This image, from NASA, shows temperature values in the Gulf Stream.
The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current that influences the climate on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. By transporting warm water from Florida, up the United States' eastern seaboard, and across the Atlantic to Europe, this current creates warmer climates than otherwise would be possible from Bermuda to Northern Europe. Click here for maps of current sea surface temperatures in the Gulf Stream.
The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt
The Gulf Stream is one part a Global Conveyor Belt, known as Thermohaline Circulation, in the oceans that moves warm and cold water throughout the Earth's oceans. It is driven by density. Cold, dense water in the polar regions sinks, flows toward the equator, and rises back toward the surface. Warm water originating in the equatorial regions, on the other hand, is less dense and flows across the surface of the oceans toward the polar regions. These currents have a vital impact on the entire global climate. Click the animation above to see it in action!
Loss of land-based ice, like on Antarctica, is one of the driving factors behind sea level rise
Climate is the driver of sea level change. The Earth has alternated between Glacial and Interglacial Periods for millions of years. During a Glacial Period, or Ice Age, much of the water on Earth is trapped in ice sheets and, consequently, sea level drops. Interglacial Periods, on the other hand, are times of warmer temperatures which cause ice sheets to melt. When the ice becomes liquid water, it eventually finds its way to the oceans and raises the sea level. In addition, because the oceans are warmer during interglacial periods, the water expands (known as thermal expansion), which also adds to the sea level rising.
Coral Reefs are some of the most colorfully vibrant and biodiverse habitats on Earth, but they are also extremely vulnerable to adverse effects of fluctuations in sea conditions. When sea temperature rises, corals become stressed and coral bleaching often begins. Coral bleaching, which results in the coral turning white, is a breakdown in the symbiotic relationship between the organisms that comprise coral. Although this does not necessarily mean the coral has died, it is left extremely vulnerable to further damage and death.
In this video, Dr. Stephen Palumbi presents his research regarding the coral reefs of America Samoa
The video above, from UCLA's Life Sciences Lecture Series is a bit lengthy. If you are interested in the topic, but don't necessarily want to invest 40 minutes of your attention span, check out these videos by Dr. Palumbi and his colleagues, which are 2-4 minutes in length and focus on ecological sustainability.
The Wave by Susan Casey - The Wave examines the largest and most extreme waves of our oceans. Throughout the book, Casey documents two groups who chase these waves around the world; the scientists who wish to learn the secrets of our planet and those surfers who wish to push themselves to the limit physically and spiritually by riding freakishly large waves. This book features discussion of climate in terms of whether or not a consequence of global warming will be more stormy oceans, and thus, larger waves. Click here to read a review from the New York Times.
While Casey's writing features a journalistic tone, The Power of the Sea by Bruce Parker- former Chief Scientist of the National Ocean Service in NOAA- features a voice that is more scientific in nature. Parker discusses particular extreme events like the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean and successfully conveys the history of the human mission to predict ocean related phenomena (for example, tides, tsunamis and storm surges). In addition, he details our contemporary technology that is in use and working toward this end of improving our ability to predict the Sea. The last chapter, entitled Predicting the Future-and Saving Lives is a forward looking discussion driven by the topics of El Niño and long term climate change.
In honor of Discovery Channel's Shark Week, the CRE Blog will be heavy on ocean-related content this week. Check out the video below from the Royal Tyrell Museum Speaker Series (2011) entitled Effects of Climate Change on Cretaceous Sharks. For content related directly to climate change and its effects on bony fish, skip ahead to 19:00. For content related to to climate change and its effects on sharks, skip ahead to 33:00. Findings include a positive correlation between distribution and temperature change for bony fish and sharks and a significant negative relationship between longevity and temperature for sharks.
