What influences the climate? The world's oceans, sea currents and their role in climate formation.
North America, together with its islands, is located between 83 and 7 ° N. w. , i.e., it crosses from north to south all the climatic zones of the northern hemisphere, with the exception of the equatorial one. At the same time, the widest and most massive part of the continent is included within the subarctic and temperate zones, and a somewhat smaller part is within the subtropical zone. The narrowest part of North America is located in the tropical and subequatorial zones; The Arctic zone includes mainly islands. These geographic features create large differences in heating between the northern and southern parts of the continent. Annual amounts of solar radiation vary from 7560 MJ/m2 (180 kcal/cm2) in the southwest to 3360 MJ/m2 (80 kcal/cm2) in northern Canada. At the same time, the winter radiation balance of the continent’s surface is positive only south of 40° N. w. , but in most of North America it is negative. In almost all of Greenland, the radiation balance is negative throughout the year.
The relief of North America, with its characteristic submeridional extension of the main elements, favors the penetration of air flows from the east, from the Atlantic, where there are no significant orographic barriers, and makes it difficult for air masses to spread inland from the Pacific Ocean. The existence of a strip of plains between the Arctic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico in the middle part of the continent and the absence of latitudinal orographic boundaries create conditions for meridional air exchange between Arctic and tropical latitudes in all seasons of the year.
In the Atlantic Ocean, contrasts in heating between north and south are enhanced by the Gulf Stream and the cold Labrador Current, which occur in the Newfoundland area. At the point where warm and cold waters converge, conditions are created for the formation of cyclones and cyclonic activity. In the Pacific Ocean, a warm current running north from the 40th parallel creates a positive winter temperature anomaly, although not as significant as off the coast of Europe. Under the influence of the cold California Current running south from the 40th parallel, the ocean is between 20 and 40° N. w. loses up to 2520 MJ (60 kcal/cm2) per year per 1 m2 of surface, i.e., approximately half of the heat it receives from total radiation.
The general atmospheric circulation over North America is approximately the same as over Eurasia, but differences in the size and orographic structure of the two continents cause differences in both local circulation conditions and in the distribution of temperatures and precipitation.
The main type of atmospheric circulation over most of North America is west-east transport, however, due to the peculiarities of the continent's orography, the influence of oceanic air is manifested mainly on the Pacific coast and on the western slopes of the Cordillera. Pacific air penetrates into the interior of the continent through low areas of mountains and transverse valleys, experiencing intense transformation and losing a significant part of its properties immediately east of the Cordillera. The interior of North America is the arena for the formation of continental air. However, the significantly smaller size of the land compared to Eurasia does not create conditions for the formation of such a powerful winter maximum as the Asian one. Therefore, the Atlantic part of the temperate zone of North America is characterized by cyclonic activity throughout the year.
WEATHER LORD
The atmosphere and the ocean are in close, continuous interaction. The sun's rays, falling on the surface of the ocean, heat the water, and the ocean accumulates huge reserves of thermal energy, especially in tropical waters, where the sun's rays fall almost vertically. The surface of the ocean transfers its heat to the air and saturates it with water vapor, which rises upward in the process of evaporation of the surface layers of water. The vapor contained in the air has a significant supply of potential energy in the form of latent heat, which is released when the vapor condenses in the clouds. Ocean energy creates winds, which carry away new heat flows from the surface of the sea, generating new winds.
Weather and climate are a manifestation of the nature around us and are largely influenced by the ocean.
The impact of the World Ocean on weather and climate depends on the physical characteristics of the huge mass of water located in its basins.
The most important property of the ocean is the ability to absorb and emit heat, and sea water has high heat capacity - the ability to accumulate heat. It absorbs a huge amount of solar energy, and a ten-meter layer of ocean water accumulates more heat than the entire atmosphere. The sun's rays heat the surfaces of sea and land with equal intensity, but water, having a large heat capacity, absorbs much more heat at a relatively stable temperature, while at the same time the temperature of land increases greatly. After sunset, the temperature of the land drops quickly, and the sea cools slowly.
The earth's crust, being a solid dense substance, accumulates heat only in the upper layers, and the sea, which is in continuous movement, moves the upper warm and lower, colder layers and distributes heat over large areas due to currents. The storage capacity of the ocean increases the evaporation of water from the surface, absorbing huge amounts of heat.
