Climatic zones of the oceans. Pacific Ocean. Climate and properties of water masses Climatic zones of the Atlantic Ocean

Everyone knows that water occupies most of the globe. The largest ocean in the world in terms of area and depth is the Pacific Ocean. It extends from North and South America to the continent of Eurasia, in the south it washes Antarctica. Therefore, the factors influencing the climate of the Pacific Ocean are very diverse.

The influence of the Earth's climatic zones on the climate of the Pacific Ocean

Since the Pacific Ocean water basin is huge, it affects all climate zones of the Earth. For example:

• tropical;
• subequatorial;
• equatorial;
• subarctic;
• moderate;
• subtropical;
• subantarctic.

Climatic zones, due to the influence of continents and solar radiation, conditionally divide the ocean into zones with different atmospheric pressure. For example, there is an area of ​​low pressure at the equator. Further to the south and north it changes to an area of ​​high pressure. As a result, an alternation of regions occurs and under this influence of the atmosphere winds (trade winds) and ocean currents arise.

The influence of winds and precipitation on climate

Air masses passing over the surface of the ocean are saturated with moisture. It is interesting to note that the amount of precipitation that falls in the coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean also varies depending on the distance from the equator.

Let's consider the principle of storm formation. Due to the difference in pressure at the boundaries of climatic zones, as well as under the influence of the Asian continent, from which dry and cold air blows, strong hurricanes and typhoons form in the southern hemisphere of the Earth. Sometimes they are destructive. Not only are the economies of Asia-Pacific countries suffering, but there may also be loss of life. Major hurricanes are given names such as:

• Dolphin (formed in May 2015);
• Muifa (April 2017);
• Talim (September 2017);
• Hanoun (October 2017);
• Damri (November 2017).

In the Pacific Ocean, from 30 to 80 typhoons are formed per year. The most dangerous months, when the number of hurricanes is maximum, are from June to October.

Humanity has not yet learned to stop the destructive power of typhoons, but their timely detection, with the help of meteorological satellites, allows us to avoid numerous casualties, since people have time to leave the danger zone.

Physical geography of continents and oceans

OCEANS

PACIFIC OCEAN

Climate and hydrological conditions of the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean extends between 60° north and south latitude. In the north, it is almost closed by the landmass of Eurasia and North America, separated from each other only by the shallow Bering Strait with its smallest width of 86 km, connecting the Bering Sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean with the Chukchi Sea, which is part of the Arctic Ocean.

Eurasia and North America extend south all the way to the Tropic of the North in the form of vast, massive land areas that represent centers of formation of continental air that can influence the climate and hydrological conditions of neighboring parts of the ocean. To the south of the Northern Tropic, the land becomes fragmented; up to the coast of Antarctica, its large land areas are only Australia in the southwest of the ocean and South America in the east, especially its extended part between the equator and 20° S latitude. South of 40° S. The Pacific Ocean, together with the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, merge into a single water surface, uninterrupted by large areas of land, over which oceanic air of temperate latitudes is formed, and into which Antarctic air masses freely penetrate.

The Pacific Ocean reaches greatest width(almost 20 thousand km) within the tropical-equatorial space, i.e. in that part where the thermal energy of the sun is most intensively and regularly received throughout the year. Because of this, the Pacific Ocean receives more solar heat throughout the year than other parts of the world's oceans. And since the distribution of heat in the atmosphere and on the water surface depends not only on the direct distribution of solar radiation, but also on the air exchange between land and water surface and water exchange between different parts of the World Ocean, it is quite clear that the thermal equator over the Pacific Ocean is shifted to the northern hemisphere and runs approximately between 5 and 10°N latitude, and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean is generally warmer than the southern one.

