http://www.tstorms.org/tropical-storms/

MPO 551, Class 2

MPO 551, Class 2

$$$1.00$$$ to Andrew -

p.23

“air circulates counterclockwise aroundLows [in the NH] and counterclockwisearound Highs”

The Earth System:

•The oceans, cryosphere,

•Hydrologic cycle

•Carbon cycle

•Oxygen

•Earth’s history

The oceans: 72% of earth’s surface, 97% of the earth’s Non-geologic water. Ice sheets ~ 2%, and 80% of earthsFreshwater. Antarctica ~ 89% of ice mass, Greenland 9%,Surface area also important.

WATER: Mass in units of 103 kg m-2 ~ 100 cm deep

Role of Oceans in Climate:

• thermal inertia• heat transport• El Nino• uptake of carbon• source of trace gases

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Ocean Temperature:

Thin, mixed surface layer + thermocline + deep layer

M-AERI ObservationsM-AERI Observations

The Marine & Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer precisely measures the temperature of the ocean’s thin surface layer or skin.

Tem

p (

°C)

Tem

p (

°C)

Day of the Year 2003Day of the Year 2003

Time evolution of near-surface thermal gradientsTime evolution of near-surface thermal gradients

SkinDeEP profiles on 12 October 1999. Off Baja California, R/V Melville.

From Ward, B. and P. J. Minnett, 2001. An autonomous profiler for near surface temperature measurements. Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces. M. A. Donelan, W.M. Drennan, E.S. Saltzmann and R. Wanninkhof (Eds.) American Geophysical Union Monograph 127. 167 - 172.

SST, 8/27/05 Surface height anomaly

Depth of 26.5 C isotherm

Tropical cyclone heat potential

Gustavo Goni (AOML) Joaquin Trinanes (CIMAS)

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Ocean composition:

~ 35 g/kg dissolved salts,or 35 0/00, parts per thousand by massDenser than fresh water by ~2.4%

Temperature change required to offset change in salinity of 1 g/km, as f(T)

Density gradient = pycnocline

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Thermohaline circulation

Wind drift & sea level annualQuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

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Thermohaline circulation: ~ hundreds of years

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Subtropical Atlantic Ocean sounding

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Biological productivity: upwelling+sun

S.-P. Xie, TRMM SST + precipitation, 5-year average

Costa Rica shallow thermocline dome

SST

Annual mean SST

Departure from zonal-mean

Globally, P ~ E over continents, P>E

Winds+water vapor

TRMM

The cryosphere

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Sea ice: large range in albedo

Winter arctic sea-ice motion, from buoys. Beaufort Gyre.

Sheba track

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Permafrost