deepwater circulation

oceanography

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June 25, 2026

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Deepwater circulation, also known as thermohaline circulation, is a global oceanic process driven by differences in temperature and salinity. This slow-moving circulation moves vast volumes of water, transporting heat, nutrients, and other materials across great distances.12

The process begins when surface water in polar regions cools and becomes denser, causing it to sink. This sinking water then spreads across the ocean floor, eventually upwelling elsewhere to complete the cycle. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a significant component of this system in the Atlantic Ocean. Deepwater circulation plays a crucial role in regulating global climate and distributing marine resources.123

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Atlantic Ocean
Deepwater currents
The deep and bottom water of the North Atlantic, as already stated, consists of surface water sinking between Iceland and Greenland and in the Labrador Sea, from which it spreads to the south. At depths between about 3,000 and 6,500 feet (900 and…
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The deep and bottom water of the North Atlantic, as already stated, consists of surface water sinking between Iceland and Greenland and in the Labrador Sea, from which it spreads to the south. At depths between about 3,000 and 6,500 feet (900 and…
Read More

ocean current
Thermohaline circulation
…Hemisphere the primary region of deep water formation is the North Atlantic, where the northward-moving portion of thermohaline circulation is called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC); minor amounts of deep water are formed in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. A variety of water types contribute to the so-called…
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…Hemisphere the primary region of deep water formation is the North Atlantic, where the northward-moving portion of thermohaline circulation is called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC); minor amounts of deep water are formed in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. A variety of water types contribute to the so-called…
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Pacific Ocean
Deepwater circulation
Observations of temperature and salinity at different levels in the ocean reveal well-defined layers, each forming a water mass distinguished by its own temperature and salinity characteristics.
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Observations of temperature and salinity at different levels in the ocean reveal well-defined layers, each forming a water mass distinguished by its own temperature and salinity characteristics.
Read More