How Are Weather & Climate Affected by Oceans?
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Complex Ocean Weather and Climate Feedbacks
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Detailing how the weather and climate are affected by oceans is a complex venture. But there are well-established relationships that are relied upon when forecasting the effect of oceans on weather and climate. Temperature, wind and moisture are all directly related to oceans. Understanding these interactions is crucial to increasing the accuracy of long-term climate prediction models.
Conveyor Belt Effect on Weather and Climate
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The ocean conveyor belt or thermohaline circulation system explains, in part, the ocean's effects on weather and climate is. Driven by heat and salinity throughout the world's oceans, the belt creates weather and climate characteristics by distributing water with different temperature characteristics. Bringing warm water to the Gulf of Mexico via the Gulf Stream, allowing for hurricane intensification, is a known impact of the conveyor belt. According to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research the overarching affect of the ocean conveyor belt on climate is not well understood.
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Ocean Effect on Temperature
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Acting at times as a climate and weather moderator, the surface temperature of the ocean affects air temperature over adjacent land. Cooler ocean currents and higher specific heat of water compared to land lead to minimal temperature fluctuation. Warmer currents can completely alter the weather and climate of a region. Comparing San Diego, California and Savannah, Georgia, both of which lie at 32 degrees north latitude, is a good example of this. According to the National Weather Service San Diego exhibits an average August temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit while Savannah is at 90 degrees.
Ocean Effect on Moisture
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Surprisingly, some areas such as Namibia in Southwest Africa have deserts right next to ocean. This is due to the cool Benguala current which traverses from the north. Cool waters are not conducive to warm, moist air which rises and condenses, resulting in clouds and precipitation. The weather and climate of the Southeastern U.S. displays the opposite effect of warm waters causing convection, or rising of heat, and much precipitation. Differing ocean characteristics can mean a hurricane or a snowstorm. Oceans can even act as a sink for carbon dioxide, affecting weather and climate in a multitude of ways. Looking at how weather and climate are affected by oceans involves both investigating the physical properties of water and land as well as how they interact as a global system.
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