NASA: The Thermohaline Circulation (The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt) [720p]

[exarkunrocks]

why do the arrows look like racing sperm cells to me...? i can't be the only one that saw that

[djxatlanta]

@exarkunrocks - I think you may be the only one... ;-) Now if the arrow tails had a helical motion to them, then I would say yes, they would be sperm-like. ;-)

[lilaclila90]

how much time taken by the arrow(flow of water), to reach the same point, after it circulate in this great conveyor belt?

[djxatlanta]

@lilaclila90 - the answer to your question is in the second-to-last paragraph. =)

[lilaclila90]

@djxatlanta thank you. =)

[phpfanboi]

So how long until Japans nuclear waste is carried around the world? I can't believe how catastrophic it is , for such a high technological country i definitely thought there would be fail safe plans for these types of natural disasters involving nuclear powered systems.

[MightyTheMonkey]

school

[88blockNS]

I've got a question. If you went far enough down into the ocean, would the current be visible? Like in the movie Finding Nemo? If so, is there any video footage?

[Thepoliticman]

@88blockNS Not at all... lol, its far to big and its not that fast... in finding nemo it was a small current going at a super high speed. I might be wrong and that current in finding nemo WAS the current.... but hmmm

[gamble2611]

@Thepoliticman The closest thing to the current in Nemo would have been one of the narrow fast flowing western boundary currents, like the Gulf stream or Kuroshio current. The deep water circulation is far slower than these. Besides... its a kids film, not a science documentary, the factual correctness wouldn't have been their top priority...

[djxatlanta]

@88blockNS - I can't recall if I've seen videos of current, but I suggest doing a search on YouTube for something similar -- "brine pools" -- they are ponds of water discovered at the bottom of the ocean with a high salinity content that have their own flat surfaces and waves.

[4brotherskids]

so warn gulf water is bounced back as cold artic water

[wideawake73]

I think its almost time to watch the day after tomorrow again lol . . .

[findlesx]

The description is incorrect

The water in the depths is more salty, due to the arctic sea ice... Thats how the water drops and becomes cold etc etc...

[djxatlanta]

@findlesx - I invite you to take up your issues with NASA, but I have a feeling that the scientists who actually study ocean currents for a living do know what they're talking about. Cheers! =)

[findlesx]

@djxatlanta - Thermo = Heat Haline = Salt Cold water is denser than warm water. Salt water is denser than fresh water. Deep water is saltier and colder than surface water therefore, Deep water is denser than surface water. Evaporative Cooling: "Evaporation removes only molecules of pure water, resulting in an increase in the salinity of the seawater left behind, and thus an increase in the density of the water mass." Don't worry we all feel stupid sometimes!

[djxatlanta]

@findlesx - I didn't write the description -- NASA did. So, again, I invite you to take up your dispute with them. I added the original source link to the bottom of the description at which you can find the names of all the scientists involved in the production of the animation. Cheers! =)

[HostileNegotiator]

@djxatlanta The science in the description is correct :)

[shorroll]

Will it work with a bunch of oil?

Looks like that somthing we need

[shorroll]

Will it work with oil?

Looks like that somthing we need

[djxatlanta]

@shorroll - it won't be long until the spill enters the Gulf Stream, which will take it around Florida and up the Atlantic coast.

[0746lauralynn]

@shorroll....not likely that it will work with oil... will could cause the slowdown or shutdown of the Thermohaline Circulation that mixes temperature and salinity, something we need, and regulates the density of ocean water causing abrupt regional cooling and mini-ice age in coastal areas around the Atlantic and possibly bake the southern hemishere with all the trapped air....it looks like the Hopi prophecy may be right...and you will hear of the sea turning black...

[kyradepinguin]

wow, impressive,beatifully done, i just don't get when it gets back to the surface

[djxatlanta]

@kyradepinguin - it is kind of complicated... in the animation, the water heads south through the Atlantic Ocean, than east along the Southern Ocean, counterclockwise around the Indian Ocean (where it goes back to the surface) and back north through the Atlantic. But it's not all one continuous motion -- multiple streams branch off throughout the entire process.

[kyradepinguin]

@djxatlanta thank you anyway for taking the time to tell me. i have to know it for my final exam, and stuff

[Kostly]

@kyradepinguin Just imagine what water does. Follows the path of least resistance. Now take into account the earth spinning at over 1000 mph. The winds that occur, as well. See how beautiful it is? Now add some heavy liquid to it. See how poorly it works? Very simple physics.

[engelmohr2006]

incredible and this is what manipulates and controls our weather climate system awesome

[djxatlanta]

@engelmohr2006 - it's one part of the entire puzzle that is climate. The placement of the continents (which change the face of the planet over the timescale of tens of millions of years) and their geology (specifically mountain ranges), the Earth's tilt (which wobbles over the span of thousands of years, the shape of Earth's orbit (which changes over millions of years) -- these all affect climate, too.

[Kostly]

@djxatlanta YEs and it's about to change in a very abrupt way.

[Kostly]

@engelmohr2006 you have NO idea.

[Thepoliticman]

@engelmohr2006 mmmhmmm, so random right? no god did that or anything.. ya some explosion out of nothing happened and this rock cooled and water appeared and... ya... mhmmm, yup, makes sense huh?

[Gagare1952]

GREAT

[ananiasacts]

It would be better if the arrows were colored to reflect their temperature and sized to reflect their salinity levels. Just seeing the paths doesn't convey much information.

[djxatlanta]

@ananiasacts - I agree... but this NASA animation was purposely designed to show the general idea of how the salt water cycle works... there's another animation from NASA that does show what you're looking for -- do a Google search on "Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio," and once you're there, enter the keywords "ocean circulation," and you should find it easily. Cheers!

[ananiasacts]

@djxatlanta, Thanks. It's a nice resource. They should put more of that stuff on YT.

[Kostly]

@ananiasacts All you need to know is that oil is going to be a wrench in the gears. It's VERY simple.

[hereisjenny]

muy interesante

[asmasadaqat]

very informative

[2Gballer]

amazing pic

[TNTJahv1er]

very cool