AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The ocean conveyor gets its “start” in the Norwegian Sea, where warm water from the Gulf Stream heats the atmosphere in the cold northern latitudes. This loss of heat to the atmosphere makes the water cooler and denser, causing it to sink to the bottom of the ocean.

Detailed explanation-2: -Global climate change could disrupt the global conveyer belt, causing potentially drastic temperature changes in Europe and even worldwide. The global conveyor belt is a strong, but easily disrupted process. Research suggests that the conveyor belt may be affected by climate change.

Detailed explanation-3: -The cold water is now more dense, due to the added salts, and sinks toward the ocean bottom. Surface water moves in to replace the sinking water, thus creating a current. This deep water moves south, between the continents, past the equator, and down to the ends of Africa and South America.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Ocean Conveyor System is a system which redistributes heat in a circular fashion from the warm equatorial regions in the south to the cold polar regions in the north. Warm ocean currents move north and heat is lost, with evaporation taking place.