Ocean Currents
Ocean currents move large volumes of water around the planet. What is the main energy source for these currents?
Uneven heating of the Earth from the Sun's radiation.
The amount of matter in a given space
Density
The phenomenon shown in the diagram is known as....
The Lake Effect
This map shows annual mean (average) surface temperatures. What information does this map tell you about how the Earth is heated?
Direct heating from the sun is greater at the equator compared to the poles.
Seawater becomes more dense with a(n) ______________________ in temperature and a(n) _____________________ in salinity.
Decrease; Increase
The change in direction from a straight path to a curved path due to the Earth’s rotation
The Coriolis Effect
Nevada has a much drier climate than regions in California that are at the same latitude. Compared to these regions in California, which feature of Nevada contributes MOST to this dry climate?
Mountain Ranges to the West of the state.
What does the diagram represent and what would be the cause of the air flow in the diagram?
The diagram represents a convection current caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun.
What causes the movement of deep water currents as shown in the diagram?
Differences in temperature and salinity
a constantly moving system of deep-ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity that transfer water around the globe
The Global Conveyor Belt (Thermohaline)
What will happen when the warm, moist air has moved from the west side to the east side of the mountain?
A rain shadow will occur, and little precipitation will happen on the eastern side of the mountain.
The beaker shown is filled with room temperature water. Why is the red balloon is floating while the purple balloon is sinking?
The purple balloon is filled with cold, salt water which is denser than regular water, and it sinks to the bottom of the beaker.
The red balloon is filled with warm freshwater, which is less dense than room temperature water, and it floats to the top of the beaker.
Ocean water circulates around the globe as demonstrated in the map above. What are TWO ways that explain how surface currents (warm, less salty, shallow currents) and density currents (cold, salty, deep currents) are connected.
As the surface currents move towards the poles, they cool, becoming more dense and sinking to become density currents.
As the density currents mix with warmer, less salty water, they become less dense and slowly rise becoming surface currents.
a graphical representation of the monthly average temperature and precipitation at a certain location
Climograph
Air temperature data was recorded near the coast and are represented in the following table. What is caused by these temperature differences?
A Land Breeze
Describe what is happening in this diagram at labels A and B
A:Cold air gaining density, sinking and pushing toward the equator.
B:Warm air losing density and rising toward the polar regions.
What are 3 things that contribute to the movement of ocean SURFACE currents?
Sunlight heats the earth unevenly, creating winds that drag currents along/push currents.
The Earth Rotates on its axis causing the curving motion of wind and fluids, (The Coriolis Effect.)
As a current approaches the coast of a continent, it changes direction which is called Continental Deflection.
An area that has similar average temperatures and precipitation throughout the year
Climate Zone
The following conditions exist near a large body of water. What phenomena is most likely occurring?
· Rising warm air
· Strong polar wind
· Dense white / gray clouds
· Fast accumulation of precipitation
Lake Effect
Analyze the graph showing the average monthly precipitation in Washington state. Which side of the Cascade Mountains experiences the rain shadow effect? How can you tell?
The Eastern side because it the graph shows that it receives much less water in milliliters than the other options.