- The Oceans and Weather
Summary-AVID Article Format
- Effects range from storms and hurricanes generated over hours and days to ice ages that develop over millennia
- Ocean drives seasonal shifts in weather and sporadic events like El Nino
- Link between oceans and storms can be more explosive, intense storms called bombs
- The ocean and atmosphere work together like a planetary thermostat, sharing equally the task of exporting heat from equatorial regions towards poles
- The warm air created rises because it is less dense
- Rotation of earth deflects air masses into ribbons of air that spiral around the globe, westward in polar and equatorial regions and eastward in the midlatitudes
- The warm air cools and the water vapor condenses into clouds and rain; monsoon
- Warming of eastern Pacific is called El Nino. When eastern Pacific waters become cold: La Nina
- El Nino causes droughts over AUS and INDO. Weakens summer monsoon rains and causes heavy rainfall and flooding.
- It affects frequency and paths of storms, lowering probability of hurricanes in the Atlantic but increasing cyclone chance in Pacific
Summary
Both the oceans and weather are deeply connected, and any changes in the weather can drastically affect ocean currents and cause storms, such as hurricanes and monsoons. Wind that moves water to a specific direction can cause hurricanes, which also vary by intensity according to the water temperature. Monsoons, on the other hand, occur when the atmosphere becomes a more stable source for moisture. Monsoons cause intense heat during the summer, but they are most notorious for their heavy rainfall. Although these weather occurences are normal, the warming of ocean water, called El Nino, threatens countries by causing drought in Australia and heavy rainfall and flooding in other areas.
Reflection
Although El Nino is considered a bad aspect of weather affecting ocean currents and outcomes, it does give us an idea of what kind of weather to expect in certain areas if we measure and predict the pattern of the trade winds. If we utilize this to our advantage, we could prevent major storms from happening, such as Hurricane Katrina and the Thailand Hurricane. Also, if storms can be accurately predicted, economy can improve since industries can stock up on resources that may be affected by El Nino's weather effects.