Thermohaline Circulation
The global deep-ocean density-driven circulation loop powered by surface variations in seawater temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline).
Governing formula
Density ρ = ρ(T, S, P) (Function of Temperature and Salinity)
SI unit
Sv (Sverdrups = 10⁶ m³/s)
In depth
Also known as the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt. Cold, salty, dense water sinks in the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean (deep water formation), flowing along ocean basins before slowly upwelling in the Pacific and Indian Oceans thousands of years later.
Examples in the real world
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) transporting heat northward in the Atlantic Ocean.