Explain the three causes for uneven distribution of salinity in the oceans and seas. Tides produce strong currents, up to 5ms in coastal waters tidal currents generate internal waves over various topographies. Pacific and indian oceans see pages 1517, this issue. Vary the height of the basin to find out how fast the basin empties into the ocean. Ocean currents and climate home department of earth. These waters move around the ocean basins by density driven forces and gravity. How do differences in the sizes of the ocean and the basins affect the flow between them. This movement has a significant effect on the earths weather. Ocean currents, including the ocean conveyor belt, play a key role in determining how the ocean distributes heat energy throughout the planet, thereby regulating and stabilizing climate patterns.
It is best seen at an inlet connecting the ocean with a barrier sound. Ocean current, stream made up of horizontal and vertical components of the circulation system of ocean waters that is produced by. Acool current, flowing north bcool current, flowing south cwarm current, flowing north dwarm current, flowing south 4. Storm surge how does a wave behave as it nears shore. They represent a regular volume of water in a definite path and direction. Currents are responsible for circulating water throughout the earths oceans. The diagram below shows sand particles being moved. Define salinity and explain how the density of ocean water changes as salinity levels and temperature change describe the movements of both the ocean s surface currents and its deepwater currents explain how ocean waves form, identify their properties such as height, length, crest, and trough, and describe their motions. The rise begins at about 3,000 meters and ends at 4,000 meters, and. Ocean currents, waves and tides types and causes with. Long, sandy islands are composed mostly of sand and rounded pebbles arranged in sorted layers. Eddies can affect human pursuits, such as offshore oil drilling operations. Ocean currents are similar to winds in the atmosphere in that they transfer. Earlier, you created twocolumn notes to help you learn about different types of currents.
Ocean current is the directed movement of the ocean water by virtue of the forces like wind, earths rotation, gravitation of the moon etc. The california ocean current, which flows along the west coast of north america, is a athermosphere bmesosphere. Of all the movements in the oceanic water, ocean currents are the most important. Now, thats the only quick notes you need to learn the flow pattern of ocean currents. In some regions of the ocean, circulation is based upon the sinking of cold water and the subse. The instructions are included in file lesson 8 instructions. Scientists across the globe are trying to figure out why the ocean is becoming more violent and what, if anything, can be done about it.
Have students begin watching ocean currents internet video lesson, 10 minutes. Waves, currents and tides are of vital significance among various types of oceanic movements. Surface currents are mostly caused by the w ind because it creates friction as it moves over the water. Read this article to learn about the ocean currents. Eddies may be thought of as a type of oceanic weather. These waters make up about 10% of all the water in the ocean. How it was originally created also defines whether the content of the pdf text, images, tables can be accessed or whether it is locked in an image of the page. Investigate the forces that drive surface currents in the worlds oceans. Oceans in general have a great influence on rainfall on a continental basis and an influence on temperatures along coastal margins. Covers types of currents surface and deep and the role of ocean currents and the planet. Ocean currents and mixing by winds and waves can transport and redistribute heat to deeper ocean layers. Temperature and deep ocean circulation ocean surface. Most ocean currents are driven by wind and solar heating of surface waters, while some currents result from density and salinity variations of the water column. Deflection off land coastal boundary currents eastern and western boundary california current and gulf stream.
Approximately two 40minute classes curriculum connection province and course. Both types of ocean currents are measured using units called sverdrup sv. At which latitudes do currents of dry, sinking air cause the dry conditions of earths major deserts. Waves, currents, tides ocean waves how do waves move water. Success in localized tidal prediction and in the general understanding of tidal propagation in ocean basins led to the belief that this was a well understood phenomenon and no. Investigate the scientific view of how the earths surface is formed. This lesson will discuss surface ocean currents, deep water ocean currents, and the forces that drive them. Upon completion of video, students should begin to answer questions provided on the ocean currents worksheet. Oceanography midterm part of the easy peasy allinone. Tides are, in fact, the most important of all the oceanic movements because tidal currents affect the whole water mass from the sea surface to the bottom. An ocean current is a continuous movement of ocean water from one place to another. Earths rotation results in the coriolis effect which also influences ocean currents. The current s direction and speed depend on the shoreline and the ocean floor.
