keira emerson 6th

Ocean Surface Currents (Slides 1 & 2)

100

Streamlike movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean are called

Surface Currents.

200

How do surface currents affect the ocean?

Dense-cold-salty water sinks to the ocean bottom. Surface water flows in to replace the sinking water, which in turn becomes cold and salty enough to sink. This "starts" the global conveyor belt, a connected system of deep and surface currents that circulate around the globe on a 1000 year time span.

300

What 3 things affect surface ocean currents?

Surface currents are created by three things: global wind patterns, the rotation of the Earth, and the shape of the ocean basins. Surface currents are extremely important because they distribute heat around the planet and are a major factor influencing climate around the globe.

400

How do surface currents affect?

Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus, ocean currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface.

500

What are the 5 major ocean currents?

The five major oceans wide gyres are the North Atlantic, South Atlantic North Pacific South Pacific, Indian Ocean, Ocean gyres and world map pacific of plastic pollution. The currents we see at the beach are called coastal currents that can affect land and wave formations.

Nemo (Slides 3 & 4)

100

how big is the east Australia ocean

The movie would have you think that the East Australian Current is a narrow jet that you can jump in and out of as your thrill-seeking self desires. But actually the real East Australian Current is much bigger and much wilder than in the movie – just not so conducive to surfing.

200

how deep is the east Australia ocean

The East Australian Current transports a                                                                                               staggering 40 million cubic metres of water                                                                                                southward each second. That is the                                                                                                           equivalent of 16,000 Olympic swimming                                                                                                           pools flowing along our coastline, every                                                                                                               second. The current is almost 100 km wide,                                                                                                                       and more than 1.5 km deep – in fact, more                                                                                                               like a ribbon than a tube.

300

how fast does the ocean move

Let’s start with what’s correct in the movie. 

The East Australian Current does flow along 

the East coast of Australia, obviously. And it 

does flow southward from the Great Barrier 

Reef. Speeds in the core of the EAC are 

among the strongest in the South Pacific, up 

to 4.5 mph an hour.

400

How fast does the East Australian Current Flow?

The East Australian Current varies in size and can be between 15–100km wide, 200– 500m deep and flow at speeds of up to 4 knots.

500

Do turtles really ride the EAC?

New research has revealed that the EAC plays a critical role in transporting turtles between habitats across the southern Pacific Ocean. ... Nesting female sea turtles show a high degree of fidelity to their natal beaches; as a result, turtles hatched in the same place bear the same genetic signatures

Currents Patterns (Slides 5 &6)

100

What 3 things affect ocean currents?

These currents are on the ocean's surface and in its depths, flowing both locally and globally. Winds, water density, and tides all drive ocean currents. Coastal and sea floor features influence their location, direction, and speed. Earth's rotation results in the Coriolis effect which also influences ocean currents.

200

Four Factors That Create Ocean Currents

• Wind. Wind is the single biggest factor in the creation of surface currents. 
• Water Density. Another major factor in the creation of currents is water density, caused by the amount of salt in a body of water, and its temperature. 
• Ocean Bottom Topography. 
• Coriolis Effect.

300

How do ocean currents cause weather patterns?

Ocean currents act as conveyer belts of warm and cold water, sending heat toward the polar regions and helping tropical areas cool off, thus influencing both weather and climate. Land areas also absorb some sunlight, and the atmosphere helps to retain heat that would otherwise quickly radiate into space after sunset.

400

Are ocean currents predictable?

Ocean currents are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density. Ocean water moves in two directions: horizontally and vertically. Horizontal movements are referred to as currents, while vertical changes are called up welling or down welling.

500

Which best describes how ocean currents are created?

The main reason by which the ocean currents are formed is the rotation of earth. The earth rotates on its own axis and due to this reason there is a huge mixing of the water from the equator and poles which is termed as ocean currents. Ocean currents are important as it controls the global temperature.

Deep Currents (Slide 7)

100

What causes deep currents to move?

Ocean currents can be caused by wind, density differences in water masses caused by temperature and salinity variations, gravity, and events such as earthquakes or storms.These currents move water masses through the deep ocean taking nutrients, oxygen, and heat with them.

200

How fast do deep water currents move?

The global conveyor belt moves much more slowly than surface currents -- a few centimeters per second, compared to tens or hundreds of centimeters per second. Scientists estimate that it takes one section of the belt 1,000 years to complete one full circuit of the globe.

300

What has the biggest effect on deep ocean currents?

The simplified drawing shows how changes in polar vortex winds high in the stratosphere can influence the North Atlantic to cause changes in the global "conveyor belt" of ocean circulation. This "conveyor belt" affects the whole world's ocean circulation and climate.

400

What are deep currents driven by?

These deep-ocean currents are driven by differences in the water's density, which is controlled by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline). This process is known as thermohaline circulation. In the Earth's polar regions ocean water gets very cold, forming sea ice.

500

How do deep currents move in the ocean?

When ocean water freezes, forming sea ice, salt is left behind causing surrounding seawater to become saltier and denser. Dense-cold-salty water sinks to the ocean bottom. Surface water flows in to replace the sinking water, which in turn becomes cold and salty enough to sink.

Waves (Slides 8& 9)

100

How many waves are shown?

After point E, the wave begins to repeat itself, but only for one-half of a cycle. Thus, there are 1.5 waves shown in the diagram.

200

What is the most common wave?

There are three types of mechanical waves: transverse waves, longitudinal waves, and surface waves, etc. Some of the most common examples of mechanical waves are water waves, sound waves, and seismic waves.

300

What can waves do?

In a wave phenomenon, energy can move from one location to another, yet the particles of matter in the medium return to their fixed position. A wave transports its energy without transporting matter.

400

What are 3 types of waves?

One way to categorize waves is on the basis of the direction of movement of the individual particles of the medium relative to the direction that the waves travel. Categorizing waves on this basis leads to three notable categories: transverse waves, longitudinal waves, and surface waves.

500

What are the properties of waves?

There are three measurable properties of wave motion: amplitude, wavelength, and frequency.