The role of the water molecule in moderating our planet’s climate
Q1: Describe the role of the water molecule in moderating our planet’s climate (i.e., preventing the temperature from changing too much, too fast).
Q2: In your own words, provide a thorough explanation of why a clockwise surface wind circulation like the one shown in Fig. 4–A would drive a clockwise surface ocean circulation like Fig. 4–B (on a rotating planet such as Earth). Your response must correctly describe the role of Ekman transport, upwelling or downwelling, sea surface height, and geostrophic currents.
Q3: In reality, the great subtropical ocean gyres are shaped more like the circulation shown in Fig. 4–C. What is it about the Coriolis force that ultimately leads to such east-west asymmetry of the gyres?
Q4: Over the western boundary currents such as the Gulf Stream, there tends to be a large sensible heat flux from the ocean to the atmosphere (see Fig. 5). Explain why this would be so, in terms of typical atmospheric and oceanic conditions present in that region.
Q5: Specifically focusing on the large sensible heat flux over western boundary currents such as the Gulf Stream (Fig. 5), explain how the density of surface seawater would change along the way, indicating whether it will become less dense or more dense, and whether that change in density is due to a change in temperature or a change in salinity.
Sample Solution
Water at the Earth’s surface and in the atmosphere exerts a strong moderating effect on climate. Generally speaking, the higher the water content in the air, the more moderate (less extreme) the climate. Proximity to water bodies causes humidity to be higher due to evaporation of water from the water surface. All other things being equal, the greater the distance from a major waterbody, the drier the air.
The ability for air to hold water in the form of water vapor varies with temperature. Hot air can have a very large water vapor content, while cold air holds very little. One measure of the actual amount of water vapor in the air is vapor pressure, which is a measure of the number of water molecules in the air compared with the number of molecules of other constituent gases in the air.
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