Ocean Currents
What are ocean currents?
These are large-scale movements of water in the ocean. Ocean currents are streams of water flowing constantly on the ocean surface in definite directions. They're driven by things like wind, the temperature and saltiness of the water, and even the Earth's rotation.
What are rip currents?
A rip currents are narrow, fast moving channels of water that flow from the shore out to deeper water, usually caused by waves breaking strongly in some locations and weaker in others.
What is it when deep water rises to replace warm water and how does it work?
It is when surface water is pushed away and it is known as upwelling. It is when cold, nutrient rich water is pulled up from the deep sea.
What does the cold California Current affect?
Coastal areas of the southwestern United States.
What is a surface current?
Surface currents are usually caused by the wind. As the wind changes, the current may change as well. Currents are also influenced by the rotation of the Earth called the Coriolis effect.
How do a rip current pull people outwards?
A rip current pulls swimmers away from shore, not underneath the water but simply dragging them on the surface further from land.
What is upwelling?
This process brings cold, nutrient rich water to oceans surface. Winds blowing across the ocean surface often push water away from an area. When this occurs, water rises up from beneath the surface to replace the diverging surface water.
How do ocean currents help climate?
Ocean currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface.
What is a density current?
A density current in the ocean is a flow of water driven by differences in density, primarily due to temperature and salinity variations.
What is the Coriolis Effect?
This effect causes moving water and air to curve due to Earths rotation. Its an effect of deflection from moving objects.
What does upwelling bring to surface life?
In addition to nutrients, upwelling zones bring more of this essential gas to surface life such as dissolved carbon dioxide and dissolved nitrogen.
In what way does cold water move?
Cold water sinks due to its higher density than warmer water.
What is the difference between a surface current, and density current?
Surface currents, are large scale ocean currents that flow at the surface, driven mainly by wind and the Coriolis effect. While density currents are deep in the ocean driven by differences in water density, which are caused by variations in temperature and salinity.
What causes the Coriolis Effect?
The Coriolis Effect is caused by the movement of Earths rotation.
What is the key driver of ocean movements?
Density Currents
How do warm water currents and cold water currents affect climate/weather?
Impact climate by transporting heat/cold around the globe, influencing regional temperatures and affecting precipitation patterns.
How does a density current form?
Density currents from when water moves due to differences in density which are caused by changes in temperature. So when cold, salty water sinks in one part of the ocean, it creates a deep current that moves along the ocean floor. This process is part of the global conveyor belt that helps regulate earths climate.
How does the Coriolis effect move?
The Coriolis effect moves left and right. It moves right in the Northern Hemisphere and left to the Southern Hemisphere. This is because of the Earths rotation, deflecting moving objects.
Random: What is the island in the middle of the Pacific ocean called?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
How do ocean currents help balance Earths climate?
They move heat from the equator to the poles.