The California Current is a Pacific Ocean current that travels south along the west coast of North America, beginning in southern British Columbia and ending south of the Baja California Peninsula. This is regarded as the eastern boundary due to the influence of the North American coastline on its path. It is also one of the five main beach currents affiliated with a strong upwelling zone, the other being the Humboldt Flow, the Canary Flow, the Benguela Current and the Somali Current. The California stream is part of the North Pacific Pilin, a large rotating stream that occupies the northern Pacific basin.
Video California Current
Physical properties
Alaska's movement and northern ocean currents to the south on the west coast produce much cooler ocean temperatures than at comparable latitudes on the east coast of the United States, where ocean currents come from the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic. The cooler ocean currents along the west coast also make the summer temperatures cooler on the west coast compared to the east coast. For example, Half Moon Bay at 37 degrees of latitude has no moon with average height above 67Ã, Â ° F (19Ã, Â ° C) and San Francisco often stays below 70Ã, Â ° F (21Ã, Â ° C) in the summer, while Virginia Beach, VA close to the same latitude has six months when temperatures are high above 70 ° F (21 ° C).
In addition, extensive upwelling of the cooler sub-surface surfaces occurs, caused by prevailing northwest winds that act through the Ekman Effect. The wind pushes the surface water to the right of the wind flow, ie offshore, which draws water up from below to replace it. The upwelling further cools the now-cool California Current. This is a mechanism that produces a characteristic coastal haze of California and the cool ocean waters. As a result, the temperature of the ocean waves is much cooler along the Pacific coast than the Atlantic coast. For example, the average July SST (temperature of sea level) in New York City at 40.7 degrees latitude is 73 Â ° F (23 Â ° C), while at the same latitude in Eureka, CA is 57 Â ° F ( 14 ° C). C). Thus, ocean wave temperatures rarely above 66Ã, Â ° F (19Ã, Â ° C) during summer along the southern California coast to San Diego, while they are often above 80 Ã, Â ° F (27Ã, Â ° C ) on the east coast. from North Carolina to the south.
Cold water is very productive because upwelling, which brings to the surface of nutrient-rich sediments, supports large populations of whales, seabirds and important fisheries. The wind from the right direction and the power to induce upwelling is more common in the presence of Eastern border currents, such as the Flow of California. The production of phytoplankton increases dramatically in these areas because nutrient-rich water located beneath the pycnocline is relatively close to the surface and thus easily rises upward. Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography said in 2011 that the average surface temperature of water at Scripps Pier has risen almost 3 degrees since 1950.
The "Bakwell upwelling index" is based on an average of 20 years of average monthly average transportation for various regions off the coast of California. This ranges from 300 meters-diced/sec (in the offshore direction) to -212 meters-diced/second (towards shore, or landline). There is a year-round ride from the coast of Southern California, but this is the strongest in the summer. Off the coast of Oregon and Washington, there is strong downwelling in the winter months, and upwelling in the region is limited in April to September.
Maps California Current
Biological properties
Primary production is an interesting topic among those studying the Flow of California. In their study, Hayward and Venrick (1982) found great variability in both biomass and phytoplankton productivity in the Flow of California. The differences observed by Hayward and Venrick in the level of carbon fixation (0.2-2.0 grams of carbon/(meter-squared ÃÆ'â € "day)) exhibit heterogeneous properties of the California Flow, with a combination of advected (see advection) and water free up.. Several studies have investigated the carbon flow from primary production to the stock of pelagic fish dependent on the Flow of California. Lasker (1988) described the powerful "jets and sprayers" in northern and central California. This 'jet and spray' moves a large amount of cool, nutrient-rich water offshore. This water is then carried by the California Current to the south and adds significant primary production to the sardine population.
Related Flow
The narrower and weaker opponent currents, the Davidson Stream, sometimes move slightly warmer to the north during the winter months. During El NiÃÆ'Â ± o events, the California Flow is disrupted, causing a decrease in phytoplankton, resulting in effects flowing into the food chain, such as fishery decline, seabird breeding failure and death of marine mammals (Schwing et al., 2003). In 2005, failure in predicted upwelling events was not predicted, unrelated to El NiÃÆ' Â ± o, causing the collapse of krill in the current, leading to the same effect (Schwing et al., 2003).
In Southern California Bight, California Current sub-region has unique physical properties. Upwelling is fairly weak in California Bight and Smith and Eppley (1982) state that the average of 16 years for primary production is 0.402 grams of carbon/(meter-squared ÃÆ'â € "day), or about 150 grams of carbon/(meter-squared Year ). Further, Smith and Eppley (1982) found that the highest daily rates of temperature drop correlated with the maximum amount of upwelling. Digiacomo and Holt (2001) used satellite imagery to study the mesoscale and sub-mesoscale spins in the Southern California Bight. Their work shows that all vortices are less than 50 km in diameter and 70% of all vortices are less than 10 km. Eddies seem to be largely due to topography (mainly islands), wind, and instability in the currents. The location of this vortex is mainly between the Flow of California (flowing towards the equator) and the shoreline. The majority of these eddies are cyclones and have the ability to induce nutrient-rich upwelling of water. Small scale topographic features such as capes have been shown to have substantial effects on the dynamics of benthic invertebrate populations, such as changes in crab and marine land urchin patterns.
In popular culture
In the Disney/Pixar animated 2016 Finding Dory film, the Flow of California is described as a superhighway used by fish and turtles to travel to California. Marlin, Nemo and Dory characters join a group of sea turtles using the Flow of California, through the East Australian Stream, to help them travel to Morro Bay, California.
References
- Carina Stanton. Warmer oceans might kill West Coast marine life. Seattle Times . July 13, 2005. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- Schwing, M.R., Mendelssohn, R., Bograd, S.J. 2003. The El Nino Impact of the Current California Ecosystem. Report produced by NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Science Science Center. 1-8.
External links
- Information on the laws and regulations of the California Greatest Ecosystem of the Current Landscape
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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