Name_________________________ Section__________

Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022

LAB 06: OCEAN CIRCULATION

1.1 AFFECTING OCEAN DENSITY: TEMPERATURE
   In this lab we will investigate how variations in seawater temperature (1) and salinity (2) play a role in
establishing vertical circulation of the ocean and how that plays into the overall thermohaline circulation
of the ocean moving water from the equatorial regions to the poles.   

   We will explore this through comparing three mini-experiments. The first will explore how water
temperature affects water density and water circulation using food-dye to color a batch of hot water and
ice-cold water in syringes. The syringe ends are placed in the clear tub of water and cut to let the water
migrate according to their temperature properties. The second will explore how different concentrations
of salt in seawater impacts seawater density and thus water motion. A similar process of dyeing two
batches of water will be used, with the water batches exhibiting different salinity values. The syringe ends
will be placed within the clear water tub, then the solution injected into the water to observe the migration
of the water masses. The final mini-experiment is a synthesis and application to the conditions we
experience on Earth where the equator is heated and experiences significant rainfall (both of which affect
the salt content and temperature of the water), while the poles experience freezing to form sea-ice (which
also affects the salt concentration and temperature of the water). Ultimately, this establishes a more global
movement of water within the ocean system.

Materials and Equipment:

● A large transparent tank (+ paper taped on one side to help see results)
● Two 250-ml glass beakers
● Two syringes with tubing attached
● Salt
● Plastic weigh trays
● Food colors: red and green (or any other two different colors you like)
● Scale
● Ice cubes
● Hot water
● Thermometer
● Glass stirring rod
● Heating lamp
●  
Part 1: Explore the Relationship Between
Ocean Temperature and Density  
 
1. Procedure
1)  Fill the tank to about 10 cm with sink water
and measure the temperature with the
thermometer.
2)      Ice-cold water:
   i)       Fill a glass beaker one-third full of
ice water from the cooler in the fridge.
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Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022
   ii)     Add 10 drops of green food coloring, stir, and measure the temperature.
3)      Hot water:
   i)       Fill another glass beaker one-third full of hot water (~80oC). 
   ii)     Add 10 drops of red food coloring, stir, and measure the temperature.
4)   Draw up some green ice-cold water into the syringe.  Place the tip of the tubing just
beneath the surface of the water in the in one corner of the tank and slowly inject the cold
water to the tank. Repeat the previous step with the red hot water, and try not to stir up
the tank and inject at opposite side and corners from where you injected the ice
water.
5)      Observe what is happening in the tank. Take a picture on your cell phone for reference
when you answer questions in the lab.
6)      Carefully empty the tank and rinse both the container and beakers out with tap water.

Part 1 Questions:
Question 1. Complete the side-view figure below to reflect your observations of adding the ice
and hot water. The bubbles labeled “Ice water” and “Hot water” indicate the initial injection of
that water. Draw arrows to show the movement of the water masses that you observed. [
8pt]
 Name_________________________ Section__________
Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022

Question 2. Explain why each water mass/color moved as observed in your experiment. [3 pt]

Question 3. Think about surface water temperatures and densities at the equator and at the polar
areas. Where do you expect to find sinking versus rising motions and why? [3 pt]

Part 2: Explore the Relationship Between Ocean Salinity and Density 

 
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Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022
Procedure 
1)  Fill the tank to about 10 cm with sink water and measure the temperature with the
thermometer.
2)      Prepare less-salty solution:
i)       Fill a glass beaker with ~80 mL tap water.
ii)     Weigh out 2 ~ 4 grams of salt (NaCl) into a plastic weigh tray and record the
number in the table in Question 6. (The number doesn’t have to be too accurate, but
you need to record whatever you measured)
iii)   Add 10 drops of red food coloring and the salt into the beaker with the water. Stir
gently until the salt is completely dissolved.
2)      Prepare more-salty solution:
i)       Fill a second glass beaker with ~80 mL tap water
ii)     Weigh out 6 ~ 8 grams of salt (NaCl) and record the number in the table in Question
6. (The number doesn’t have to be too accurate, but you need to record whatever you
measured)
iii)   Add 10 drops of green food coloring and the salt into the second beaker of water. Stir
gently until the salt is completely dissolved.
3)      Draw up some green solution into the syringe.  Place the tip of the tubing just beneath
the surface of the water in the in one corner of the tank and slowly inject the cold water to
the tank. Repeat the previous step with the red solution, and try not to stir up the tank
and inject at opposite side and corners from where you injected the green solution.
4)      Observe what is happening in the tank and take a picture.
5)      Carefully empty the tank and rinse both the container and beakers out with tap water.

Part 2 Questions:

Question 4. Calculate the salinity, fill the following table, and upload a copy of the completed
table: [4 pt]
  Less-salty solution More-salty solution

Color Green or Red? Green or Red?