Let's look at the main pressure systems, which determine meteorological conditions (wind activity, precipitation, air temperature), as well as the hydrological regime of surface waters (current systems, temperature of surface and subsurface waters, salinity) of the Pacific Ocean throughout the year. First of all, this is a subequatorial depression (calm zone), somewhat expanded towards the northern hemisphere. This is especially pronounced in the summer of the northern hemisphere, when a vast and deep pressure depression is established over highly heated Eurasia, centered in the Indus River basin. Streams of moisture-unstable air from subtropical high pressure centers of both the northern and southern hemispheres rush towards this depression. Most of the northern half of the Pacific Ocean at this time is occupied by the North Pacific High, along the southern and eastern periphery of which the monsoons blow towards Eurasia. They are associated with heavy rainfall, the amount of which increases towards the south. The second monsoon flow moves from the southern hemisphere, from the side of the subtropical high pressure belt. In the northwest there is a weakened westerly transport towards North America.

In the southern hemisphere, where it is winter at this time, strong westerly winds carrying air from temperate latitudes cover the waters of all three oceans south of the parallel of 40° S. almost to the shores of Antarctica, where they are replaced by easterly and southeasterly winds blowing from the mainland. The westerly transport operates at these latitudes of the southern hemisphere in the summer, but with less force. Winter conditions in these latitudes are characterized by heavy precipitation, stormy winds, and high waves. With a large number of icebergs and floating sea ice, travel in this part of the world's oceans poses great dangers. It is not for nothing that sailors have long called these latitudes “the roaring forties.”

At the corresponding latitudes in the northern hemisphere, the dominant atmospheric process is also westerly transport, but due to the fact that this part of the Pacific Ocean is closed by land from the north, west and east, in winter the meteorological situation there is slightly different than in the southern hemisphere. With the westerly transport, cold and dry continental air from Eurasia enters the ocean. It is involved in the closed system of the Aleutian Low, which forms over the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, is transformed and is carried by southwestern winds to the shores of North America, leaving heavy precipitation in the coastal zone and on the slopes of the Cordillera of Alaska and Canada.

Wind systems, water exchange, topography features of the ocean floor, the position of continents and the outlines of their coasts influence the formation of surface ocean currents, and these, in turn, determine many features of the hydrological regime. In the Pacific Ocean, with its vast size within the intertropical space, there is a powerful system of currents generated by the trade winds of the northern and southern hemispheres. In accordance with the direction of movement of the trade winds along the equatorward outskirts of the North Pacific and South Pacific maximums, these currents move from east to west, reaching a width of more than 2000 km. The Northern Trade Wind Current heads from the coast of Central America to the Philippine Islands, where it splits into two branches. The southern one partially spreads over the interisland seas and partially feeds the surface inter-trade wind countercurrent running along the equator and to the north of it, moving towards the Central American isthmus. The northern, more powerful branch of the North Trade Wind Current heads towards the island of Taiwan, and then enters the East China Sea, skirting the Japanese islands from the east, giving rise to a powerful system of warm currents in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean: this is the Kuroshio, or Japan Current, moving at a speed of 25 to 80 cm/s. Near the island of Kyushu, the Kuroshio branches, and one of the branches enters the Sea of ​​Japan under the name of the Tsushima Current, the other goes out into the ocean and follows along the eastern coast of Japan, until at 40 ° N. latitude. it is not pushed to the east by the cold Kuril-Kamchatka countercurrent, or Oyashio. The continuation of the Kuroshio to the east is called the Kuroshio Drift, and then the North Pacific Current, which heads towards the shores of North America at a speed of 25-50 cm/s. In the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean, north of the 40th parallel, the North Pacific Current branches into the warm Alaska Current, heading towards the shores of Southern Alaska, and the cold California Current. The latter, following along the coast of the mainland, south of the tropic flows into the Northern Trade Wind Current, closing the northern gyre of the Pacific Ocean.

Most of the Pacific Ocean north of the equator experiences high surface water temperatures. This is facilitated by the large width of the ocean in the intertropical space, as well as by the system of currents that carry the warm waters of the Northern Trade Wind Current north along the coast of Eurasia and its neighboring islands.