Accumulating and reliably retaining heat, the ocean controls the planet's climate, highlighting two main zones: continental and maritime. Marine climate is characteristic of all land areas washed by seas, continental - for deep land masses. A typical example of a maritime climate is the climate of the British Isles: even temperatures throughout the year, cool summers and mild winters, cloudy skies and rain all year round. The central regions of Siberia have a continental climate: cold winters and hot summers, droughts alternate with thunderstorms. The central regions of Asia have a sharply continental climate: severe frosts rage in winter, and in summer cloudless skies and scorching sun turn everything around into a space sweltering with heat and dust.
The influence of the sea on the temperature of various regions of the globe is the main cause of winds. Famous Indian Ocean monsoons are generated by seasonal fluctuations in the temperature of the ocean and the huge landmass lying to the north. During the hot summer, which is typical for this region of the planet, the land warms up much more than the ocean, which accumulates most of the solar energy. The highly heated land also heats up the air, the density of which decreases, which creates a zone of low pressure. Lower temperatures over the ocean compress the air, causing pressure to rise, and air masses rush from the sea to land - forming southwest monsoons, which blow from April to October. In winter, the land cools faster than the ocean, and zones of high and low pressure change places, air masses rush from land to sea and form northeast monsoons, which blow from October to April. The location of the continents and oceans should have provided clear directions for the monsoons, but the rotation of the earth makes adjustments to the direction of the winds.
Cold and warm ocean currents also influence the climate of the planet, especially its coastal regions. The climate of the coastal countries of the North Atlantic is largely determined by three currents - Gulf Stream, Labrador and East Greenland. The warm Gulf Stream originates in Gulf of Mexico and, escaping from there into the ocean through Straits of Florida, rushes in two powerful branches to the shores of Europe. Cold Labrador and East Greenland Currents head to the south, where, meeting the Gulf Stream, they lower its temperature to 5 - 8 ° C, which is greatly facilitated by cold northern winds. But still, the Gulf Stream brings a significant part of its warmth to the shores of Europe, determining the climate of this area. The entire European coast to the north Strait of Gibraltar is influenced by the Gulf Stream, which goes around Scandinavia and reaches Spitsbergen Islands, whose western coast is ice-free all year round, while Baltic Sea near Tallinn and Riga, located 30° to the south, is covered with solid ice in winter.
In mid-latitudes, where air masses move from west to east, the climate is influenced by the ocean and westerly winds simultaneously. Therefore, the climate of two cities - Japanese Yokohama and American San Francisco, lying at the same latitude on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean, is very different from each other. In Yokohama, annual temperature fluctuations reach 28°C, and the climate has all the features of a continental one, while in San Francisco - 17°C and a maritime climate.
The ocean regulates precipitation over the continent. When there is a lack of moisture in the atmosphere, evaporation from the ocean surface increases, and moisture-saturated air masses move onto land, bringing with them rain and thunderstorms - powerful cyclones hover over the continents.
Vast expanses of ocean, in contact with the atmosphere, provide continuous gas exchange - the upper layers of the ocean are saturated with oxygen released when plankton photosynthesis, enrich the lower layers of the atmosphere with oxygen. That's why the ocean is called the "lungs" of the planet., therefore, a person is attracted to the sea coast, where it is always easy to breathe.
The ocean not only has a global influence on the Earth's climate, but also controls the weather in a small area. Due to the differences in the heat capacities of the sea and land, pleasant cool winds of the sea coasts - breezes - are born. During the day the sea breeze blows, then for a while everything calms down and the shore breeze begins to blow. Both of these winds are best observed in calm, sunny weather, since their speed does not exceed 5 m/sec and when any other wind rises, they easily die out. Breeze - the same monsoon, only on a local scale with a daily cycle in changing direction.
The most important feature of the seas and oceans is the close connection of thermal phenomena in water and air.
Residents of villages and towns located far from the sea coast often forget about the sea, forget about what they owe to the sea. Meanwhile, the role of seas and oceans in the life of every person is enormous.
The powerful influence of the oceans is felt not only on its shores, but also in the interior of the continent, thousands of kilometers from the coast.
The Earth's climate depends on many factors, but the main ones are the action of the sun and oceans. Due to the fact that the land and oceans are unevenly distributed, powerful transfers of air masses occur across the globe and steady winds blow. Water is a very good store of solar heat. Land - although not all the same - retains heat much worse. It quickly loses a significant part of the beneficial solar heat through reflection and back radiation and this differs from the sea.
