194:. This current is the underwater equivalent of a landslide. When sediment increases the density of the water, it falls to the bottom, and then follows the form of the land. In doing so, the sediment inside the current gathers more from the ocean bed, which in turn gathers more, and so on. As a limited amount of sediment can be carried by a certain amount of water, more water must become laded with sediment, until a huge, destructive current is washing down some marine hillside. It is theorized that submarine depths, such as the Marianas Trench have been caused in part by this action. There is one additional effect of turbidity currents: upwelling. All of the water rushing into ocean valleys displaces a significant amount of water. This water literally has nowhere to go but up. The upwelling current goes almost straight up. This spreads the nutrient rich ocean life to the surface, feeding some of the world’s largest fisheries. This current also helps Thermohaline currents return to the surface.
716:
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25:
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215:, however, the current moves at a 45Ëš angle to the right of the first (left in the Southern Hemisphere). The current below is slower yet, and moves at a 45Ëš angle to the right. This process continues in the same manner, until, at about 100 meters below the surface, the current is moving in the opposite direction of the surface current.
175:
Another factor of density is temperature. Thermohaline (literally meaning heat-salty) currents are very influenced by heat. Cold water from glaciers, icebergs, etc. descends to join the ultra-deep, cold section of the worldwide
Thermohaline current. After spending an exceptionally long time in the
247:
Subsurface currents have a large effect on life on earth. They flow beneath the surface of the water, allowing them to be relatively free of external influence. Thus, they function like clockwork, providing nutrient transportation, water transfer, etc., as well as affecting the ocean floor and
133:
of the
Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, the California Undercurrent, and the Agulhas Undercurrent, the deep thermohaline circulation in the Atlantic, and bottom gravity currents near Antarctica. The forcing mechanisms vary for these different types of subsurface currents.
166:
exchange. The saltier waters of the
Mediterranean sink to the bottom and flow along there, until they reach the ledge between the two bodies of water. At this point, they rush over the ledge into the Atlantic, pushing the less saline surface water into the Mediterranean.
239:. The word is derived from Nordic words meaning to grind and stream. Essentially, the maelstrom is a large, very powerful whirlpool, a large swirling body of water being drawn down and inward toward its center. This is usually the result of tidal currents.
146:, epitomized by the Thermohaline current. The density current works on a basic principle: the denser water sinks to the bottom, separating from the less dense water, and causing an opposite reaction from it. There are numerous factors controlling density.
176:
depths, it eventually heats up, rising to join the higher
Thermohaline current section. Because of the temperature and expansiveness of the Thermohaline current, it is substantially slower, taking nearly 1000 years to run its worldwide circuit.
202:
An entirely different class of subsurface current is caused by friction with surface currents and objects. When the wind or some other surface force compels surface currents into motion, some of this is translated into subsurface motion. The
227:, caused when forces push water against some obstacle (like a rock), causing it to pile up there. The water at the bottom of the pileup flows away from it, causing a subsidence current.
296:
Pierce, S.D.; Smith, R.L.; Kosro, P.M.; Barth, J.A.; Wilson, C.D. (May 2000). "Continuity of the poleward undercurrent along the eastern boundary of the mid-latitude north
Pacific".
211:, is the standard for this transfer of energy. The Ekman Spiral works as follows: when the surface moves, the subsurface inherits some -but not all- of this motion. Due to the
190:
One factor of density is so unique that it warrants its own current type. This is the turbidity current. Turbidity current is caused when the density of water is increased by
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Various subsurface currents conflict at times, causing bizarre wave patterns. One of the most noticeable of these is the
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Deep-Sea
Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography
129:
that runs beneath surface currents. Examples include the
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49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
16:
Oceanic currents that flow beneath surface currents
1345:North West Shelf Operational Oceanographic System
336:"A time-series of Agulhas Undercurrent transport"
1335:Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis
387:
8:
158:of water, a prime example of this being the
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380:
372:
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109:Learn how and when to remove this message
223:The final type of subsurface current is
269:
666:one-dimensional Saint-Venant equations
7:
1613:
47:adding citations to reliable sources
1493:National Oceanographic Data Center
920:World Ocean Circulation Experiment
808:Global Ocean Data Analysis Project
284:. American Meteorological Society.