Northern Trade Wind Current All year long it carries water with a temperature of 25... 29 °C. High surface water temperatures (up to a depth of approximately 700 m) persist within Kuroshio to almost 40° N latitude. (27...28 °C in August and up to 20 °C in February), as well as within the North Pacific Current (18...23 °C in August and 7... 16 °C in February). A significant cooling effect on the northeast of Eurasia up to the north of the Japanese Islands is exerted by the cold Kamchatka-Kuril Current originating in the Bering Sea, which in winter is intensified by cold waters coming from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. From year to year, its power fluctuates greatly depending on the severity of winters in the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. The area of ​​the Kuril Islands and Hokkaido is one of the few in the North Pacific Ocean where there is ice in winter. At 40° N latitude when meeting the Kuroshio Current, the Kuril Current plunges to depth and flows into the North Pacific. In general, the temperature of the waters of the northern part of the Pacific Ocean is higher than in the southern part at the same latitudes (5...8 °C in August in the Bering Strait). This is partly due to limited water exchange with the Arctic Ocean due to the threshold in the Bering Strait.

Southern Trade Wind Current moves along the equator from the coast of South America to the west and even enters the northern hemisphere to approximately 5° N latitude. In the area of ​​the Moluccas Islands, it branches: the bulk of the water, together with the Northern Trade Wind Current, enters the Inter-Trade Wind Countercurrent system, and the other branch penetrates the Coral Sea and, moving along the coast of Australia, forms the warm East Australian Current, which flows into the current off the coast of the island of Tasmania Western winds. The temperature of surface waters in the South Trade Wind Current is 22...28 °C, in the East Australian Current in winter it changes from north to south from 20 to 11 °C, in summer - from 26 to 15 °C.

Circumpolar Antarctic, or Western Wind Current, enters the Pacific Ocean south of Australia and New Zealand and moves in a sublatitudinal direction to the shores of South America, where its main branch deviates to the north and, passing along the coasts of Chile and Peru under the name of the Peruvian Current, turns west, joining the South Trade Wind , and closes the South Pacific Gyre. The Peruvian Current carries relatively cold waters and reduces the air temperature over the ocean and off the western coasts of South America almost to the equator to 15...20 °C.

In distribution salinity surface waters in the Pacific Ocean there are certain patterns. With an average ocean salinity of 34.5-34.6%o, maximum values ​​(35.5 and 36.5%o) are observed in zones of intense trade wind circulation of the northern and southern hemispheres (respectively between 20 and 30° N and 10 and 20° S) This is due to a decrease in precipitation and an increase in evaporation compared to the equatorial regions. Up to the forties latitudes of both hemispheres in the open part of the ocean, salinity is 34-35% o. Salinity is lowest in high latitudes and in coastal areas of the northern part of the ocean (32-33% o). There, this is due to the melting of sea ice and icebergs and the desalinating effect of river runoff, so there are significant seasonal variations in salinity.

The size and configuration of the largest of the Earth's oceans, the features of its connections with other parts of the World Ocean, as well as the size and configuration of the surrounding land areas and the associated directions of circulation processes in the atmosphere created a number of features Pacific Ocean: average annual and seasonal temperatures of its surface waters are higher than in other oceans; The part of the ocean located in the northern hemisphere is generally much warmer than the southern part, but in both hemispheres the western part is warmer and receives more precipitation than the eastern part.

The Pacific Ocean, to a greater extent than other parts of the World Ocean, is the arena for the emergence of an atmospheric process known as tropical cyclones or hurricanes. These are vortices of small diameter (no more than 300-400 km) and high speed (30-50 km/h). They form within the tropical trade wind convergence zone, usually during the summer and autumn of the northern hemisphere, and move first in accordance with the direction of the prevailing winds, from west to east, and then along the continents to the north and south. For the formation and development of hurricanes, a vast expanse of water is required, heated from the surface to at least 26 ° C, and atmospheric energy, which would impart forward motion to the resulting atmospheric cyclone. The characteristics of the Pacific Ocean (its size, in particular, its width within the intertropical space, and the maximum surface water temperatures for the World Ocean) create conditions over its waters that are conducive to the formation and development of tropical cyclones.

