Circulation, oceanic conveyor belt

The ocean conveyor belt is one of the major elements of today s ocean circulation system (Broecker, 1997). A key feature is that it delivers an enormous amount of heat to the North Atlantic and this has profound implications for past, present, and probably future climates. 

The density of the water controls the deepwater circulation. If the density of a water body increases, it has a tendency to sink. Subsequently, it will spread out over a horizon of uniform circulatory system is also known as thermohaline circulation. As shown in Figure 5 of the ocean conveyor belt, the densest oceanic waters are formed in Polar Regions due to the relatively low temperatures and the salinity increase that results from ice formation. Antarctic Bottom Water (ABW) is generated in the Weddell Sea and flows northward into the South Atlantic. North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW)... 

Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the thermohaline circulation of the world ocean, also know as the great ocean conveyor belt, highlighting polar regions of deepwater formation, deepwater circulation eastward from the poles and the returning westward surface water flow (Adapted from IPCC, 2001. )...

A natural oceanic phenomenon whereby cold water in the Arctic/North Atlantic sinks to the ocean floor and then circulates at depth around the world, to surface eventually in the Indian and Pacific oceans some hundreds of years later. This circulation is sometimes called the Ocean conveyor belt, the Great ocean conveyer, the Global conveyor belt, or, most commonly, the Meridional overturning circulation (often abbreviated as MOC). 

Deeper yet, water may enter the "Great Ocean Conveyor Belt" (Figure 2.2 [28]) where thermohaline circulation driven by variations in temperature and salinity affects the three-dimensional movement of the ocean s waters around the earth [29, 30]. As Arctic air chills the oceans near Iceland and sea ice forms, the salinity and density of the water at the surface increase... 

Great Ocean Conveyor Belt. (From Philippe Rekacewicz, UNEP/GRID-Arendal (http //www.grida.no/graphicslib/detail/world-ocean-thermohaline-circulation 57ea). With permission.)... 

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