How does the density of water affect ocean currents?

How does the density of water affect ocean currents?

Differences in water density affect vertical ocean currents (movement of surface ocean water to the bottom of the ocean and movement of deep ocean water to the surface). Denser water tends to sink, while less dense water tends to rise.

How does difference in density causes ocean waters to move?

There currents are set in motion by variations in water density caused by differences in temperature and salinity, a process called convection. Water’s density varies with temperature; when heated it will expand and therefore increase in volume. This means its mass per volume will decrease and it becomes less dense.

What causes the surface water currents to take place in the oceans?

Surface currents in the ocean are driven by global wind systems that are fueled by energy from the sun. Patterns of surface currents are determined by wind direction, Coriolis forces from the Earth’s rotation, and the position of landforms that interact with the currents.

What causes the density current in the Mediterranean Sea?

Density currents originating from marginal seas Furthermore, in marginal seas where evaporation overcomes the input of fresh water from river runoff and precipitation—such as in the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea—warm salty water collects near the bottom of the basin.

How does density affect water circulation quizlet?

Density affects deep-ocean circulation because denser water sinks and slowly spreads out beneath the surface. Upwelling is the rising of cold water from deeper layers to replace warmer surface water. Upwelling brings greater concentrations of dissolved nutrients, such as nitrates and phosphates, to the ocean surface.

What is the difference between density currents and surface currents?

Surface currents are defined as currents from the surface to 1000 meters in depth. Countercurrents are bands of water moving in the opposite direction as the prevailing current. Deep ocean currents known as density currents are different from surface currents in that the driving force is gravity and not the winds.

How do differences in water density and temperature result in ocean currents and upwelling?

In upwelling currents, vertical water movement and mixing brings cold, nutrient-rich water toward the surface while pushing warmer, less dense water downward, where it condenses and sinks. The greater the density differences between different layers in the water column, the greater the mixing and circulation.

What are density currents caused by?

density current Current that is produced by differences in density. Where a flow of sea water has a greater density than that surrounding it, the more dense water will dive beneath the less dense water. Density of sea water is affected by temperature, salinity, and the content of suspended sediment.

What is the density of the Mediterranean Sea?

The measured densities agree on the average to ±3.9 × 10−6 g cm−3 with those predicted from the equation of state of Millero, Gonzalez and Ward (Journal of Marine Research, 34, 61–93, 1976). The densities and conductivity salinities of weight diluted Mediterranean waters have also been determined.

What affects the density of water quizlet?

Temperature influences density. For pure water, density increases as the temperature decreases. Salinity influences this relationship in that the saltier the water, the denser it becomes.