The sea, on the contrary, takes almost all the heat and hides it in the depths. That portion of solar heat that is retained by land is stored only in the upper layer. Everyone can feel this warmth on a fine sunny day - just touch the glowing, almost heated sand. But once the sun sets, the land quickly cools down. That’s when the warmth hidden by the sea becomes noticeable. At night, the water turns out to be warmer than the air. Depending on where it is colder, the wind blows either from land to sea (at night) or from sea to land (during the day). The water is agitated and mixed. Particles heated by the sun are replaced by cold ones, which in turn heat up and give way to others. As a result, heat spreads to a depth of several tens of meters. It cannot quickly disappear from such a depth when it gets cold, because water has low thermal conductivity. The specific heat of water is about twice that of land and almost four times that of air. Taking into account, in addition, the low density of air (almost seven hundred and seventy times less than the density of water), we find that each cubic centimeter of water, having cooled by 1°, will heat more than 3,100 cubic centimeters of air by the same amount. This is why the sea slowly and evenly warms the land during cold periods.
True, in summer the breath of the sea seems harsh and cold. Heavy clouds filled with moisture slowly rise from the horizon. They approach the shore, cover the bright cheerful sky and go hundreds and thousands of kilometers to land. Rains, often accompanied by lightning and thunder, fall not only over coastal areas, but also over parched steppes and deserts. And every green leaf that grows luxuriantly after a blessed shower, in essence, testifies to the great role of the seas and oceans in the development of life on Earth. In winter in Western Siberia there are bitter frosts and smoke hangs in lazy, gray pillars over the chimneys of houses, and hasty passers-by run through the streets, rubbing their noses and cheeks. But as soon as a breeze blows from the west, everything changes. The temperature rises sharply, the sky is covered with a veil, from which millions of snowflakes rush from time to time. Another day and the warming may turn into a thaw. You can play snowballs. All this is the result of the work of air masses brought by the cyclone from the west and heated by the warmth of the Atlantic Ocean. In general, seas and oceans “soften” the climate of the globe, that is, they make its fluctuations less sharp. They humidify the air, stop droughts, reduce frosts in winter and bring coolness on hot days. Seas and oceans regulate the climate. And this is their greatest significance in the phenomena taking place on our planet.
The ability to accumulate heat and then gradually release it to the air is one of the most interesting features of the seas. The study of this feature has made significant progress in recent years as a result of the research of Academician V.V. Shuleikin.
At the same time, the seas and oceans themselves, on their surface and in their depths, quickly respond to phenomena occurring in the atmosphere. If you want to know the sea, first find out what is happening above it.
Whether ice forms in the sea, whether evaporation increases, whether the water is mixed from top to bottom, whether the sea is agitated, whether strong currents arise - all this is the result of the action of air on water.
Good day to all! You and I know that everywhere on the planet there is a different climate. And what affects the climate, if you need to know this, then read this article...
We talk about climate if we are interested in what the weather will be like in a resort area during a certain period of time, dry or hot.
The sun's rays, in the region of the poles, overcome thicker layers, which means that the atmosphere receives more solar radiation. In the polar regions, the sun's rays, reaching the Earth's surface, are scattered over a much larger area than in the equator region.
The altitude above sea level also affects the temperature. For every 1000 m of rise above sea level, the temperature decreases on average by 7°C.
For this reason, in the high mountain regions of the tropics it is much colder on the sea coasts located at the same latitude, and the cold polar climate reigns on the tops of high mountains.
Mountains also influence rainfall.
Moist oceanic winds that rise over the mountain range contribute to the formation, and heavy precipitation falls on the slopes. Winds tend to pick up moisture and become warmer as they cross the ridge and begin to descend.
Therefore, the mountain slopes facing are saturated with moisture, while the leeward ones often remain dry. The rain shadow is considered to be a dry area.
In coastal areas the climate is usually milder than inland. For example, sea and coastal breezes influence climate. heats up more slowly than the earth's surface.
Warm air rises during the day, and cooler air coming from the sea takes its place. But at night the opposite happens. Breezes blow from land to sea because the sea cools more slowly than the land.
Ocean currents affect temperature.
The warm Gulf Stream crosses diagonally the Atlantic Ocean from the northwestern shores to the Gulf of Mexico.
Sea winds blowing along the Gulf Stream towards the coast in this part of Europe provide a much milder climate than on the North American coast located at the same latitude.
Cold currents also affect the climate. For example, off the southwest coast, the Benguela Current and off the west coast of South America, the Peruvian (or Humboldt) Current cool tropical regions, otherwise it would be even hotter there.
Far from the moderating influence of the sea, in the center of the continents, there is a harsh climate with much colder winters and hotter summers than in the coastal region of the same.
The influence of the sea.
During the warmest time of the year, the average temperature is 15 - 20°C, although away from the coast it is often higher, where the moderating influence of the sea is not felt.
