An overview of ocean currents and how they circulate. Both, however, tend to moderate the temperature more than inland. Ocean currents are created by wind, water temperature, salt content, and the gravity of the moon. Displaying top 8 worksheets found for ocean currents. The ocean currents on your map generally travel in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Let us see the very important currents of the three major oceanic regions. Ocean currents can be caused by wind, density differences in water masses caused by temperature and salinity variations, gravity, and events such as earthquakes or storms. Objectives students will watch an internet video on ocean currents and. The gulf stream, a warm ocean current, has a different effect on the climate of new york city and the surrounding coastal areas.
They represent a regular volume of water in a definite path and direction. That warm water from the tropics causes mild winters in western europe. Making connections media click image to the left for use the url below. Agulhas current and agulhas retroflection south of africa and associated currents and eddies from peterson and stramma, 1991. This warm water current runs south along the east coast of southern africa from 25s to 40s, and is the western boundary current of the south indian ocean. Ocean currents houston independent school district. Ocean currents result from two processes the action of the wind on the surface of the water, and from variation in water temperature that causes movement a process known as convection. Well, tim and moby will give you the inside scoop on all this stuffand morein this brainpop movie on ocean.
What causes ocean currents and how do we measure them. These currents are on the oceans surface and in its depths, flowing both locally and globally. Convection occurs because the oceanic waters heat up becoming less dense. In the northern hemisphere the general direction is clockwise. The major ocean currents are shown in figure 1 on page 525 of your text. Major surface ocean currents are the result of global wind patterns, earths rotation, and the shape of the ocean basins. Two major kinds of currents define the planets oceans. But the currents in the indian ocean northern hemisphere change the flowdirection between summer and winter. Ocean currents,waves and tides scavenger huntthis scavenger hunt introduces to students an information and basics and details about the science related to ocean currents, waves and tides.
Recirculation gyres are flows associated w ith major ocean currents and consists o f water that recirculates in a closed pattern around most of the ocean basin. Pdf ocean currents have many profound impacts on marine life, moving not only animals and. With them they carry poll ution and marine debris that has a direct effect on the shores and animals of the nwhi. Global winds drag on the waters surface, causing it to move and build up in the direction that the wind is blowing. All ocean currents are caused by either wind patterns or by differences in water densities. Gyres of ocean currents in each of the major oceans. Ocean currents act as conveyer belts of warm and cold water, sending heat toward the polar regions and helping tropical areas cool off. Science project video on major ocean currents and how they affect the world. The major gyre in the north pacific ocean is called the north pacific gyre. Ocean surface current analysis real time map showing how plastic floats in the ocean and onto beaches that ocean blue cleans up. There are surface ocean currents and deep ocean currents. Ocean current worksheet temperature affects and surface.
Similar to a person trying to walk in a straight line across a spinning merrygoround. We will show a video clip showing sea level height and describe its connection to ocean circulation. The five major circulation patterns formed by the currents on this map are the worlds five major ocean gyres. What causes ocean currents ocean exploration facts. Again, the southern ocean is a major player in this. The current s direction and speed depend on the shoreline and the ocean floor.
And just as the coriolis effect deflects winds to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere, it also results in the deflection of major surface ocean currents to the right in the northern hemisphere in a clockwise spiral and to the left. Earths major wind belts, called prevailing winds, influence the formation of ocean currents and the direction they move. Pdf poleward shift of the major ocean gyres detected in. Major ocean currents an ocean current is a large volume of water flowing in a certain direction.
Surface and subsurface currents, upwelling, downwelling, surface and internal waves, mixing, eddies, convection, and several other forms of motion act jointly to shape the observed circulation of the worlds ocean. The site includes comprehensive essays on ocean currents, the forces that influence them, the impacts currents have on the earths climate and biological diversity, methods used to measure ocean currents, and profiles of researchers that work in fields involving ocean currents. Thermohaline ocean currents circulation map thc ocean currents opposed to wind driven currents and tides the thermohaline circulation is part of the ocean. The reason for their motion counter opposite to the wind flow is because the northern and southern equatorial currents, pushed westward by the trade winds, pile up water in the western portion of each ocean basin. The ocean in motion circulation in this program, students will learn about the driving forces responsible for ocean circulation. They can flow for thousands of miles and are found in all the major oceans of the world. North atlantic, south atlantic, indian, north pacific, and south pacific. The process of global ocean circulation is presented, emphasizing the importance of this process for climate regulation. Ocean water is on the move, affecting your climate, your local ecosystem, and the seafood that you eat. Gyres are large rotating current systems in the ocean.
