Surface Currents
What are Ocean Currents?
Streamlike movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean are called Surface Currents.
The East Australian Current flows along what coast?
The East coast of Australia.
What is a continental deflection?
When currents meet landforms, they change direction.
What are deep currents?
Stream-like movements of ocean water far below the ocean surface.
What are waves?
Waves are made of two main components - crests and troughs.
What are the four factors of how Surface currents are controlled?
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 and go up to how many mph?
They can go up to 4.5 mph an hour.
If Earth's surface were covered only with water, how would currents travel?
Currents would travel in a fixed pattern across the Earth.
What are deep currents controlled by?
Increases in water density.
Ocean waves form because of?
Friction between the wind and the surface of the water.
How do Global winds create surface currents?
By blowing across the Earth’s surface.
How much water does the East Australian Current transport?
staggering 40 million cubic meters of water southward each second.
Some surface currents warm and some do what?
Cool coastal areas year-round.
What can affect the density of ocean water?
Temperature and salinity.
Waves move in what pattern?
Circular.
What does the Coriolis Effect cause?
It causes currents in the Northern Hemisphere to turn clockwise while currents in the Southern Hemisphere turn counterclockwise.
How many km is the current?
The current is almost 100 km wide, and more than 1.5 km deep.
Surface climates can cause a change in the atmosphere and can end up affecting up.
It could end up disrupting the climate in many parts of the world.
Starting at 200 meters the water temperature become?
The water temperature becomes colder as the depth increases.
What is a type of wave that moves through matter and then vibrates our eardrums so we can hear?
Sound.
How many times more does The Gulf Stream transport water?
Transports 25 times more water than all of the rivers in the world and flows from Florida to Iceland!
How many Olympic swimming pools is that equivalent to?
That is the equivalent of 16,000 Olympic swimming pools flowing along our coastline.
When currents meet landforms, they change direction. What is this called?
Continental deflection.
Denser water moves along?
Ocean floor.
Waves are defined as what?
A transfer of energy.