Ocean Surface Currents (Slides 1 & 2)
Streamlike movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean are called
Surface Currents
The East Australian Current transports a staggering 40 million cubic metres of water southward each _______
second
Warm water currents begin near the _________ and carry warm water to other parts of the ocean.
equator
__________ are stream-like movements of ocean water far below the ocean surface.
Deep currents
The _______ is the distance between two adjust crests or troughs.
wavelength
The Gulf Stream, which is one of the longest surface currents, transports 25 times more water than all of the rivers in the world and flows from
Florida to Iceland
The current is almost ___________wide, and more than 1.5 km deep – in fact, more like a ribbon than a tube.
100 km
Cold water currents begin closer to the ________ and carry cool water to other parts of the ocean.
poles
The denser water moves along the ____________and eventually travels toward the equator in the form of a deep current.
ocean floor
___________ are waves that require a medium. This means that they have to have some sort of matter to travel through.
Mechanical waves
Surface currents can reach depths of several ______ meters and lengths of several ________ kilometers
hundred, thousand
The East Australian Current transports a staggering 40 million cubic metres of water which is equivalent to _________ olympic sized swimming pools.
16,000
Surface currents greatly affect the _________ in many parts of the world.
climate
Ocean water gets denser when it becomes saltier or gets colder. Cold air chills the water molecules at the surface, causing them to move closer together. As a result, the volume of the water _______, and the water becomes ________.
decreases, denser
A wave is defined as a
transfer of energy
Surface currents are controlled by four factors: global winds, the Coriolis effect, continental deflections, and _________.
the water temperature
Speeds in the core of the EAC are among the strongest in the South Pacific, up to ________ mph an hour.
4.5
Some surface currents warm and some cool coastal areas year-round. This causes changes in _________ that disrupt the climate in many parts of the world.
the atmosphere
Deep currents are not controlled by wind or the Coriolis effect. Deep currents are mainly controlled by _______________.
increases in water density
Waves are made of two main components - ___ & ___
crests and troughs
Because of the ______ , currents in the Northern Hemisphere turn clockwise while currents in the Southern Hemisphere turn counterclockwise.
Coriolis Effect
The East Australian Current does flow along the East coast of Australia, obviously. And it does flow southward from the ____________.
Great Barrier Reef
When currents meet landforms, they change direction. This is known as ________________.
continental deflection.
________ and _______ affect the density of ocean water.
Temperature and salinity
Ocean waves form because of friction between the ______ and the __________ .
wind and the surface of the water