Factors Affecting Surface Currents
What drives surface currents?
global winds
What is the most powerful surface current in the North Atlantic Ocean?
Gulf Stream
What ocean does El Nino and La Nina take place in?
Pacific Ocean
How does cold water find its way towards the equator?
deep ocean currents
What is salinity?
The amount of salt in the ocean.
What type of temperature currents move AWAY from the equator?
warm
What is the climate on land that warm water flows by?
warm temperatures and wet weather
True or False
El Niño and La Niña events shift weather patterns around the world.
true
Are icebergs and glaciers made from fresh water or salty water?
fresh
How is oxygen distributed throughout the ocean?
deep ocean currents
What type of temperature currents move TOWARDS the equator?
cold
What is the land's climate where cool currents flow?
cool and dry
What is it called when the surface waters in the eastern Pacific are colder than normal?
La Nina
Do deep ocean currents travel quickly or slowly?
slowly
Is the water temperature warm or cold at the bottom of the ocean?
cold
What causes surface currents to curve left and right?
the coriolis effect
When ocean water is evaporated, in the water cycle, is the salt also evaporated or left behind?
left behind
Is the water's salinity higher or lower at the bottom of the ocean?
higher
What are 2 other things that drive patterns of ocean circulation?
unequal heating of the Earth and Earth's rotation
What drives deep ocean currents?
water density
How do temperature and salinity affect the ocean?
colder saltier water is more dense