The passage of tropical cyclones is accompanied by catastrophic events: winds of destructive force, strong waves on the open sea, heavy rainfall, flooding of plains on adjacent land, floods and destruction leading to severe disasters and loss of life. Moving along the coasts of continents, the most powerful hurricanes go beyond the intratropical space, transforming into extratropical cyclones, sometimes reaching great strength.

The main area of ​​origin of tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean is located south of the Tropic of the North, east of the Philippine Islands. Moving initially to the west and northwest, they reach the coast of Southeast China (in Asian countries these vortices have the Chinese name “typhoon”) and move along the continent, deviating towards the Japanese and Kuril Islands.

The branches of these hurricanes, deviating to the west south of the tropic, penetrate into the interisland seas of the Sunda archipelago, into the northern part of the Indian Ocean and cause destruction in the lowlands of Indochina and Bengal. Hurricanes originating in the southern hemisphere north of the Tropic of the South move towards the coast of North-Western Australia. There they are called locally "BILLY-BILLY". Another center for the generation of tropical hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean is located off the western coast of Central America, between the Tropic of the North and the equator. From there, hurricanes rush to the offshore islands and shores of California.

The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water in the world. It stretches from the very north of the planet to its south, reaching the shores of Antarctica. It reaches its greatest width at the equator, in the tropical and subtropical zones. Therefore, the climate of the Pacific Ocean is more defined as warm, because most of it is in the tropics. This ocean has both warm and cold currents. This depends on which continent the bay is adjacent to in a particular place and what atmospheric flows are formed above it.

Video: 213 Climate of the Pacific

Atmospheric circulation

In many ways, the climate of the Pacific Ocean depends on the atmospheric pressure that forms above it. In this section, geographers identify five main areas. Among them there are zones of both high and low pressure. In the subtropics in both hemispheres of the planet, two areas of high pressure form above the ocean. They are called the North Pacific or Hawaiian High and the South Pacific High. The closer to the equator, the lower the pressure becomes. We also note that the atmospheric dynamics are lower in the east than in the east. In the north and south of the ocean, dynamic lows are formed - the Aleutian and Antarctic, respectively. The northern one exists only in the winter season, while the southern one, in its atmospheric characteristics, is stable all year round.

Winds

Factors such as trade winds largely influence the climate of the Pacific Ocean. Briefly speaking, such wind currents are formed in the tropics and subtropics in both hemispheres. A system of trade winds has been established there for centuries, which determine warm currents and stable hot air temperatures. They are separated by a strip of equatorial calm. This area is mostly calm, but there are occasional light winds. In the northwestern part of the ocean, the most frequent guests are the monsoons. In winter, the wind blows from the Asian continent, bringing with it cold and dry air. In summer, the oceanic wind blows, which increases the humidity and temperature of the air. The temperate climate zone, as well as the entire southern hemisphere, is subject to strong winds. The climate of the Pacific Ocean in these areas is characterized by typhoons, hurricanes, and gusty winds.

Air temperature

In order to clearly understand what temperatures the Pacific Ocean is characterized by, the map will come to our aid. We see that this body of water is located in all climatic zones, starting from the northern, icy, passing through the equator and ending with the southern, also icy. Above the surface of the entire reservoir, the climate is subject to latitudinal zonality and winds, which bring hot or cold temperatures to certain regions. In equatorial latitudes, the thermometer shows from 20 to 28 degrees in August, approximately the same figures are observed in February. In temperate latitudes, February temperatures reach -25 Celsius, and in August the thermometer rises to +20.

