Lecture3.SandstromTheory-WoodsHoleOceanographic.pdfVIP

Lecture 3. Sandstrom Theory 3/14/2006 7:20 AM 1. The “Sandstorm theorem”: A. Is the ocean a heat engine? The atmosphere and oceans work together as a heat engine, if we neglect the small contribution of tidal energy to the circulation in the oceans. The atmosphere can be considered as a heat engine, which is driven by differential heating, with an efficiency of 0.8% (the corresponding Carnot efficiency is about 33%). In this sense although the oceans is subject to differential heating similar to the atmosphere, it is not a heat engine at all. In fact, the driving force for the oceanic circulation is the mechanical energy in the forms of wind stress and tides. In comparison, differential heating is only a precondition for the thermohaline circulation, and not the driving force of the oceanic general circulation. Thus, the ocean is not a heat engine; instead, it is a machine driven by external mechanical energy that transports thermal energy, fresh water, CO , and other 2 tracers. B. Sandstrom Theorem: Sandstrom’s original papers (1908, 1916) are in German, not easily accessible, but the citation from Dafant’s book is very concise and accurate: A closed steady circulation can only be maintained in the ocean if the heat sources are situated at a lower level than the cold sources (Defant, 1961, page 491). Sandstrom (1916) considered the mechanical energy balance of the steady circulation in the oceans. In order to overcome friction, there should be a net input of mechanical energy over each closed streamline w =− vdp (1) ∫s where v and p are the specific volume and pressure respectively, and the integration is taken along closed streamlines s. He simpli