Thermohaline circulation - Wikipedia
WebThermohaline circulation. Thermohaline circulation (THC) is a part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes. The adjective thermohaline derives from thermo-referring to temperature and -haline referring to salt content, factors which together determine the ...
thermohaline circulation - Encyclopedia Britannica
Webthermohaline circulation (THC), the component of general oceanic circulation controlled by horizontal differences in temperature and salinity. It continually replaces seawater at depth with water from the surface and slowly replaces surface water elsewhere with water rising from deeper depths.
Thermohaline Circulation - NOAA's National Ocean Service
WebThese deep-ocean currents are driven by differences in the water’s density, which is controlled by temperature ( thermo) and salinity ( haline ). This process is known as thermohaline circulation. In the Earth's polar regions …
12.1: Thermohaline circulation - Geosciences LibreTexts
WebThermohaline circulation (THC) is a part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes. The adjective thermohaline derives from thermo-referring to temperature and -haline referring to salt content, factors which together determine the density of sea water. Wind ...
Webthermohaline circulation. As opposed to wind-driven currents and tides (the latter are due to the gravity of moon and sun), the thermohaline circulation (often abbreviated as THC) is that part of the ocean circulation which is driven by fluxes of heat and freshwater across the sea surface and subsequent interior mixing of heat
Ocean current - Thermohaline, Circulation, Global | Britannica
WebThe basic thermohaline circulation is one of sinking of cold water in the polar regions, chiefly in the northern North Atlantic and near Antarctica. These dense water masses spread into the full extent of the ocean and gradually upwell to feed a …
Thermohaline circulation: The current climate | Nature
WebFeb 13, 2003 · Thermohaline circulation is thus caused by the joint effect of thermohaline forcing and turbulent mixing — it can be defined as currents driven by fluxes of heat and freshwater across the sea...
Ocean on the Move: Thermohaline Circulation - Center for …
WebThe thermohaline circulation, often referred to as the ocean's "conveyor belt", links major surface and deep water currents in the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and Southern Oceans. Multiple mechanisms conspire to increase the density of surface waters at high latitudes.
9.8: Thermohaline Circulation - Geosciences LibreTexts
WebIt is the movement of these density layers that create the deep water circulation. Since seawater density depends mainly on temperature and salinity (section 6.3), this circulation is referred to as thermohaline circulation. The main processes that increase seawater density are cooling, evaporation, and ice formation.
Thermohaline Circulation | SpringerLink
WebDefinition. Formally defining thermohaline circulation is difficult and numerous definitions exist within the literature. Historically, thermohaline circulation has been defined as the component of oceanic circulation driven by fluxes of heat and freshwater (sometimes combined into a buoyancy flux) through the ocean’s surface.
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