Ocean Surface Currents (Slides 1 & 2)
Streamlike movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean are called
surface currents
Speeds in the core of the EAC are among the strongest in the South Pacific, up to
4.5 mph an hour
when currents meet and they
Change direction
stream-like movements of ocean water far below the ocean surface are __________
Deep currents
Waves are made of two main components
crests and troughs
Surface currents are controlled by four factors:
global winds, the Coriolis effect, continental deflections, and the water temperature
The East Australian Current transports
40 million cubic metres of water southward each second
Warm water currents begin near the
equator
Deep currents are mainly controlled by
increases in water density
A crest is the ________
and the trough is the ________
highest point
lowest point
The Gulf Stream, which is one of the longest surface currents, transport __ times more water than all of the rivers in the world and flows from Florida to Iceland!
25
The East Australian Current flows along
the East Coast of Australia And it does flow southward from the Great Barrier Reef
Surface currents greatly affect the
climate
the water temperature becomes colder as the
depth increases
is the vertical distance between a waves crest and its trough.
is the wave height
Surface currents are caused by
Global winds blowing across the Earth’s surface
Is the East Australian Current a current that is narrow (True or false)
False It is a bid and wide current
Warm-water currents create
warmer climates
the water temperature becomes ________ as the depth increases
colder
Ocean waves form because of
friction between the wind and the surface of the water
Because of the Coriolis Effect
currents in the Northern Hemisphere turn clockwise while currents in the Southern Hemisphere turn counterclockwise.
The current is almost ___ km wide, and more than ___ km deep
100 km wide
1.5km deep
Cold-water currents create
cooler climates
The denser water moves along the ocean floor and eventually travels toward the equator in the form of a
deep current
A wave is defined as a
transfer of energy