Credit: Mark Brandon/Flickr/The Conversation
Both the atmosphere & the oceans are heat engines. I.e. heat from the Sun provides energy to drive winds in the atmosphere & currents in the ocean. By these means, heat is redistributed around the globe. E.g., the climate of Western & Northern Europe is warmer than it would otherwise be, due to the North Atlantic drift, one of the branches of the Gulf Stream.
In the Antarctic, winds, intensified by global warming, are driving an expansion in sea ice:
http://theconversation.com/how-wind-helps-antarctic-sea-ice-grow-even-as-the-arctic-melts-24209?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+13+March+2014&utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+13+March+2014+CID_3ee2d53f04d8b9b06fcc1d2f5e13ef2f&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=How%20wind%20helps%20Antarctic%20sea%20ice%20grow%20even%20as%20the%20Arctic%20melts / global warming climate change greenhouse effect green house CO2 carbon dioxide gas strong winds climate change hole in the ozone layer steady increase in Antarctic sea ice Arctic shrink ice coverage released Hobart yesterday Position Analysis report Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre co-operative confusion polar differences driver drive driving frozen seawater surface ocean cools cool cooling freeze freezing Southern Ocean sea ice cover surround surrounding surrounds Antarctic continent Dr Jan Lieser marine glaciologist Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems centre researchers physical driver wind warmer atmosphere increases convection greater wind speeds Southern Ocean stronger westerlies sea ice is growing more ice coverage ice factory Professor Ian Simmonds climate scientist University of Melbourne School of Earth Sciences new resource El Nino Australian rainfall Dr Sharon Stammerjohn University of Colorado impact marine life seasonal change summer minimum winter maximum ecosystem rate of change /
