Lecture 4

Lecture Four
Physical Oceanography
Natanah Gusha
[email protected]
Course outline
• General introduction
• Characteristics of seawater
• Currents
• Wind induced vertical circulation (Upwelling)
• Thermohaline circulation (subsurface currents)
• Mesoscale features (frontal systems, eddies)
• Regional oceanography (southern Africa)
Recap
• What are the two main types of ocean currents?

• Which major forces drive these currents?
• Which forces are largely responsible for generating surface currents?
• What are secondary forces and how do they work?
• Can you identify 3 currents within these features, the Eastern Boundary
Currents, Western Boundary Currents and Transverse Currents?
Wind induced vertical circulation
The horizontal movement of water due to wind patterns can induce vertical
movement in surface waters.
This is called wind-induced vertical circulation which can induce either
upwelling or downwelling.
• Upwelling is a process by which deeper water is brought to the surface.
• It occurs when surface currents are diverging or moving away from each
other.
It is the most studied of the phenomena because it’s associated with dramatic
changes in the physico-chemical (temperature, oxygen and nutrient status) and
the biology of coastal systems.
• Upwelling also plays an important role in Thermohaline Circulation patterns.
• The upwelled water is cold and rich in nutrients, leading to high productivity.
• Many of the most productive regions on Earth are found in upwelling zones.
Wind induced vertical circulation…cont
In this course, we will look at the following examples….

1. Equatorial upwelling
2. Antarctic divergence upwelling
3. Coastal upwelling and downwelling.
Equatorial upwelling
• In the equatorial Pacific, the trade winds

blow the North and South Equatorial
Currents towards the west, while Ekman
transport causes the upper layers to move
to the north and south in their respective
hemispheres.
• This creates a divergence zone, and a

region of upwelling and high productivity
Antarctic Divergence-upwelling
High nutrient levels in the Antarctic divergence zone, as a result of the diverging West Wind Drift
and East Wind Drift currents creating strong upwelling (Modified by PW from Plumbago (Own work) [CC BY-SA
3.0], via Wikimedia Commons).
West wind drift
• The Antarctic Divergence is similar to Equatorial upwelling
• In this case, the West Wind Drift (Antarctic Circumpolar
Current) is flowing parallel to, but in the opposite direction of
the East Wind Drift.
• With both currents occurring in the Southern Hemisphere,
Ekman transport will be to the left, so the eastward-flowing
West Wind Drift water will be transported to the north, and the
westward-flowing East Wind Drift water will be transported to
the south, creating a highly productive divergence zone East wind drift
Antarctic Divergence upwelling…cont
• Coriolis force causes a deflection, resulting in upwelling

(Antarctic Divergence).
• Southern Ocean is dominated by the easterly flowing,
Antarctic Circumpolar Current (largest of ocean gyres).
• The ACC is critical for the evolution of the global
climate.
• Is volumetrically the largest geostrophic current, which
connects the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
• It plays an important role in the global distribution of
heat, nutrients, salt, carbon, as well as in the gas exchange
between the atmosphere and the ocean and has thus
exerted a strong influence on Earth’s climate.
Coastal Upwelling
• Upwelling and downwelling also occur
along coasts, when winds move water
towards or away from the coastline.
• Surface water moving away from land leads
to upwelling, while downwelling occurs
when surface water moves towards the land.
• Historically, some of the most productive
commercial fishing grounds have been
associated with coastal upwelling.
• The water displaced near the coast is
replaced by cold, nutrient-rich deeper water
that is brought to the surface through
upwelling, leading to high productivity
Biological significance of Coastal upwelling
• Nutrient rich waters transported to

the surface contribute to increased
levels of primary and secondary
production;
• Elevated levels of production
sustain high biomass of top
predators (e.g. fish, birds and
marine mammals);
• Coastal upwelling account for ~
5% of global surface area but
account for ~ 50% of fish stocks
annually.
Too much Upwelling
can be disastrous:
Harmful Algal blooms
An example of coastal upwelling effects along the coast of Namibia
From NASA's Earth Observatory: Along the coast of Namibia, easterly winds push surface waters offshore and promote
upwelling near the coast. Studies have described how bacteria in oxygen-depleted bottom waters off Namibia consume
organic matter and produce prodigious amounts of hydrogen sulfide. As the gas bubbles up into more oxygen-rich water, the
sulfur precipitates out and floats near the surface.
Downwelling
• Process largely similar to the upwelling
except that warmer surface waters are
transported to depth.
• No biological response
• Downwelling also occurs where surface currents
converge. The converging water has nowhere to
go but down, so the surface water sinks. Since
surface water is usually low in nutrients,
downwelling leads to low productivity zones.
• An example of a downwelling region is off the
Labrador coast in Canada, where the Gulf
Stream, Labrador, and East Greenland Currents
converge.
Announcements
• Class test- (Friday 16 August, 2024)

• Practical-Wednesday Afternoon, 2pm
• E-book uploaded on the course web page (ruconnected);

• “Additional readings” section on course web page;
• https://www.nature.com/subjects/physical-oceanography
• Any basic oceanography book- main library.

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Lecture Four

• What are the two main types of ocean currents?

In this course, we will look at the following examples….

• In the equatorial Pacific, the trade winds

• This creates a divergence zone, and a

• Coriolis force causes a deflection, resulting in upwelling

• Nutrient rich waters transported to

• Class test- (Friday 16 August, 2024)

• E-book uploaded on the course web page (ruconnected);

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