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 does flow along
the
East coast of Australia
When currents meet landforms, they change direction. which is known as
continental deflection.
___ are stream-like movements of ocean water far below the ocean surface.
Deep currents
Waves are made of
two main components
Global winds blowing across the Earth’s surface create
surface currents.
the real East Australian Current is
much bigger and much wilder than the movie
Warm water currents begin near the equator and carry warm water to other
parts of the ocean
Deep currents are not controlled by
wind or the Coriolis effect.
A crest is the highest point and the trough is the
lowest point.
Just as with winds, the rotation of the Earth causes surface currents to move in curved paths rather then
straight lines.
The East Australian Current transports a staggering
40 million cubic meters of water southward each second.
Surface currents greatly affect the
climate in many parts of the world.
Ocean water gets denser when it becomes
saltier or gets colder.
Ocean waves are called mechanical waves because
they travel through a medium
Surface currents are controlled by four
factors
global winds, the Coriolis effect,
continental deflections, and the water
temperature.
the equivalent of 16,000 Olympic swimming pools flowing along our coastline
every second.
it causes changes in the atmosphere that disrupt the climate
in many parts of the world.
Deep currents are mainly controlled by increases in
water density.
Mechanical waves are
waves that require a medium.
Surface currents can reach depths of several hundred
meters and lengths of several thousand kilometers.
Speeds in the core of the EAC are
among the strongest in the South Pacific up to
4.5 mph an hour.
Warm-water currents create warmer climates in coastal areas that would otherwise be much cooler (Iceland). Likewise, Cold-water currents create cooler climates in coastal areas
that would be much warmer (San Francisco).
The denser water moves along the ocean floor and eventually travels toward the equator in
the form of a deep current
A wavelength is the
distance between two adjust crests or troughs