Ocean currents are driven by wind, water density differences, and tides. Depth contours, shoreline configurations, and interactions with other currents influence a currents direction and strength. An overview of ocean currents and how they circulate. The effect of the rotation of the earth has been given so much con sideration because in most problems the effect of the rotation enters and because the nature of the deflecting force should be thoroughly understood. Ocean currents, waves and tides colorful posters for classroom. Increased ocean temperatures will cause water to expand which would raise current sea levelsincreased ocean water temperatures would. Ocean currents are primarily horizontal water movements. Ocean currents density currents travel in the ocean at a depth of surface currents travel in the ocean at a depth of set in motion by global blowing on earths surface. Unit 2 ocean currents in this unit, you will investigate the forces that drive surface currents in the worlds oceans. There are several factors and processes involved in. Surface currents are horizontal, streamlike movements of water that are found at or near the surface of the ocean. Ocean currents, including the ocean conveyor belt, play a key role in determining how.
Today i am completing ocean current graphic organizer and practicing a constructed response question so i can be well prepared for milestones at the end of the year. The surface circulation of the worlds oceans is hemisphere and 90 toward. Sverdrup measures current flow rates, where 1 sv is equal to 10 to the 6th power cubic meters per second, or about 265 million gallons per second. Also, some marine mammals and large fish like to feed near the edges of coldcore eddies. What are the different ocean currents that carry warm water give at least three examples.
The oceans contain many streamlike movements of water called ocean currents. Ocean currents flow for great distances, and together, create the global conveyor belt which plays a dominant role in determining the climate of many of the earths regions. Ocean currents are influenced by two types of forces. Currents are in geostropic balance each gyre includes 4 current components. They will compare how ocean currents affect the climate of two different coastal locations. Deep ocean currents are caused by differences in water temperature and. Is to establish scientific partnerships between schools around the world and engage students in activities and communication about ocean climate science. The tidal current floods and then ebbs with slack waters in between. It is a significant pacific and the atlantic ocean current that flows from east to west. At which earth surface locations is this process usually the most dominant type of erosion. It gives information related to different types of ocean current in detail and causes of ocean currents. With the above points, you can find the nature of almost all currents. Jan 22, 2017 it consists of 37 pdf slides that are colorful. The two basic types of currents surface and deepwater currents help define the character and flow of ocean waters across the planet.
Coastal and sea floor features influence their location, direction, and speed. Introduction to ocean tides myrl hendershott 1 introduction the phenomenon of oceanic tides has been observed and studied by humanity for centuries. Jul 21, 2019 ocean currents are the vertical or horizontal movement of both surface and deep water throughout the worlds oceans. They play an important role in ocean circulation, earths climate, and biogeochemical systems. Pdf documents can be categorized in three different types, depending on the way the file originated. Surface currents affected by wind patterns, usually penetrate no deeper than 200300m world ocean currents movement of water by wind. Ocean currents flow in complex patterns and pathways and are affected by several elements such as wind, temperature, topography of the ocean floor, the earths rotation and water salinity. Youre likely familiar with coastal currents if youve ever gone to the beach. What are the three types of ocean currents answers. Correlate current direction and speed with global winds. I can identify the two types of ocean currents i can identify the four forces that influence ocean currents. Unesco eolss sample chapters marine ecology ocean currents and their impact on marine life m. Knows that the sun is the principle energy source for phenomena on earths surface e. It also provides basic information about ocean currents,wave and tides.
Ocean currents are the vertical or horizontal movement of both surface and deep water throughout the worlds oceans. Similar to a person trying to walk in a straight line across a spinning merrygoround, winds and ocean waters get deflected from a straight line path as they travel. Normally, the flow speed of these tidal currents is small typically less than 0. What causes ocean currents ocean exploration facts. Winds are able to move the top 400 meters of the ocean creating surface ocean currents. Currents are of two general categories as surface water currents and deep water currents. Notes ocean currents free download as powerpoint presentation. Winds, water density, and tides all drive ocean currents. Many operating systems do not limit filenames to one extension shorter than 4 characters, as was common with some operating systems that supported the file allocation table fat file. Tides affect mixing, stratification and, as a result biological activity. Some of the ocean currents move quickly, while others move more slowly. Pictures and diagrams are included that will greatly enhance your explanation to your students. This is a collection of 5 classroom posters based on my ocean currents, waves and tides unit which displays all things covered in unit with neat and colorful pictures. Scientists study currents to learn more about how the ocean works mechanically, as well as using the speed and location of currents as a way to measure changes in large bodies of water.