14:
1340:Global Sea Level Observing System
1623:
1612:
1603:
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798:Geochemical Ocean Sections Study
714:
703:
142:The most common of these is the
23:
1528:Ocean thermal energy conversion
1251:Vine–Matthews–Morley hypothesis
34:needs additional citations for
294:Pierce, S. D. et al (2000). "[
1:
318:10.1016/S0967-0645(99)00128-9
788:El Niño–Southern Oscillation
758:Craik–Leibovich vortex force
514:Luke's variational principle
1672:
853:Ocean dynamical thermostat
701:
183:
58:"Subsurface ocean current"
1598:
1388:Ocean acoustic tomography
1201:Mohorovičić discontinuity
793:General circulation model
429:Benjamin–Feir instability
1518:Ocean surface topography
893:Thermohaline circulation
883:Subsurface ocean current
823:Hydrothermal circulation
656:Wave–current interaction
434:Boussinesq approximation
131:Equatorial Undercurrents
123:subsurface ocean current
1555:Sea surface temperature
1538:Outline of oceanography
733:Atmospheric circulation
671:shallow water equations
661:Waves and shallow water
554:Significant wave height
282:Glossary of Meteorology
1550:Sea surface microlayer
915:Wind generated current
1383:Deep scattering layer
1365:World Geodetic System
873:Princeton Ocean Model
753:Coriolis–Stokes force
403:Physical oceanography
361:10.1175/2009JPO4195.1
248:submarine processes.
1403:Underwater acoustics
963:Perigean spring tide
828:Langmuir circulation
539:Rossby-gravity waves
278:"subsurface current"
43:improve this article
1565:Science On a Sphere
1171:Convergent boundary
843:Modular Ocean Model
803:Geostrophic current
519:Mild-slope equation
352:2009JPO....39.2436B
310:2000DSRII..47..811P
1221:Seafloor spreading
1211:Outer trench swell
1176:Divergent boundary
1076:Continental margin
1061:Carbonate platform
958:Lunitidal interval
209:Vagn Walfrid Ekman
1638:
1637:
1630:Oceans portal
1590:World Ocean Atlas
1580:Underwater glider
1523:Ocean temperature
1186:Hydrothermal vent
1151:Submarine volcano
1086:Continental shelf
1066:Coastal geography
1056:Bathymetric chart
938:Amphidromic point
626:Wave nonlinearity
484:Infragravity wave
340:J. Phys. Oceanogr
186:Turbidity current
180:Turbidity current
119:
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111:
93:
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1628:
1627:
1616:
1615:
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1545:Pelagic sediment
1483:Marine pollution
1277:Deep ocean water
1146:Submarine canyon
1081:Continental rise
973:Rule of twelfths
888:Sverdrup balance
818:Humboldt Current
743:Boundary current
718:
707:
524:Radiation stress
494:Iribarren number
469:Equatorial waves
424:Ballantine scale
419:Airy wave theory
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328:
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304:(5–6): 811–829.
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1350:Sea-level curve
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1260:
1246:Transform fault
1196:Mid-ocean ridge
1162:
1155:
1121:Oceanic plateau
1027:
1013:Tidal resonance
983:Theory of tides
924:
833:Longshore drift
783:Ekman transport
719:
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712:
711:
710:
709:
708:
699:
651:Wave turbulence
584:Trochoidal wave
509:Longshore drift
405:
400:
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346:(10): 2436–50.
