High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Ocean dynamics define and describe the motion of oceans. Ocean temperature and motion fields can be separated into 3 distinct layers: 1) mixed (surface) layer, 2) upper ocean (above the thermocline), and 3) deep ocean. The mixed layer is nearest to the surface and can vary in thickness from 10 to 500 meters. This layer has properties such as temperature, salinity ...Täielik kirjeldus
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Ocean dynamics define and describe the motion of oceans. Ocean temperature and motion fields can be separated into 3 distinct layers: 1) mixed (surface) layer, 2) upper ocean (above the thermocline), and 3) deep ocean. The mixed layer is nearest to the surface and can vary in thickness from 10 to 500 meters. This layer has properties such as temperature, salinity and dissolved Oxygen which are uniform with depth reflecting a history of active turbulence (the atmosphere has an analogous planetary boundary layer). Turbulence is really high in the mixed layer. However,it becomes zero at the base of the mixed layer. Turbulence again increases below the base of the mixed layer due to shear instabilities. At extratropical latitudes this layer is deepest in late winter as a result of surface cooling and winter storms and quite shallow in summer. Its dynamics is governed by turbulent mixing as well as Ekman pumping, exchanges with the overlying atmosphere, and horizontal advection .