Fig. 1 Layer Four |
Expectations were that a Dredd Blog series or so would bring out useful data (World Ocean Database Project, 2).
One of the issues mentioned in the second post, which has not yet been fully covered is "Ocean Layer Content" such as Salinity, Oxygen, Chlorophyll, and Pressure (see WOD's User Manual, PDF, p. 19).
Fig. 2 Water temperature |
But, let's do so in the context of "mixing" (Fig. 7), since it plays into the parallel series (The Layered Approach To Big Water, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) and (On Thermal Expansion & Thermal Contraction, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13).
Fig. 3 Salinity |
For example: "Antarctica is stable and will not melt from climate change," which has recently morphed into "East Antarctica is stable and will not melt from climate change," which has now morphed into "East Antarctica is melting too."
Another example: "the ocean layers are stable and do not mix well," and this:
Stability as used here refers to vertical motions of ocean water. A system is described as stable if it tends to persist in its original state without changing. Following a disturbance (i.e., vertical motion), a stable system returns to its initial state or condition. As noted above, the usual stable state of the ocean features a layer of water that is warmest near its interface with the atmosphere (the mixed layer) and the mixed layer overlies water that becomes denser with increasing depth (the pycnocline). Strong storm winds may temporarily disturb this stable stratification bringing colder than usual water to the surface. Once the wind slackens, however, the original layered structure is soon restored.(Ocean Motion, cf this). Those are two examples that have fallen by the wayside and are destined to become missing in upcoming, more accurate textbooks.
Fig. 4 Oxygen |
Even the deepest ocean bottom shows evidence that gross pollution has been reaching even there (‘Extremely High Levels’ Of Toxic Pollutants Found In Deepest Parts Of World’s Oceans).
Fig. 5 Chlorophyll |
Fig. 6 Pressure |
The ocean is filled with pollution we can actually see (New Continent Found - Garbage Gyre II, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10).
Fig. 7 On Traditional Mixing Concepts |
By "us" I mean the human civilization that is currently treating its life support systems recklessly (Civilization Is Now On Suicide Watch, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).
The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.
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