what drives ocean circulation
Ocean circulation is the large scale movement of waters in the ocean basins. Winds drive surface circulation, and the cooling and sinking of waters in the polar regions drive deep circulation. Surface circulation carries the warm upper waters poleward from the tropics. Heat is disbursed along the way from the waters to the atmosphere. At the poles, the water is further cooled during winter, and sinks to the deep ocean. This is especially true in the North Atlantic and along Antarctica. Deep ocean water gradually returns to the surface nearly everywhere in the ocean.