Ocean Surface Currents
Surface currents are controlled by four factors:
global winds, the Coriolis effect,
continental deflections, and the water
temperature.
The East Australian Current is
not the fast-flowing warp-tube as it’s portrayed in
the movie – it’s an even better ride than that.
When currents meet landforms they
change direction
Deep currents are
stream-like movements of ocean water far below the ocean surface
Waves are made of two main components
crests and troughs
Streamlike movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean are called
Surface Currents.
The East Australian Current does
flow along the East coast of Australia
Warm water currents begin near the
equator
Deep currents are not controlled by
wind or the Coriolis effect.
A crest is the highest point and the
rough is the lowest point.
The Gulf Stream is one of the
longest
surface currents
Speeds in the core of the EAC are
among the strongest in the South Pacific, up
to
4.5 mph an hour.
Surface currents greatly affect the
climate in many parts of the world
Deep currents are mainly controlled by
increases in water density
A wavelength is the distance between two adjust
crests or troughs
Surface currents can reach depths of
several hundred meters and lengths of several thousand kilometers.
But actually the real East Australian Current is much
bigger and much wilder than in the movie
Some surface currents warm and
some cool coastal areas year-round
Temperature and salinity
affect the density of ocean water.
Wave height is the vertical distance between
a waves crest and its trough.
Because of the Coriolis Effect
currents in the Northern Hemisphere turn clockwise while currents in the Southern Hemisphere turn counterclockwise.
The East Australian Current transports a staggering
40 million cubic meters of water southward each second.
Cold-water currents create
cooler climates in coastal areas that would be much warmer
Ocean water gets denser when it becomes
saltier or gets colder.
Ocean waves form because of
friction between the wind and the surface of the water.