Weather vs. Climate
Ocean Currents
Prevailing Winds
Key Concepts
Latitude
100

short-term, day to day what is happening the atmosphere (rainy, snowy, sunny, etc)

Weather

100

What is a current?

Water moving in a continuous pattern.

100

What do prevailing winds do?

Create ocean currents on the surface
100

True or False?

Energy from the sun is transferred directly from the equator and spreads around Earth from there in ocean currents and wind patterns.

True

100

An imaginary line that divides earth into northern and southern hemispheres.

The Equator

200

What is climate?

The long-term,30+ years average weather of a location 

200

What drive a warm ocean current

The Sun

200

What are prevailing Winds?

Strong winds that move in a continuous pattern and push the ocean in the same direction.

200

The _______ receive the LEAST amount of energy from the sun due to the shape of the Earth.

poles

200

Which of the following ocean latitude would have more salinity?

a.  0 degrees

b.  60 degrees

c.  30 degrees

d.  90 degrees

d.  90 degrees

300

Why is UK warm during winter

The Gulf stream brings up warm water

300

A cold current comes from?

The poles.

300

If we didn't have prevailing winds, what would be the ONLY factor that determines ocean temperature?

Latitude

300

Convection currents are caused by differences in _________________.

temperature

300

Latitude is how far or close something is to where?

The equator

400

Weather or Climate?

A blizzard passed through southwest Colorado January 2-4th.

Weather

400

What is the MAIN cause of deep ocean currents?

salinity and density differences

400

Prevailing Winds blow which way in the US?

from the west

400

Surface ocean currents are mostly driven by ___________.

prevailing winds

400

True or False?

All climate is the same throughout the same latitude.

FALSE

500

Why is the Pacific current cold and the Gulf stream warm

water from the poles is cold and from the equator is warm

500

The Gulf Stream is a WARM ocean current that keeps what country from having harsh winters?

UK or Europe

500

What force causes Earth's wind and water currents to curve due to Earth's rotation?

The Coriolis Effect

500

__________ and ___________ move the sun's energy all around Earth.

Water (ocean currents), air/ wind (the atmosphere)

500

Why do coastal areas have less extreme temperature changes than inland areas?

ocean currents help keep temperatures balanced.  Or, oceans have a higher specific heat than land.

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