Ocean Currents
Surface Currents
Deep Currents
Currents and Climate
Pot luck
100
What is an ocean current?
The movement of ocean water that follows a regular pattern.
100
What is a surface current?
A horizontal movement of ocean water that is caused by wind and occurs at or near the ocean surface.
100
What is a deep current?
A stream-like movement of ocean water far below the surface.
100
What effect do ocean currents have on the climate?
Warm-water currents create warmer climates in coastal regions that are normally cold and cold-water currents create cooler climates in coastal regions that are normally hot.
100
Why do hot and cold water not mix, but instead form layers when they meet?
Because they have different densities. The denser liquid (cold water) sinks to the bottom.
200
What is the main difference between surface currents and deep currents?
Surface currents occur near the surface while deep current occur far below the surface.
200
What are the three main factors that influence surface currents?
global winds, the Coriolis effect, and continental deflection
200
In what parts of the ocean do deep currents form?
Where density increases.
200
What causes the Coriolis effect?
The rotation of the Earth
200
What is a gyre?
A large circular surface current.
300
What factors influence ocean currents? (List 4)
The rotation of the earth, the position of the continents, weather, and water density.
300
Name an organism that can be affected by surface currents.
Plankton (especially Phytoplankton)
300
What two (2) factors cause an increase in water density?
An decrease in temperature and an increase in salinity (saltiness).
300
What does upwelling bring to the surface of the ocean?
Nutrients.
300
How are Coriolis effect currents in the Northern and Southern hemispheres different?
They rotate in opposite directions.
400
What factor affects both deep and surface currents?
Temperature.
400
What direction does the Coriolis Effect move currents in the Northern Hemisphere? Southern Hemisphere?
Clockwise=Northern Hemisphere Counter-clockwise=Southern Hemisphere
400
What are two ways that ocean water experiences increased salinity?
Freezing and Evaporation.
400
What is the definition of El Nino?
A change in the water temperature in the Pacific Ocean that produces a warm current.
400
Salinity is a measure of _________________.
The amount of salt dissolved in water.
500
Give an example of how ocean currents have impacted humans recently.
Ex. Tsunami debris landing on Alaskan shores, the faster the global conveyor belt moves, the more likely it is that hurricanes will form, oil spills and where the contamination is carried, etc.
500
What happens when surface currents meet continents (i.e. land)?
They deflect, or change direction.
500
How does temperature affect the direction of how deep currents flow? (Hint: The answer includes information about the poles and the Equator)
Colder, denser water moves from the poles towards the Equator while warmer, less dense water moves from the Equator towards the poles.
500
What does not occur off the coast of South America during El Nino? (Hint: It is a process that brings nutrient-rich water to the surface which is very important to the survival of the ocean's many ecosystems.)
Upwelling.
500
Why does Western Europe have a warm climate?
The Gulf Stream brings up warm water from the East Coast of the United States.
M
e
n
u