How is the water near the equator?

How is the water near the equator?

The ocean receives most of its heat along the equator, where incoming solar radiation is about double that received at the poles. Hence, sea surfaces are much warmer along the equator than at the poles.

In what directions does the ocean flow near the equator?

Shape of the Ocean Basins In the Figure below, the Atlantic South Equatorial Current travels westward along the equator until it reaches South America. At Brazil, some of it goes north and some goes south. Because of Coriolis effect, the water goes right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Is the ocean near the equator?

The equator passes through the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. The only oceans it does not pass through are the Arctic Ocean…

Why does the ocean circulate away from the equator?

The global conveyor belt’s circulation is the result of two simultaneous processes: warm surface currents carrying less dense water away from the Equator toward the poles, and cold deep ocean currents carrying denser water away from the poles toward the Equator.

Is the water near the equator warm?

Does the equator make water warmer?

The equator therefore receives much more intense sunlight than the north/south poles, making the water at the equator warmer.

Is it always warm on the equator?

Because the Earth is nearly round, the equator receives direct light, and the poles receive slanted light, with a gradation in between. Due to the differential heating of the Earth’s surface (unequal heating of all regions), it is always warmer at the equator than at the poles.

Where is the equatorial current in the ocean?

Equatorial current, ocean current flowing westward near the equator, predominantly controlled by the winds.

Where does deep water flow through the ocean?

Ocean Circulations. The route of the deep water flow is through the Atlantic Basin around South Africa and into the Indian Ocean and on past Australia into the Pacific Ocean Basin. If the water is sinking in the North Atlantic Ocean then it must rise somewhere else. This upwelling is relatively widespread.

How does wind affect the direction of ocean currents?

Wind drags on the ocean surface, causing water to move in the direction the wind is blowing. The Earth’s rotation deflect s, or changes the direction of, these wind-driven currents. This deflection is a part of the Coriolis effect. The Coriolis effect shifts surface currents by angles of about 45 degrees.

What happens to the water in the northern Atlantic Ocean?

In the northern Atlantic Ocean, as surface water flows north it cools considerably. When the water cools to a point where sea-ice forms, the “salts” are extracted (meaning sea-ice is fresh-water ice).