Compared to latitudes located in the same areas, but far from the sea, winter temperatures are unusually high. Here the average monthly temperature is usually above 0°C.
But sometimes, cold continental or polar air causes the temperature to drop, and snowy weather lasts for several weeks.
There is a big difference in precipitation: there is often a lot of moisture in the coastal mountains, but much drier in the flat eastern part.
Previously, deciduous forests (trees shed their leaves in autumn) covered cold temperate climates. But most of them were cut down, and now large areas of these areas are densely populated.
The western part, with cold winters and warm summers, belongs to the cold temperate climate zones. Subarctic climates with very cold winters and short, cold summers are found in other areas, including Siberia and much of Canada.
In these places, the frost-free period lasts no more than 150 days. Most of this subarctic region is occupied by Taiga - giant coniferous forests.
In the conditions of a long and harsh winter, coniferous trees (larch, fir, spruce and pine) have learned to survive. All coniferous trees, with the exception of larch, are evergreen, ready to begin to grow as soon as spring warming arrives.
There are no such coniferous forests in the southern hemisphere, because there, at the corresponding latitudes, there are no large areas of land.
Thus, we learned what affects climate, and what climate is in general. Now you can understand why different places on the planet have different climates. Apply knowledge🙂
Our Earth appears to be a blue planet from space. This is because ¾ of the surface of the globe is occupied by the World Ocean. He is united, although greatly divided.
The surface area of the entire World Ocean is 361 million square meters. km.
Oceans of our planet
The ocean is the water shell of the earth, the most important component of the hydrosphere. Continents divide the World Ocean into parts.
Currently, it is customary to distinguish five oceans:
. - the largest and oldest on our planet. Its surface area is 178.6 million square meters. km. It occupies 1/3 of the Earth and makes up almost half of the World Ocean. To imagine this magnitude, it is enough to say that the Pacific Ocean can easily accommodate all the continents and islands combined. This is probably why it is often called the Great Ocean.
The Pacific Ocean owes its name to F. Magellan, who crossed the ocean under favorable conditions during his trip around the world.
The ocean has an oval shape, its widest part is located near the equator.
The southern part of the ocean is an area of calm, light winds and a stable atmosphere. To the west of the Tuamotu Islands, the picture changes dramatically - here is an area of storms and squalls that turn into fierce hurricanes.
In the tropical region, the waters of the Pacific Ocean are clean, transparent and have a deep blue color. A favorable climate developed near the equator. The air temperature here is +25ºC and practically does not change throughout the year. Winds are moderate and often calm.
The northern part of the ocean is similar to the southern part, as if in a mirror image: in the west there is unstable weather with frequent storms and typhoons, in the east there is peace and quiet.
The Pacific Ocean is the richest in the number of animal and plant species. Its waters are home to over 100 thousand species of animals. Almost half of the world's fish catch is caught here. The most important sea routes are laid through this ocean, connecting 4 continents at once.
. occupies an area of 92 million square meters. km. This ocean, like a huge strait, connects the two poles of our planet. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, famous for the instability of the earth's crust, runs through the center of the ocean. Individual peaks of this ridge rise above the water and form islands, the largest of which is Iceland.
The southern part of the ocean is influenced by trade winds. There are no cyclones here, so the water here is calm, clean and clear. Closer to the equator, the Atlantic changes completely. The waters here are muddy, especially along the coast. This is explained by the fact that large rivers flow into the ocean in this part.
The northern tropical zone of the Atlantic is famous for its hurricanes. Two major currents meet here - the warm Gulf Stream and the cold Labrador Stream.
The northern latitudes of the Atlantic are the most picturesque area with huge icebergs and powerful ice tongues protruding from the waters. This area of the ocean is dangerous for shipping.
. (76 million sq. km) is an area of ancient civilizations. Navigation began to develop here much earlier than in other oceans. The average depth of the ocean is 3700 meters. The coastline is slightly indented, with the exception of the northern part, where most of the seas and bays are located.
The waters of the Indian Ocean are saltier than others because there are far fewer rivers flowing into it. But thanks to this, they are famous for their amazing transparency and rich azure and blue color.
The northern part of the ocean is a monsoon region; typhoons often form in autumn and spring. Closer to the south, the water temperature is lower, due to the influence of Antarctica.
. (15 million sq. km) is located in the Arctic and occupies vast areas around the North Pole. Maximum depth - 5527m.
The central part of the bottom is a continuous intersection of mountain ranges, between which there is a huge basin. The coastline is heavily dissected by seas and bays, and in terms of the number of islands and archipelagos, the Arctic Ocean ranks second after such a giant as the Pacific Ocean.
