Ocean Surface Currents
What is a surface current?
Stream-like movements of water that occur at or near the surface or the ocean.
The East Australia current
does flow along the East coast of Australia and it does flow southward from the great barrier reef.
If earths surface were covered only with water
Currents would travel in a mixed pattern across the earth
Deep Currents are
stream-like movements of ocean water far below the ocean surface.
A crust
is the highest point of a wave.
What four factors control surface currents?
Global winds, the Coriolis effect, Continental deflections, and the water temperature.
Speeds in the EAC are among
the strongest in South Pacific, up to 4.5 mph an hour.
When currents meet landforms they change direction. This is known as
Continental Deflection
Deep Currents are not controlled by wind or the
Coriolis Effect.
is the lowest point of a wave
The Gulf Stream, which is one of the longest surface currents, transports
The movie makes you think that it is a narrow jet that you can jump in and out of but it actually
is much bigger and much wider than in the movie.
Warm water currents begin near the equator and carry warm water to other parts of the ocean. Cold water currents
begin near the poles and carry cool water to other parts of the ocean.
Ocean water gets
denser when it becomes saltier or gets cooler.
Wave height is
the vertical distance between a waves crust and its trough.
Surface currents can reach depths of
several hundred meters and lengths of several thousand kilometres.
The East Australian Current transports a staggering 40 million cubic metres of water southward each second. That's equivalent to
16,000 Olympic swimming pools floating along our coastline, every second.
Some surface currents
warm and cool coastal areas year-round
Cold air chills the water molecules at the surface, causing them to move closer together. As a result
The volume of the water decreases and the water becomes denser.
Mechanical Waves are
waves that require a medium.
The rotation of the earth causes surface currents to move in curved paths rather than staight lines. Because of the Coriolis effect, currents in the Northern hemisphere
turn clockwise while currents in the Southern hemisphere turn counterclockwise.
The current is almost
100 km wide and more than 1.5 km deep.
Warm-water currents create warmer climates in coastal areas that would otherwise be much cooler. Cold-water currents
create cooler climates in coastal areas that would be much warmer.
The denser the water moves along the ocean floor and eventually travels toward the equator in a deep current. Less-
dense water always flows on top.
Sound can travel through air, water, or solids, but it can't travel through
a vacuum