Ocean Currents
Where do warm surface currents generally originate?
Equator
How does colder water affect density?
What is increased density (colder water sinks)?
What happens to sea level when glaciers melt?
What is sea level rises?
What are Milankovitch cycles?
What are long-term changes in Earth’s orbit and tilt that affect climate?
True or False - California Current is a Warm Current
What is false?
Where do cold surface currents generally originate?
What are polar or high-latitude regions?
How does fresher water affect density?
What is decreased density (fresher water rises)?
How does added freshwater influence ocean circulation?
What is it decreases salinity and density, weakening circulation?
What is eccentricity?
What is the shape of Earth’s orbit around the Sun changing over time?
A graph shows atmospheric CO₂ levels and global temperature increasing over time. Describe the correlation and explain what it suggests.
What is a positive correlation suggesting rising CO₂ is associated with rising temperatures?
Why is Europe warmer than other places at the same latitude?
AMOC, What is the influence of the warm Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Drift transporting heat?
Explain how melting glaciers affect sinking water in the North Atlantic.
What is added freshwater lowers salinity, reduces density, and slows sinking?
What could happen to rainfall patterns if major ocean circulation weakens?
What is shifts in precipitation, drought in some regions, flooding in others?
How does obliquity (tilt) affect seasons?
What is greater tilt increases seasonal extremes; smaller tilt reduces them?
A graph shows ocean surface temperature increasing while deep-water formation decreases over the same time period. Explain the relationship between these two trends.
What is increasing surface temperature reduces water density, which decreases sinking and weakens deep-water formation?
How would weakening surface currents impact climate?
What is reduced heat distribution, causing regional cooling or shifts in weather patterns?
Why is salty water more likely to sink?
What is higher salinity increases mass per volume, increasing density?
Explain how glacial melt could impact agriculture.
What is changing rainfall and temperature patterns affecting crop growth?
How does precession change the timing of seasons?
What is Earth’s wobble shifts when seasons occur in relation to Earth’s position in orbit?
A graph shows salinity in the North Atlantic decreasing over 30 years. Predict the impact on ocean circulation.
What is decreased salinity lowers density, weakening deep-water formation and circulation?
Predict how a shift in major ocean currents would affect coastal climates.
What is changes in temperature and precipitation patterns along coastlines?
Analyze how temperature and salinity together influence thermohaline circulation.
What is cold, salty water sinks to drive deep ocean currents, while warm, fresh water stays near the surface?
Predict long-term climate effects if glacial melt continues for 100 years
What is weakened ocean circulation, altered weather systems, and regional climate shifts?
Explain how Milankovitch cycles can contribute to ice ages.
What is changes in solar energy distribution can lead to cooler summers, allowing ice sheets to grow?
Two graphs show increasing freshwater input from Greenland and decreasing ocean circulation strength. Does this support a cause-and-effect claim?
What is yes, because increased freshwater reduces salinity and density, which weakens circulation, showing a likely causal relationship?