Download Role of Oceans in Regulating Climate

The Role of the Oceans in Regulating Earth’s Climate
NASA movie clips:
1) The Ocean: A Driving Force for Weather and Climate
2) Climate Change and the Global Ocean -- Tides of Change
A) _______________ sink: the top few meters of the oceans store as much heat energy as
the entire _________________________. Water molecules store energy as
_____________________ in molecular ____________________________ and then slowly release
________________________ over time.
B) __________________ sink: the oceans remove ___________ from the atmosphere in two
ways:
a) Physical processes: _________________ water dissolves more CO2 than warm water.
The hydrogen carbonate sinks to the bottom in the deep cold waters at high
latitudes.
b) Biological processes: photosynthesis by ________________________take CO2 out of the
atmosphere. Phytoplankton turn the CO2 into calcium carbonate exoskeletons that
also sink to the bottom of the ocean. Land plants and marine phytoplankton take up
about the same amounts of CO2 but phytoplankton grow much _____________________
than land plants. Phytoplankton produce _______________% of the oxygen we breathe.
C) Surface ocean currents carry _________________________ and ___________________ to the land
as winds and air masses move in. Surface currents are driven by the
______________________ and curve because of the _________________________ effect.
D) Deep ocean currents are driven by differences in ________________________ because of
relative differences in ______________________________ and ______________________. Cold salty
water ____________________________ in the poles and warmer less salty water
________________________________ at the equator. This deep sea current is also called the
Great __________________________. Both the deep water current and the surface currents
regulate climate by __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________.
How is Climate Change affecting the Oceans ability to regulate climate?
NASA movie clip: Keeping Up with Carbon
Take notes in the space below: