[WIP] Worldmap

[Gidde]

Hmmm ... well, I did that with this map of the earth's "conveyor belt" current up next to the one I was working on. I may well have lost something in translation though; I'll take another look at it. Thanks!

[Gidde]

Took one more quick pass at those currents .... is this any better?

[altasilvapuer]

Huh, interesting. I've never seen that map before, and I thought I'd gone through all of Wiki's database. I guess they really do add stuff constantly.

Okay, looking over that, now, I vaguely see what they're intending. I don't think it's wholly accurate, but it gets a general idea across.

Personally, my preferred ocean current reference is this one:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rderless)3.png

-asp

[Ascension]

I like that galaxy brush idea for archipelagos...pretty cool.

[Gidde]

Aha! I think I see where our disconnect is; thanks for posting that pic. I had always thought the ocean "conveyor belt" was one current, but what it looks like from the map you put up is that in reality the conveyor is just the net effect of all of the various currents that follow the rules you're talking about.

For my purposes, I think the net effect is plenty to be working with .... all the currents on the real current map hurt my brain

[Yoscha]

There is a difference between surface currents and the conveyor belt.

Surface currents are quite easy to determine once you've got the basic ideas.
The basics are almost all about circles. Warm currents from the equatorial regions flow norts and south (for example the gulf stream) cooling down and flow south again (like the canary current).

I've done a quick scetch on how your surface currents should work. No details, and it might need some work, but the basics are done .

If you've got questions just ask. And if you like to discuss your plate tectonics, I will be happy to do so ('cause there are some minor 'flaws', nothing serous, but just little details, which I would have done differently).

[Gidde]

Wow, thanks for doing all that work! I can see how this reconciles the ultra-simplified model I had with the current movement asp was talking about. Although, you two have utterly confused me regarding the difference between the conveyor belt and actual currents. I'll have to do lots more learning about that, apparently.

Lay on the tectonics crits I really do want this to work as well as possible physically.

[Gidde]

Next update ... I did some rough topography here to make the climate zones easier, based on the rough mountain locations above.

[altasilvapuer]

I don't know much, yet, but I am learning pretty quickly, myself. If you want, I could share some of my other references and resources sometime, and/or go over some specific applications to your map. I really enjoy the direction your map is currently going, and I think I could learn quite a bit, myself, from it.

I have AIM, YIM, and MSN and think all three should be listed on my profile here, if you have any of them, and would like to have some extended one-on-one conversations about it.

Keep up the great work; I'm loving where this is going, so far!

-asp

[Yoscha]

Wow, thanks for doing all that work!

Hey, it's my hobby to help others draw "realistic" maps (really, I hang araound in IRC-channel dedicated to this kind of topics), so thank you for giving me something to work .

Although, you two have utterly confused me regarding the difference between the conveyor belt and actual currents.

There are surface currents which are what most people mean when they say currents. Those are directly connected to a planet's windsystem. Those are currents like the Gulf Stream. They just affect the surface waters of the oceans and directly influence regional climates (for example Northern Europa is warmed by the Gulf Stream).

But there are depth currents, too. Those depth currents are driven by different temperatures and salinities of water masses, causing up- and downwelling.
For example in the North Atlantic there are two main depth currents.
The most important one has its origins in die polar regions, where cold water sinks to the ocean floor. This cold water flows southwards on the ocean floor.
Another depth current starts at the Strait of Gibraltar. The ocean waters of the Mediterranian have a higher salinity than those of the North Atlantic. So North Atlantic Water flows on the surface into the Mediterranian, while Mediterranian water flows on the ocean floor to the Atlantic.

The conveyor belt or thermohaline circulation is the interconnection of surface and depth currents. All currents are somehow interconnected.

Bur to determine your thermohaline circulation you have to know the details of your ocean floor's topography, because the flow of the depth currents is determinded by it. You have to know hot-spot tracks, oceanic large igneous provinces, submerged continental crust, etc. to truely get it "realistic".

Lay on the tectonics crits I really do want this to work as well as possible physically.

Any chance to chat via IRC even though we live in different time zones?


@ your mountains: thumps up.