No means are available fox determining absolute motion, but this is of no concern, because theobserved largescale motion of the atmosphere and the sea can be adequately described by means of the simple equations if the. Filename extensions are usually noted in parentheses if they differ from the file format name or abbreviation. Distribute the student handout before you begin for students to take notes on key information. While ocean currents themselves can have flow rates of hundreds or thousands of sv per second. Media in category ocean currents the following 63 files are in this category, out of 63 total. Ocean currents and mixing by winds and waves can transport and redistribute heat to deeper ocean. Western boundary currents are warm, deep, narrow, and fast flowing currents that form on the west side of ocean basins due to western intensification. More specifically, ocean currents influence the temperature of the regions through which they travel. These deep waters sink into the deep ocean basins at high latitudes where the temperatures are cold enough to cause the density to increase. There are two types of currents, surface currents and deep water currents, that dictate how and where water will move. Directions of ocean currents the direction is influenced by many different factors.
In the bottom case circulation is given by density d. The diagram below shows sand particles being moved by wind. Pdf ocean currents types and causes of currents hafez. This demarcation point is often obscured by the continental rise, a buildup of sand, mud and organic matter that has been washed off the continental shelf by currents. Ocean currents and climate national geographic society. Ocean current is the general movement of a mass of water in a fairly defined direction over great direction ocean currents sometimes called as ocean rivers ocean currents based on temperature currents are two types 1. Explain any five factors affecting the climate of a region.
Currents are generally measured in meters per second or in knots 1 knot 1. Surface currents, which include coastal currents and surface ocean currents, are driven primarily by winds. Today were going to learn about ocean currents slide 3 1. Predict consequences if there were no continents on earth what paths would the ocean current a movement of ocean water that follows a regular pattern surface curent a horizontal movement of. Oceanic currents describe the movement of water from one location to another. An ocean current is a regular movement of large amounts of water along defined paths. This is a list of file formats used by computers, organized by type. Where the continental slope ends in the ocean depths, so does the continent itself. They can flow for thousands of miles and are found in all the major oceans of the world.
An ocean current flows for great distances and together they create the global conveyor belt, which plays a dominant role in determining the climate of many of earths regions. Use a water wheel to extract the energy from the filled basin. The ocean has an interconnected current, or circulation, system. At the surface the wind, earth rotation, density gradients, gravity and pressure gradients determine the currents. As it turns out, understanding the ocean circulation is impossible without.
Currents in the world oceans are classified according to the force that makes them flow. Ocean currents 433 system is moving through space at an unknown speed. Ocean currents are influenced by two types of forces namely. The importance of tides important for commerce and science for thousands of years tidal heights are necessary for navigation. The greater the density differences between different layers in the water. Ocean current, stream made up of horizontal and vertical components of the circulation system of ocean waters that is produced by gravity, wind friction, and water density variation in different parts of the ocean. Ocean currents that occur at 328 feet 100 meters deep or above usually are classified as surface currents.
At any particular location, the high and low tides. Page1 reading activity to introduce students to the basics of ocean currents. Didnt read two major kinds of currents define the planets oceans. Figure 3 is an isotherm map that shows ocean temperatures around africa. Aug 24, 2017 ocean current is the general movement of a mass of water in a fairly defined direction over great direction ocean currents sometimes called as ocean rivers ocean currents based on temperature currents are two types 1. Examine ocean salinity and temperature patterns and their.
These waters are the upper 400 meters of the ocean. Ocean currents map national oceanic and atmospheric. These ocean currents, which are massive currents that are influenced by a variety of different forces that act to propel the water both on the surface and in deep ocean waters. The currents direction and speed depend on the shoreline and the ocean floor. Part of the easy peasy allinone homeschool, answers quoted from georgia virtual learning 1. Identify major ocean gyres and their physical properties temperature, speed, and direction. Additionally, if you would like all of the resources together in a pdf document, that can be accessed as a complete resource here. Ocean flows at surface and 2000 meters below sea level.
Now you will think about globalscale effects of the climate change on ocean currents. Ocean currents are created by wind, water temperature, salt content, and the gravity of the moon. There are two distinct current systems in the oceansurface circulation, which stirs a relatively thin upper layer of the sea, and deep circulation, which sweeps. Ocean current simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. For example, the gulf stream current carries warm water toward northern europe. Finally, students may need their earth science reference tables esrt for parts of the lesson a document used widely in the new york state earth science regents course as. More than 70% of the earths surface is covered in water. Currents normally move in a specific direction and aid significantly in the circulation of the earths moisture, the resultant weather, and water pollution. The ocean current is a general movement of a mass of water in a fairly defined direction over great distances. During ebb en flood there is water flowing from one location to another. Ocean currents represent a regular volume of water in a definite path and direction.
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