330:
329:
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213:Coriolis Effect
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144:density current
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138:Density current
127:oceanic current
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1651:Ocean currents
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1570:Stratification
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1460:Color of water
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1455:Benthic lander
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1371:
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1360:Sea level rise
1357:
1355:Sea level drop
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1223:
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1213:
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1203:
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1191:Marine geology
1188:
1183:
1178:
1173:
1167:
1165:
1157:
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1131:Passive margin
1128:
1126:Oceanic trench
1123:
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1103:
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1073:
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923:
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917:
912:
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901:
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870:
865:
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858:Ocean dynamics
855:
850:
845:
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835:
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820:
815:
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805:
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795:
790:
785:
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748:Coriolis force
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721:
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569:Stokes problem
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504:Kinematic wave
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1478:Marine energy
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1471:
1469:
1468:
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1445:Acidification
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1398:SOFAR channel
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1224:
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1206:Oceanic crust
1204:
1202:
1199:
1197:
1194:
1192:
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1182:
1181:Fracture zone
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1137:
1134:
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1127:
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1116:Oceanic basin
1114:
1112:
1109:
1107:
1104:
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1079:
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1059:
1057:
1054:
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1047:
1046:Abyssal plain
1044:
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1030:
1024:
1021:
1019:
1016:
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986:
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961:
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953:Internal tide
951:
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848:Ocean current
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646:Wave shoaling
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489:Internal wave
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439:Breaking wave
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231:Wave Patterns
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160:Mediterranean
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32:This article
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1656:Oceanography
1585:Water column
1533:Oceanography
1508:Observations
1503:Explorations
1473:Marginal sea
1466:
1424:OSTM/Jason-2
1256:Volcanic arc
1231:Slab suction
948:Head of tide
882:
838:Loop Current
778:Ekman spiral
564:Stokes drift
474:Gravity wave
449:Cnoidal wave
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258:Oceanography
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205:Ekman Spiral
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198:Ekman Spiral
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41:Please help
36:verification
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1575:Thermocline
1292:Mesopelagic
1265:Ocean zones
1236:Slab window
1101:Hydrography
1041:Abyssal fan
1008:Tidal range
998:Tidal power
993:Tidal force
878:Rip current
813:Gulf Stream
773:Ekman layer
763:Downwelling
738:Baroclinity
725:Circulation
621:Wave height
611:Wave action
594:megatsunami
574:Stokes wave
534:Rossby wave
499:Kelvin wave
479:Green's law
171:Temperature
154:One is the
1645:Categories
1513:Reanalysis
1412:Satellites
1393:Sofar bomb
1241:Subduction
1216:Ridge push
1111:Ocean bank
1091:Contourite
1018:Tide gauge
1003:Tidal race
988:Tidal bore
978:Slack tide
943:Earth tide
863:Ocean gyre
683:Wind setup
678:Wind fetch
641:Wave setup
636:Wave radar
631:Wave power
529:Rogue wave
459:Dispersion
264:References
225:subsidence
219:Subsidence
69:newspapers
1375:Acoustics
1327:Sea level
1226:Slab pull
1163:tectonics
1071:Cold seep
1033:Landforms
910:Whirlpool
905:Upwelling
688:Wind wave
616:Wave base
544:Sea state
464:Edge wave
454:Cross sea
237:Maelstrom
1608:Category
1560:Seawater
1287:Littoral
1282:Deep sea
1141:Seamount
1023:Tideline
968:Rip tide
898:shutdown
868:Overflow
601:Undertow
444:Clapotis
334:(2009).
252:See also
192:sediment
164:Atlantic
156:salinity
150:Salinity
1618:Commons
1488:Mooring
1438:Related
1429:Jason-3
1419:Jason-1
1302:Pelagic
1297:Oceanic
1272:Benthic
589:Tsunami
559:Soliton
348:Bibcode
306:Bibcode
83:scholar
1307:Photic
1136:Seabed
549:Seiche
243:Effect
125:is an
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1498:Ocean
1467:Alvin
1317:Swash
1161:Plate
1106:Knoll
1096:Guyot
1051:Atoll
930:Tides
693:model
579:Swell
411:Waves
90:JSTOR
76:books
1465:DSV
1450:Argo
1312:Surf
768:Eddy
62:news
356:doi
314:doi
45:by
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