Ocean Surface Currents (Slides 1 and 2)
Streamlike movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean are called
Ocean Currents
Is the Nemo movie accurate?
Current patters causes changes in the atmosphere that disrupt the climate in ____ parts of the world.
Many.
Deep currents are...
...Stream-like movements of ocean water far below the ocean surface.
A wave is defined a-
Transfer of energy.
The Gulf Stream transports __ times more water than all of the rivers in the world
25
The East Australian Current transports __ million cubic metres of water southward each second.
40
When currents meet land forms, they change direction. What is this effect called?
Continental deflection.
What 2 factors affects the density of ocean water.
Temperature and salinity
Waves are made of two main components, what?
Crests and troughs.
What causes surface currents?
Global winds blowing across the Earth’s surface.
The East Australian Current transports as much the equivalent of ______Olympic swimming pools flowing along our coastline.
16,000
Cold water currents begins closer to the _____ and carry cool water to other parts of the ocean.
Poles.
Deep currents are controlled by wind or the Coriolis effect. True or false?
False.
A _____ is the highest point and the ______ is the lowest point.
A crest is the highest point and the trough is the lowest point.
The rotation of the Earth causes surface currents to move in curved paths rather than straight lines. What is the correct term for this?
The Coriolis Effect
The current is almost 100 kilometres wide, and more than 1.5 kilometres deep. Some may describe it as more of a ______.
Ribbon.
Warm water currents begin near the _______ and carries warm water to other parts of the ocean.
Equator.
Starting at a depth of about ___ meters, the water temperature becomes colder as the depth increases.
200
What motion/pattern are waves thought to move as.
Circular pattern.
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
Warm-water currents create warmer climates in coastal areas that would otherwise be much cooler.
The ability of surface currents is-
To warm up areas or cool down areas (change temperature)
Explain the cycle of a deep current.
The denser water moves along the ocean floor and eventually travels toward the equator in the form of a deep current.
Ocean waves form because of-
Friction between the wind and the surface of the water