What is upwelling and upwelling?
Upwelling is a process in which deep, cold water rises toward the surface. Water that rises to the surface as a result of upwelling is typically colder and is rich in nutrients. These nutrients “fertilize” surface waters, meaning that these surface waters often have high biological productivity.
What is upwelling current?
Upwelling is a process in which currents bring deep, cold water to the surface of the ocean. Upwelling is a result of winds and the rotation of the Earth.
How are upwelling and downwelling caused in the oceans?
In winter, winds blow from the south to the north, resulting in downwelling. During the summer, winds blow from the north to the south, and water moves offshore, resulting in upwelling along the coast.
How is downwelling upwelling different from currents?
Downwelling is where surface water is forced downwards, where it may deliver oxygen to deeper water. Downwelling leads to reduced productivity, as it extends the depth of the nutrient-limited layer. Upwelling occurs where surface currents are diverging, or moving away from each other.
What is downwelling caused by?
What causes downwelling? Downwelling occurs when the water on the surface of the sea becomes denser than the water beneath it and so it sinks. Seawater gets denser when it gets colder or saltier.
What causes ocean downwelling?
Downwelling occurs when surface waters converge (come together), pushing the surface water downwards. Regions of downwelling have low productivity because of the nutrients get used up and are not continuously resupplied by the cold, nutrient-rich water from below the surface.
How do whales use ocean currents?
Ocean currents also serve as sea highways, helping to move migrating species around ocean basins quickly in search of their next meal. Many ocean species (especially large ones like whales, sharks, and sea turtles) follow ocean currents to and from their feeding and breeding grounds.
Why are upwelling and downwelling currents important?
They move water and heat around the globe, and help determine the chemical make-up of the water column. Currents also are a major factor in ocean ecosystems. Two types of current motion, upwelling and downwelling, strongly influence the distribution and abundance of marine life.
What causes ocean upwelling?
Upwelling often happens where wind blows along a coastline. The wind causes the water at the ocean surface to move perpendicular to it, away from the coast, because of a process called Ekman transport. When surface water moves away from the coast, water from deeper in the ocean rises up and takes its place.
What is upwelling and why is it important?
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Where does upwelling occur in the ocean?
Introduction to Upwelling
Which two factors cause upwelling?
Which two factors cause upwelling? prevailing winds and the Coriolis effect.