The most characteristic part of this ocean is the presence of ice. The Arctic Ocean remains the most poorly studied to date, since research is hampered by the fact that most of the ocean is hidden under ice cover.
. . The waters washing Antarctica combine signs. Allowing them to be separated into a separate ocean. But there is still debate about what should be considered boundaries. If the borders from the south are marked by the mainland, then the northern borders are most often drawn at 40-50º south latitude. Within these limits, the ocean area is 86 million square meters. km.
The bottom topography is indented by underwater canyons, ridges and basins. The fauna of the Southern Ocean is rich, with the largest number of endemic animals and plants.
Characteristics of the oceans
The world's oceans are several billion years old. Its prototype is the ancient ocean Panthalassa, which existed when all the continents were still a single whole. Until recently, it was assumed that the ocean floors were level. But it turned out that the bottom, like the land, has a complex topography, with its own mountains and plains.
Properties of the world's oceans
Russian scientist A. Voyekov called the World Ocean a “huge heating battery” of our planet. The fact is that the average water temperature in the oceans is +17ºC, and the average air temperature is +14ºC. Water takes much longer to heat up, but it also consumes heat more slowly than air, while having high heat capacity.
But not all water in the oceans has the same temperature. Under the sun, only surface waters heat up, and with depth the temperature drops. It is known that at the bottom of the oceans the average temperature is only +3ºC. And it remains this way due to the high density of water.
It should be remembered that the water in the oceans is salty, which is why it freezes not at 0ºC, but at -2ºC.
The degree of salinity of waters varies depending on latitude: in temperate latitudes the waters are less salty than, for example, in the tropics. In the north, the waters are also less saline due to the melting of glaciers, which greatly desalinize the water.
Ocean waters also vary in transparency. At the equator the water is clearer. As you move away from the equator, water becomes more quickly saturated with oxygen, which means more microorganisms appear. But near the poles, due to low temperatures, the waters become clearer again. Thus, the waters of the Weddell Sea near Antarctica are considered the most transparent. Second place belongs to the waters of the Sargasso Sea.
The difference between the ocean and the sea
The main difference between the sea and the ocean is its size. Oceans are much larger, and seas are often only part of the oceans. Seas also differ from the ocean to which they belong by a unique hydrological regime (water temperature, salinity, transparency, distinctive composition of flora and fauna).
Ocean climate
Pacific climate Infinitely diverse, the ocean is located in almost all climatic zones: from equatorial to subarctic in the north and Antarctic in the south. There are 5 warm currents and 4 cold currents circulating in the Pacific Ocean.
The greatest amount of precipitation falls in the equatorial belt. The amount of precipitation exceeds the share of water evaporation, so the water in the Pacific Ocean is less salty than in others.
Atlantic climate determined by its large extent from north to south. The equator zone is the narrowest part of the ocean, so the water temperature here is lower than in the Pacific or Indian.
The Atlantic is conventionally divided into northern and southern, drawing the border along the equator, with the southern part being much colder due to its proximity to Antarctica. Many areas of this ocean are characterized by dense fogs and powerful cyclones. They are strongest near the southern tip of North America and in the Caribbean Sea.
For formation Indian Ocean climate The proximity of two continents - Eurasia and Antarctica - has a huge impact. Eurasia actively participates in the annual change of seasons, bringing dry air in winter and filling the atmosphere with excess moisture in summer.
The proximity of Antarctica causes a decrease in water temperature in the southern part of the ocean. Frequent hurricanes and storms occur north and south of the equator.
Formation climate of the Arctic Ocean determined by its geographical location. Arctic air masses dominate here. Average air temperature: from -20 ºC to -40 ºC, even in summer the temperature rarely rises above 0ºC. But the ocean waters are warmer due to constant contact with the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Therefore, the Arctic Ocean warms a significant part of the land.
Strong winds are rare, but fog is common in summer. Precipitation falls mainly in the form of snow.
It is influenced by the proximity of Antarctica, the presence of ice and the absence of warm currents. The Antarctic climate prevails here with low temperatures, cloudy weather and gentle winds. Snow falls throughout the year. A distinctive feature of the Southern Ocean climate is high cyclone activity.
The influence of the ocean on the Earth's climate
The ocean has a tremendous influence on climate formation. It accumulates huge reserves of heat. Thanks to the oceans, the climate on our planet becomes softer and warmer, since the temperature of the waters in the oceans does not change as sharply and quickly as the air temperature over land.
The oceans promote better circulation of air masses. And such an important natural phenomenon as the water cycle provides the land with a sufficient amount of moisture.
