1answer.
Ask question
Login Signup
Ask question
All categories
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies
  • Business
  • History
  • Health
  • Geography
  • Biology
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Computers and Technology
  • Arts
  • World Languages
  • Spanish
  • French
  • German
  • Advanced Placement (AP)
  • SAT
  • Medicine
  • Law
  • Engineering
lana66690 [7]
3 years ago
12

Ocean currents store energy and help to distribute heat and

Biology
1 answer:
Ber [7]3 years ago
7 0

Answer:

One way that the world’s ocean affects weather and climate is by playing an important role in keeping our planet warm. <u>The majority of radiation from the sun is absorbed by the ocean, particularly in tropical waters around the equator, where the ocean acts like a massive, heat-retaining solar panel.</u> <u>Ocean water is constantly evaporating, increasing the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air to form rain and storms that are then carried by trade winds.</u> In fact, almost all rain that falls on land starts off in the ocean. The tropics are particularly rainy because heat absorption, and thus ocean evaporation, is highest in this area.

Major current systems typically flow clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere, in circular patterns that often trace the coastlines.

Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics.

Explanation:

One way that the world’s ocean affects weather and climate is by playing an important role in keeping our planet warm. The majority of radiation from the sun is absorbed by the ocean, particularly in tropical waters around the equator, where the ocean acts like a massive, heat-retaining solar panel. Land areas also absorb some sunlight, and the atmosphere helps to retain heat that would otherwise quickly radiate into space after sunset.

The ocean doesn't just store solar radiation; it also helps to distribute heat around the globe. When water molecules are heated, they exchange freely with the air in a process called evaporation. Ocean water is constantly evaporating, increasing the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air to form rain and storms that are then carried by trade winds. In fact, almost all rain that falls on land starts off in the ocean. The tropics are particularly rainy because heat absorption, and thus ocean evaporation, is highest in this area.

Outside of Earth’s equatorial areas, weather patterns are driven largely by ocean currents. Currents are movements of ocean water in a continuous flow, created largely by surface winds but also partly by temperature and salinity gradients, Earth’s rotation, and tides. Major current systems typically flow clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere, in circular patterns that often trace the coastlines.

Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus, ocean currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface. Without currents in the ocean, regional temperatures would be more extreme—super hot at the equator and frigid toward the poles—and much less of Earth’s land would be habitable.

You might be interested in
What are the two alleles of the seed color trait being considered here?
kirill [66]

Answer:

Seed color is governed by a single gene with two alleles. The yellow-seed allele is dominant and the green-seed allele is recessive.

4 0
2 years ago
Describe how mitosis is important for your body.
____ [38]
Mitosis is important<span> because it is essential for growth and repair in the </span>body<span>. </span>Mitosis<span> happens when a parent cell divides, creating two identical copies, referred to as daughter cells. During this process, it is essential that the daughter cells are exactly the same with the same copies of DNA.</span>
3 0
3 years ago
Where should a doctor look to see if the large intestine is working properly?
____ [38]

Answer:

feces, hope this helps

5 0
3 years ago
HELP FAST ASAP PLEASE
zzz [600]
The answer would be letter a
4 0
2 years ago
What did rudolf virchow discover in the cell theory?
cestrela7 [59]
He discovered that cells come from cells that already exist
8 0
2 years ago
Other questions:
  • The nurse is assisting the client in planning care during exacerbations of ménière's disease. which diet would the nurse identif
    12·1 answer
  • Active transport ________. uses atp as an energy source can involve the transport of ions can move solutes against their concent
    7·1 answer
  • Which best describes the relationship between population size, carrying capacity, and limiting factors?
    10·2 answers
  • Cells that can divide indefinitely, renew themselves, and give rise to a variety of other types of cells are called _____ cells.
    9·1 answer
  • During photosynthesis, plant cells take in water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and release oxygen (O2). How is this different f
    6·1 answer
  • How do the steps of meiosis explain mendel's results?
    13·1 answer
  • What structure is found outside the cell membrane and provides protections and support to the cell?
    5·2 answers
  • Checking for contents of the intestinal tract would be done during which phase of the autopsy?
    9·2 answers
  • How can we save endangered animals?
    13·1 answer
  • Please help Think about the effect that NASA technologies have on your everyday life. What’s your opinion of the reciprocal rela
    10·1 answer
Add answer
Login
Not registered? Fast signup
Signup
Login Signup
Ask question!