Take a ride on globetrotting currents that carry heat and salt from the surface to the depths, and back again.
Fueled by differences in water temperature and salinity, the Global Ocean Conveyor circulates heat, salt, nutrients, and carbon around the globe.
Through this network of powerful currents, basin-wide gyres, and swirling eddies, it takes a thousand years for a drop of water to return to its origin— cycling between the cold depths and warm surface many times along the way.
WHOI oceanographers past and present have expanded our understanding of how ocean circulation shapes climate, fuels life, and connects us all. (Map by Natalie Renier, WHOI Creative)
SOURCES
Mean ocean surface currents (u/v components) at 1/3° resolution and 5-day temporal frequency. Generated using NASA JPL’s Ocean Surface Current Analyses Real-time (OSCAR) dataset, Version 2.0 (interim); https://doi.org/10.5067/OSCAR-03D01.
Daily global sea-surface temperature (Kelvin) at 1/10° (~10 km) resolution. Generated using NAVOCEANO K10_SST-NAVO-L4-GLOB-v01 dataset; https://doi.org/10.5067/GHK10-4FP01.
© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
More content from : How the ocean works
Image and Visual Licensing
WHOI copyright digital assets (stills and video) on this website can be licensed for non-commercial use upon request and approval. Please submit your request via our Media Request Form.
For assistance or accessibility accommodations, call (508) 289-2647.