Mass of Salt Added (g)    

Salinity (ppt)    

Hints and Help:

Salinity, especially in the case of ocean water can use a variety of terms. The first to know is Total Dissolved
Solid (TDS) is a more general application that groups all dissolved material, including both organic and inorganic
ions, in a solution. This quantity represents the ratio of the mass of solute m (total amount of salt in just saltwater) to
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Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022
the mass of solution (e.g. the salt water in bulk), m0, and has the units of parts per thousand (ppt, per mille,
or ‰) or Practical Salinity Units (PSU) (note that ppt is parts per thousand for oceanography, but be careful as ppt
is typically parts per trillion in most other fields…and most online converters…)
 
TDS = m/m0   [ppt ~ PSU]
 
Proper / More accurate approach: 1 g/kg = ‰

Note:  Sometimes you will run across a reporting in 1 g/liter, but best here is to convert to
g/kg
 
Question 5. Complete the side-view figure below to reflect your observations of adding the ice
and hot water. The bubbles labeled “Less salty water” and “More salty water” indicate the initial
injection of that water. Draw arrows to indicate movement of water parcels that you
observed. [8 pts]
 Name_________________________ Section__________
Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022

Question 6. Using the definitions of density and buoyancy, explain the behavior observed.
Based on what you have observed in your experiment, how does the density of the less-salty
solution differ from the saltier solution? [4 pt]

Part 3: Explore the Thermohaline Circulation 

 
Procedure 

1)      Fill the tank to about 10 cm with sink water and measure the temperature with the
thermometer.

2)      Prepare “North Atlantic Deep Water”:

 Name_________________________ Section__________
Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022
i)       Fill a glass beaker with around 100 mL ice water from the cooler in the fridge.
ii)     Weigh out ~6 grams of salt and add into the glass beaker
iii)   Add 10 drops of green food coloring. Stir it gently until the salt is completely
dissolved
3)      Prepare “Equatorial Water”:
i)       Fill another glass beaker with around 100 mL warm water (~35 oC)
ii)     Add 10 drops of red food coloring and stir.
4)      Create the “Pole-Equator” meridional temperature:
i)       “North Pole”: place 4~5 pieces of ice cubes on the water surface at one end of the
water tank.
ii)     “Equator”: place the heat lamp on the other end of the water tank. Adjust the height
of the lamp. Turn the lamp on and wait for 2~3 mins.
iii)   Keep an eye on the ice cubes and if they are almost melted, add more.
iv)   Measure the temperature at both “Pole” and “Equator”.
5)      Draw up some “North Atlantic Deep Water” and some “Equatorial Water” into the
syringes. Slowly inject the “North Atlantic Deep Water” at the “North Pole” and the
“Equatorial Water” at the “Equator”. Try not stir up the tank.
6)      Observe what is happening in the tank and take a picture.
7)      Turn off the heat lamp. Carefully empty the tank and rinse both the container and
beakers out with tap water.

Part 3 Questions

Question 7. What does the ice-cold salt water represent? What about the water heated from
the heat lamp? [3 pt]

Question 8. Complete the figure below to illustrate what you observe with arrows and the final
layering or mixing observed. Label the relative temperatures (hotter/colder) and relative salinities
(more/less salty). [8 pt]
 Name_________________________ Section__________
Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022

Part 4: Argo Floats

Argo is an international program that collects temperature, salinity, and other types of
data inside the ocean through robotic instruments. These robotic instruments drift with the ocean
currents and move up and down between surface and mid-water level ocean depth. The ultimate
goal of this program is to help scientists understand the ocean’s role in earth’s climate and make
improved modeled estimates of how it will change in the future.

Use this webpage, https://argo.ucsd.edu/about/ to answer the following questions below.

 Name_________________________ Section__________
Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022

Figure 3: On the left shows how many actively running Argo floats are in deployment as of June
2021 and their current locations. The figure on the right shows a schematic of a single Argo
float. Note that “CTD” stands for conductivity, temperature and depth.

Question 9. Currently Argo is collecting __________________ data profiles each month. [3

pt]

Question 10. How long does it take for data to be available to the public? [3 pt]
__________________

Question 11. What is so significant about having data delivered to the public in ‘real-time’? [3
pt]

Question 12. Argo has contributed to improving our understanding of the following four topics
on a global scale: [4 pt]

1.

2.

3.
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Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022
4.

Question 13. Label the process of how an Argo float collects data. [7 pts]

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.
 Name_________________________ Section__________
Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022
Part 5: Thermohaline Circulation

Question 14. Not only does temperature vary with depth, but it also varies with latitude. Use
the data in Table 1 to construct high and low latitude temperature profiles in Figure 2. Use the
data in Table 2 to construct high and low latitude density profiles in figure 2. Make sure you
construct a key to differentiate between your high and low latitude profiles. Label the
thermocline for low latitudes on the appropriate graph. Label the pycnocline for low latitudes
on the appropriate graph. [12 pt]

Figure 2: Temperature and density profiles at

high and low latitudes

Question 15. Which ocean layer defines the

Question 15. Which ocean layer defines the top of the pycnocline and thermocline? Explain.
[4 pt]
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Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022

Question 16. Rank the three layers in terms of density for the lower latitudes profile (i.e.
which layer has the lowest, medium and highest densities?) [3 pt]

Surface mixed zone __________________

Transitional zone __________________

Deep zone __________________

Question 17. Rank the three layers in terms of temperature for the lower latitudes profile (i.e.
which layer has the lowest, medium and the highest temperature?) [3 pt]

Surface mixed zone __________________

Transitional zone __________________

Deep zone __________________

Question 18. What is the trend or pattern for temperature and density profiles that you plotted
in Figure 2? [3 pt]

Question 19. How are the physical properties (density and temperature) you just graphed
related to one another? [3 pt]

Question 20. Combine your results and explain in your own words how the thermohaline
circulation (or in recent years the more popular term of meridional overturning circulation)
works, referencing this experiment to help guide (where applicable) the description. [5 pts]
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Lab 06: Ocean Circulation EAS 1600 Spring 2022

Question 21. Address the following: 

● How well do your results match (or not) the known relationships and dynamics of the
thermohaline circulation [3 pts].
● Explain what could account for any deviations due to the experimental design and any
specific difficulties [3 pts].