Random oceanography related mathematics

In summary, Scientists estimate that it would take 995 years, 251 days, and 20 hours for the entire Atlantic Ocean to circulate through deep water. This is based on the fact that the flow southward of the North Atlantic deep-water current is estimated to be 10 Sverdrups, and the volume of the Atlantic Ocean is 3.24 X 1017 meters3.
  • #1
Dangshnizzle
7
0
Problem Given:

Scientists estimate that the flow southward of the North Atlantic deep-water current is 10 Sverdrups.
(A Sverdrup is 1 million meters3 per second)
If the volume of the Atlantic Ocean is 3.24 X 1017 meters3, how many years would be required for the entire Atlantic Ocean to circulate through deep water?

Please explain how you got your answer
Thanks in advance guys!
 
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  • #2
Dangshnizzle said:
Please explain how you got your answer
Thanks in advance guys!
We can't do that. That's against the rules here. You have to show us whatever work you've tried first.

If you don't know what to do, consider this problem: I am driving a car 80 km/h. If I traveled 240 km, how much time did I take? To solve this, I would divide 240 km by 80 km/h to get 3 hours. You'll have to do something similar in your problem, but in addition, you will have to convert your answer from seconds to years.
 
  • #3
Hahah, yeah yeah yeah. By the way, I simplified the problem already to leave out all the parts I have already done because I was not aware of this rule. But, okay so first , from here, I would divide the volume of the Atlantic that I got by a million. Get 314 billion. That should be the number of Sverdrups it would need to go through to move the whole ocean. But don't you need to divided that again, by ten? Getting the number those particular currents will require? Next I need to know seconds to a year. Now can you finish it for me?:D
 
  • #4
Okay kept going and pretty sure the answer is that all of the Atlantic Ocean can be moved through these deep currents in 995 years, 251 days, 20 hours, and 24 minutes ;)
 
  • #5
Dangshnizzle said:
Okay kept going and pretty sure the answer is that all of the Atlantic Ocean can be moved through these deep currents in 995 years, 251 days, 20 hours, and 24 minutes ;)

Probably close enough. I wouldn't worry about the days, minutes and seconds. I would would worry about how you started with 324 divided by a power of 10 and got 314. Typo?
 

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