Thermohaline circulation is extremely important in maintaining hospitable climates around the globe because it contributes to the overall circulation of warm water from near the equator towards the poles. The sunken water (it’s colder and more dense) slowly flows along the bottom of the ocean back toward the lower latitudes where it eventually rises, like a conveyor belt, to the surface and starts the journey north again. When the water sinks, it drives a current that plays a significant role in global ocean circulation. This causes the density of the water to increase, and the water eventually sinks as it enters the North Atlantic. In this area, surface water moving north from low latitudes becomes saltier (due to evaporation) and colder as it moves northward. In the North Atlantic, a phenomenon based on this concept drives a process known as thermohaline circulation or the “great ocean conveyor belt” (Windows to the Universe, 2007). Thus, saltwater is denser than fresh water and fresh water will float on the surface of seawater. When salt dissolves in water, the salt adds mass to the water but does not increase the volume of the water very much.
Allow the ice to melt and watch where the fresh water (blue color) accumulates.Use the colored ice in place of regular ice, and build your “landlocked ice” box as previously outlined, using the cold, salty water to pour into the container.This could cause the colored fresh water to sink instead of float. If the water from the melting ice is significantly colder than the saltwater in the pan, the difference in density (caused by variation in temperature) may negate the effect of the difference in salinity.
*It is important to use cold water for this activity because, as discussed earlier, liquids become denser as they cool. This makes your water approximately the same salinity as the ocean. Add salt to the water that will be poured into the boxes in a ratio of 3 tablespoons of salt to 1 liter of refrigerated water*.This will make colored ice (the darker, the better). When freezing the ice cubes, put lots of food coloring into the water before filling the trays.Conduct the same experiment as in Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise with the following modifications:
0 kommentar(er)
