How up-welling affect ocean life?

How currents affect climate and weather?

Upwelling:

Read http://www.montereyinstitute.org/noaa/lesson08/l8la2.htm

Currents:
Read about the gulfstream current.
http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/gulfstream.htm

THX

Dasar aldwin

To understand how upwelling affects ocean life, we need to first explain what upwelling is. Upwelling is a process in which cold, nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean rises to the surface. This typically occurs along coastlines, driven by wind patterns and the Earth's rotation.

Upwelling is crucial for marine ecosystems because it brings deep water, which is rich in nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, to the surface. These nutrients support the growth of phytoplankton, microscopic photosynthetic organisms, at the base of the ocean food chain. As phytoplankton abundance increases, it provides food for zooplankton, small fish, and other marine organisms higher up the food chain.

The increased availability of nutrients during upwelling events can lead to a phenomenon called a plankton bloom, where the phytoplankton population rapidly multiplies. This, in turn, attracts large numbers of fish and other marine animals to the area, creating a hotspot of biological activity. Upwelling zones are known for their high productivity and support many important fisheries around the world.

Additionally, upwelling brings cold water to the surface, which can have a localized cooling effect on coastal regions. Some marine species, like certain types of fish and marine mammals, depend on these cooler water masses for their survival and reproduce in these areas.

Moving on to how currents affect climate and weather, ocean currents play a significant role in the distribution of heat around the globe. They transport warm and cold water across long distances, influencing regional climate patterns and weather conditions.

Warm ocean currents, such as the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean, carry heat from the tropics to higher latitudes. This heat transfer has a warming effect on the adjacent land areas, modifying their climate. For example, the Gulf Stream is responsible for the relatively mild and humid climate in Western Europe compared to other regions at similar latitudes.

Cold ocean currents, on the other hand, bring cold water from higher latitudes toward the equator. These currents can have a cooling effect on coastal regions they pass by, influencing local climate conditions. An example is the California Current along the western coast of North America, which contributes to the formation of coastal fog and helps maintain the temperate climate in that region.

Ocean currents can also have indirect effects on weather patterns. They can influence the distribution of moisture in the atmosphere, which can impact cloud formation and precipitation patterns. Additionally, currents can interact with the atmosphere, affecting wind patterns and storm development.

Understanding the complex interactions between ocean currents and climate requires the analysis of vast amounts of data, including temperature, salinity, and oceanographic measurements collected by buoys, ships, satellites, and other observing systems. Computer models are employed to simulate these interactions and predict future climate scenarios.