Article
Article
DISCLAIMER: This article is being kept online for historical purposes. Though accurate at last review, it is no longer being updated. The page may contain broken links or outdated information.
Thermohaline circulation changes
Article By:
Rahmstorf, Stefan Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany.
Last reviewed:2003
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB031040
Covering some 71% of the Earth and absorbing about twice as much of the Sun's radiation as the atmosphere or the land surface, the oceans are a major component of the climate system. With their huge heat capacity, the oceans not only moderate temperature fluctuations but also play a dynamic role in transporting heat. Ocean currents move vast amounts of heat across the planet—roughly the same amount as the atmosphere does. But in contrast to the atmosphere, the oceans are confined by landmasses, so that their heat transport is more localized and channeled into specific regions.
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
