What Type of Ocean Currents Are Caused by Different Temperatures in the Water?
Ocean currents play a big part in determining the Earth's climate and general health. By constantly having water circulate from warm to cold areas, nutrients for plants and animals are also refreshed. It is the deeper currents that are temperature-driven.
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Surface Currents
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Surface currents--those found in the top 400 m of the oceans--are wind-driven. In the northern hemisphere, the currents travel in a clockwise path; in the southern hemisphere, they rotate in a counterclockwise direction.
Deep Ocean Currents
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Sometimes referred to as "submarine rivers," deep ocean currents are affected both by temperature and density. These currents are much colder and saltier than surface currents.
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Current Generation
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Cool water has more salt, making it denser and causing it to sink. This cold water travels to the equator where, once heated, it heads back to the Earth's poles to cool and rise again to the surface. This repetitive cycle is what causes the ocean current system.
Thermohaline Circulation
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The deep ocean current circulation is known as Thermohaline Circulation--"thermo" refers to temperature and "haline" refers to salinity.
Climate
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The transfer of heat by ocean currents from the tropics to the colder waters of the poles plays a factor in moderating Earth's long-term weather patterns.
Global Warming
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Some scientists are concerned that the melting of the Arctic ice due to global warming will put an excess of fresh water into the oceans, thus disrupting current temperatures and flow patterns.
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