Video: Pacific Ocean

Characteristics of currents, their influence on temperature

The peculiarities of the climate of the Pacific Ocean are that in the same latitudes at the same time different weather can be observed. This is how everything works out because the ocean consists of various currents that bring warm or cold cyclones here from the continents. So, first, let's look at the Northern Hemisphere. In the tropical zone, the western part of the reservoir is always warmer than the eastern. This is due to the fact that in the west the waters are warmed by the East Australian trade winds. In the east, the waters are cooled by the Peruvian and California currents. In the temperate climate zone, on the contrary, the east is warmer than the west. Here the western part is cooled by the Kuril Current, and the eastern part is heated by the Alaskan Current. If we consider the Southern Hemisphere, we will not find a significant difference between the West and the East. Here everything happens naturally, since trade winds and high latitude winds distribute the temperature over the surface of the water equally.

Clouds and pressure

Also, the climate of the Pacific Ocean depends on the atmospheric phenomena that form over one or another area. Rising air flows are observed in low pressure areas, as well as in coastal areas where there is mountainous terrain. The closer to the equator, the fewer clouds gather over the waters. In temperate latitudes they are contained in 80-70 percent, in the subtropics - 60-70%, in the tropics - 40-50%, and at the equator only 10 percent.

Precipitation

Now let's look at what weather conditions the Pacific Ocean conceals. A map of climate zones shows that the highest humidity here occurs in the tropical and subtropical zones, which are located north of the equator. Here the amount of precipitation is equal to 3000 mm. In temperate latitudes this figure is reduced to 1000-2000 mm. We also note that in the West the climate is always drier than in the East. The driest region of the ocean is considered to be the coastal zone near and off the coast of Peru. Here, due to problems with condensation, the amount of precipitation is reduced to 300-200 mm. In some areas it is extremely low and is only 30 mm.

Video: 211 History of Pacific Ocean Exploration

Climate of the Pacific seas

In the classical version, it is generally accepted that this water reservoir has three seas - the Japanese, Bering and Okhotsk seas. These bodies of water are separated from the main reservoir by islands or peninsulas, they are adjacent to continents and belong to countries, in this case Russia. Their climate is determined by the interaction of ocean and land. In the above water surface in February it is about 15-20 below zero, in the coastal zone - 4 below zero. The Sea of ​​Japan is the warmest, so the temperature there remains within +5 degrees. The most severe winters occur in the north. Here the thermometer can show below -30 degrees. In summer, the seas heat up to an average of 16-20 above zero. Naturally, Okhotsk in this case will be cold - +13-16, and Japanese can heat up to +30 or more.

Video: Pacific Ocean nature pacific ocean USA

Conclusion

The Pacific Ocean, which is essentially the largest geographical feature on the planet, is characterized by a very diverse climate. Regardless of the time of year, a certain atmospheric influence is formed over its waters, which generates low or high temperatures, strong winds or complete calms.

Climatic conditions over the territory of the Pacific Ocean are determined by its location in all climatic zones, except the polar ones. The most precipitation falls in the equator region - up to 2000 mm. Due to the fact that the Pacific Ocean is protected by land from the influence of the Arctic Ocean, its northern part is warmer than the southern part.

The Pacific Ocean, despite its name, is the most turbulent on the planet. In its central part trade winds dominate, and in the western part there is a monsoon circulation, known for its destructive tropical hurricanes - typhoons. In temperate latitudes it predominates Western transfer- movement of air masses in a westerly direction. There are often storms in the north and south.

Pacific typhoons are natural phenomena that cause significant destruction and loss of life. They hit Japan every year. Philippine Islands, east coast of China and Vietnam. The diameter of the typhoon ranges from 200 to 1800 km. and in its center the weather is often calm and even clear. On the periphery of the typhoon, there are heavy rains, hurricane winds blow, and storm waves reach a height of 10-12 m. One of the peculiar features of the Pacific Ocean is giant waves - tsunami, resulting from underwater volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. These waves, unlike wind waves, cover the entire thickness of the water. Moving at enormous speeds (over 1000 km/h), they remain almost invisible, since they have a height of only 0.5-1.0 m, but in shallow water it increases to tens of meters.

