Surface Currents
surface current
A surface currents are horizontal movements of ocean water near the surface driven by wind patterns.
ocean currents
Large volume of water flowing in a certain direction.
rip currents
What is a narrow, powerful surface current which flows away from the shore.
coriolis effect
Movement of wind and water to the right or left that is caused by Earth’s rotation.
upwellings
the vertical movement of water toward the ocean’s surface.
main driver of surface currents
wind
ocean current example
Ex. The gulf stream
should you fight rip currents
no do not do that
the 2 things the coriolis effect affects
water and air
density currents
type of vertical current that carries water from the surface to deeper parts of the ocean.
the max depth of surface currents
400 meters
cause of density currents
changes in density from bodies of water due to temperature changes
how to get out of rip currents
swim parrelel to the shore until youve escaped it, dont fight it.
what direction do fluids rotate in the northern hemisphere
clockwise
Vertically or North to South
the direction of surface currents in relation to the ocean
Horizontal or East to West
three main types of ocean currents
1. Surface Currents
2. Density Currents
3. Rip Currents
rip currents can take someone roughly
100-200 yards
what affects the flow of currents
the way land masses are shaped how big they are
A model of the large system of ocean currents that affects weather and climate by circulating thermal energy around Earth.
What is The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt
max speed of surface currents
100km per day
How long does it take for the ocean conveyor belt to do a full rotation
1000 years
the number of deaths related to rip currents every year
~150 (very dangerous)
the formula for the Coriolis Effect
Fc=-2m(Ω x v)
A large system of rotating ocean currents, primarily driven by wind patterns and the Earth's rotation, that form a circular pattern in the ocean
gyres