The Importance of Ocean Circulation
Roughly 70% of the earth is covered by deep oceans and the water is relatively free to circulate from one part of the globe to another. This is a fundamental, driving factor, for global weather and climate.
Evaporation from the oceans is a major source of atmospheric water vapor. This is about 6 times as much water as evaporates from land!
Because of the heat capacity of water, oceans heat and cool slowly. This causes the temperatures on islands, coastal areas and the windward sides of continents to have stable temperatures and more temperate climates.
Movement of ocean water around the globe is important to the Earth’s energy and heat budget. Water can absorb large amounts of heat and carry it from one place to another.
Nice! On the following pages we’ll take a closer look at the importance of ocean circulation.
Image credits (from left to right): WeatherSTEM, NOAA Habitat Blueprint, and NASA Views Our Perpetually Moving Ocean