanianaole Hwy., Suite 301, Honolulu, HI 96825, USA article info abstract Keywords: Marine debris in the oceanic realm is an ecological concern, and many forms of marine debris negatively North Pacific affect marine life. Previous observations and modeling results suggest that marine debris occurs in Marine debris greater concentrations within specific regions in the North Pacific Ocean, such as the Subtropical Conver- Garbage patch gence Zone and eastern and western ‘‘Garbage Patches’’. Here we review the major circulation patterns Subtropical Convergence Zone and oceanographic convergence zones in the North Pacific, and discuss logical mechanisms for regional Kuroshio Extension Recirculation Gyre marine debris concentration, transport, and retention. We also present examples of meso- and large-scale spatial variability in the North Pacific, and discuss their relationship to marine debris concentration. These include mesoscale features such as eddy fields in the Subtropical Frontal Zone and the Kuroshio Extension Recirculation Gyre, and interannual to decadal climate events such as El Niño and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation/North Pacific Gyre Oscillation. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
    [Show full text]