To prevent danger, the International Tsunami Warning Service was created. Seismic stations determine the time and place of an earthquake, assess the possibility of a tsunami, and, in case of danger, notify about the approach of a wave.

The significant extent of the ocean from north to south causes changes in average annual surface water temperatures from -1 to +30 °C. Due to the significant amount of precipitation that exceeds the amount of evaporating water, the salinity of surface waters in it is somewhat lower than in other oceans.

In the northeastern part of the ocean, large fogs are observed, moving towards the mainland in the form of huge white waves. The real “land of fogs” is called the Bering Sea.

There is almost no floating ice in the North Pacific Ocean because the narrow Bering Strait limits communication with the Arctic Ocean, where it forms. Only the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and Bering Sea are covered with ice in winter.

Currents in the Pacific Ocean correspond to the general pattern of their formation in the World Ocean (Fig. 15). Due to the fact that the ocean is very elongated from west to east, significant latitudinal movements of water prevail in it. Material from the site

The ocean is most turbulent between 40-50° S. sh.: here the wave height sometimes reaches 15-20 m. The highest wind waves were recorded in the Pacific Ocean - up to 34 m.

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The Pacific Ocean is located in almost all climate zones. Most of it lies in the equatorial, subequatorial and tropical zones.

The climate of the Pacific Ocean is formed due to the zonal distribution of solar radiation and atmospheric circulation, as well as the powerful seasonal influence of the Asian continent. Almost all climatic zones can be distinguished in the ocean. In the northern temperate zone in winter, the pressure center is the Aleutian pressure minimum, which is weakly expressed in summer. To the south is the North Pacific Anticyclone. Along the equator there is an Equatorial Depression (an area of ​​low pressure), which to the south is replaced by the South Pacific Anticyclone. Further south, the pressure drops again and then again gives way to an area of ​​high pressure over Antarctica. The wind direction is formed in accordance with the location of the pressure centers. In the temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere, strong westerly winds prevail in winter, and weak southern winds in summer. In the northwest of the ocean, in winter, northern and northeastern monsoon winds are established, which in summer are replaced by southern monsoons. Cyclones that occur on polar fronts determine the high frequency of storm winds in temperate and subpolar zones (especially in the southern hemisphere). In the subtropics and tropics of the northern hemisphere, northeast trade winds dominate. In the equatorial zone, mostly calm weather is observed all year round. In the tropical and subtropical zones of the southern hemisphere, a stable southeast trade wind prevails, strong in winter and weak in summer. In the tropics, severe tropical hurricanes, called typhoons, arise (mainly in the summer). They usually appear east of the Philippines, from where they move northwest and north through Taiwan and Japan and die out on the approaches to the Bering Sea. Another area where typhoons originate is the coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to Central America. In the forties latitudes of the southern hemisphere, strong and constant westerly winds are observed. In the high latitudes of the southern hemisphere, winds are subject to the general cyclonic circulation characteristic of the Antarctic low pressure area.

The distribution of air temperature over the ocean is subject to the general latitudinal zonality, but the western part has a warmer climate than the eastern. In tropical and equatorial zones, average air temperatures range from 27.5 °C to 25.5 °C. In summer, the 25 °C isotherm expands northward in the western part of the ocean and only to a small extent in the eastern hemisphere, and in the southern hemisphere it strongly shifts northward. Passing over the vast expanses of the ocean, air masses are intensively saturated with moisture. On both sides of the equator in the near-equatorial zone, there are two narrow stripes of maximum precipitation, outlined by an isohyet of 2000 mm, and a relatively dry zone is expressed along the equator. In the Pacific Ocean there is no zone of convergence of the northern and southern trade winds. Two independent zones with excess moisture appear and a relatively dry zone separating them. To the east in the equatorial and tropical zones, the amount of precipitation decreases. The driest areas in the northern hemisphere are adjacent to California, in the southern - to the Peruvian and Chilean basins (coastal areas receive less than 50 mm of precipitation per year).