Note that the direction of the major ocean currents are similar to the directions of the major winds. Ocean currents summary students will learn what causes ocean currents and how they play a role in distributing marine debris and pollution around the world. The list of ocean currents of the world is given below along. An ocean current is a continuous movement of ocean water from one place to another. Ocean currents research papers report that major ocean currents fall into two broad types. Ocean currents are similar to winds in the atmosphere in that they transfer. These flowing movements of water in oceans are called ocean currents. Surface currents in the ocean are driven by global wind systems that are fueled by energy from the sun. Some differences in current is called the east wind drift because it is opinion exist regarding the names and limits of. Pdf today, ocean currents are also gaining importance due to the possibility of harnessing alternative energy. Ocean water moves on and below the surface in streams known as currents. Winds, water density, and tides all drive ocean currents. Currents overview lesson 8 presents the mechanisms that drive surface and deep ocean currents.
If you look at a world map, you can see that earths 5 oceans are vast. The motion of gyres is determined by the direction of the prevailing winds and the influence of the coriolis effect. 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 are the most important ocean movements because of their influence on climatology of various regions. Ocean surface currents are produced by major overall patterns of atmospheric circulation, the coriolis effect and the shape of each ocean basin. Ocean surface circulation brings warm equatorial waters towards the poles and cooler polar water towards the equator. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The major loops are seen in pacific ocean, atlantic ocean and the indian ocean in both the hemispheres. Currents normally move in a specific direction and aid significantly in the circulation of the earths moisture, the resultant weather, and water pollution. As the wind blows across the surface of a body of water, an amazing thing happens. Effect of various environmental parameters on henrys law constant, of significance to climate change. Grades 48 learning goals students will understand the location of the major surface currents of the oceans, how surface currents affect nearby landmasses, the relationship between temperature of water and density. Also, monsoon winds in northern indian ocean are peculiar to the region, which directly influence the ocean surface water movement. Lets set sail on a journey to earths major ocean currents.
The transport of heat from equator to poles is not distributed uniformly over the globe. Earths rotation results in the coriolis effect which also influences ocean currents. Surface currents refer to movement of the top layer of ocean water the upper 330 feet or so primarily driven by wind. And that temperature, density, and the earths rotation all play a role. Read my previous posts on climatic regions to understand the influence of ocean currents. Coastal and sea floor features influence their location, direction, and speed. While land areas and the atmosphere absorb some sunlight, the majority of the suns radiation. There are 28 scavenger hunt cards with colorful pictures. More specifically, ocean currents influence the temperature of the regions through which they travel. The ocean currents may be divided into two major circulation systems, surface current circulation and deepwater circulation that are more diffuse and mainly. Ocean currents, abiotic features of the environment, are continuous and directed movements of ocean water. Ocean currents types, circulation patterns, theories. Major ocean currents the water on the surface of the oceans is constantly flowing in one direction from one place to another. The deep waters of the oceans come from the surface water cooled in the polar region.
Surface currents extend to about 400 m below the surface, and they move as fast as 100 kmday. Major ocean currents alamanceburlington school system. In the activity, students play a game focused on the primary surface current names and locations. Each of the currents follows more or less a definite pattern.
Currents roadmap to resources noaas national ocean service. Describe the typical gyre circulation of surface currents in two major ocean basins. Migration processes for pops as modified by climate change. Ocean currents are the vertical or horizontal movement of both surface and deep water throughout the worlds oceans. Tools, technologies, and data covers all major aspects of ocean current measurements in view of the implications of ocean currents on changing climate, increasing pollution levels, and offshore engineering activities. Universally accepted names for water masses exist only for the major oceanic water masses. Indian ocean currents effect of monsoons on north indian. Generally speaking, the fact of the lesson is that warmer ocean currents produce warmer weather, while cooler ocean currents have the opposite effect. Ocean currents are primarily horizontal water movements. The injection of water and heat from the indian into the atlantic ocean plays an important part in the global climate balance. Surface waters of the earths oceans are forced to move, primarily by winds. Garbage patch plastic floating in the ocean currents. Ocean currents ocean water moves on and below the surface in streams known as currents. Local surface currents, like longshore and rip currents, move near shorelines.
Indian ocean currents indian ocean is half an ocean, hence the behavior of the north indian ocean currents is different from that of atlantic ocean currents or the pacific ocean currents. Did you know that the water in the worlds oceans is always on the move. Illustration of major ocean currents throughout the globe. Ocean current worksheet temperature affects and surface currents. Where winds blow in the same direction for a long period of time, currents will develop that transport large. Surface currents the currents which are most familiar to man, the famous ones such as the kuroshio and the gulf stream, are surface currents and it is these with which we will be concerned. Surface currents carry warm or cold water horizontally across the oceans surface major ocean currents surface currents extend to about 400 m below the surface, and they move as fast as 100 kmday. 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.
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