sea circulation Label

DefGEMET: Large-scale horizontal water motion within an ocean. The way energy from the sun, stored in the sea, is transported around the world. The currents explain, for example, why the UK has ice-free ports in winter, while St. Petersburg, at the same latitude as the Shetland Islands, needs ice breakers. Evidence is growing that the world's ocean circulation was very different during the last ice age and has changed several times in the distant past, with dramatic effects on climate. The oceans are vital as storehouses, as they absorb more than half the sun's heat reaching the earth. ... (Source: MGH / WRIGHT)