Objectives students will watch an internet video on ocean currents and. Salinity and deep ocean currents ocean surface topography. There are 28 scavenger hunt cards with colorful pictures. Describe the four factors that influence ocean currents. Jul 21, 2019 ocean currents are the vertical or horizontal movement of both surface and deep water throughout the worlds oceans. What is the relationship between ocean currents and climate.
Start studying what causes ocean currents learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Middle school ocean currents what are their effects. Currents driven by thermohaline circulation occur at both deep and shallow ocean levels and move much slower than tidal or surface currents. Surface currents are mostly caused by the wind because it creates friction as it moves over the water.
In this program, students will learn about the driving forces responsible for ocean circulation. 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. This equation states that the product of mass and current acceleration equals the vector sum of all forces that act on. Thus, the wind that reaches the land brings down the temperature and causes heavy rainfall. Coriolis forces cause the ocean currents to be deflected right in the northern hemisphere, e. Winds blowing over a warm current become warm and at the same time, pick up moisture, as warm winds are able to retain more moisture. It gives information related to different types of ocean current in detail and causes. 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, waves and tides types and causes with.
Where winds blow in the same direction for a long period of time, currents will develop that transport large. Surface currents are those found in the upper 400 meters 1,300 feet of the ocean and make up about 10% of all the water in the ocean. These rip currents can move faster than an olympic swimmer, at speeds as fast as eight. Surface currents in the ocean are driven by global wind systems that are fueled by energy from the sun. Ocean water is on the move, affecting your climate, your local ecosystem, and the seafood that you eat. Convection cellssuns energy causes convective movement of the oceans water as heat from the sun causes differences in the density of the watersalinitypercent of salt in an oceans smallless dense, lotsmore dense. Currents pdf, 381 kb learning ocean science through ocean exploration. Surface waters of the earths oceans are forced to move, primarily by winds. This friction then forces the water to move in a spiral pattern, creating gyres. Oceanic currents are important to life on earth because they redistribute water, heat, nutrients, and oxygen around the globe.
Learn about tides, ocean currents and waves youtube. Sea ice generation in the polar regions creates very dense water masses. Ocean currents are the continuous flow of huge amount of water in a definite direction while the waves are the horizontal motion of water. Surface ocean currents form large circular patterns called gyres. Surface currents are horizontal, streamlike movements of water that are found at or near the surface of the ocean. The general circulation is governed by the equation of motion, one of the fundamental laws of mechanics developed by english physicist and mathematician sir isaac newton that was applied to a continuous volume of water. Ocean currents 433 system is moving through space at an unknown speed. When surface currents meet continents, they deflect, or change direction. Ocean circulation plays a central role in regulating climate and supporting marine life by transporting.
The ocean in motion circulation in this program, students will learn about the driving forces responsible for ocean circulation. Currents roadmap to resources noaas national ocean service. Pacific ocean currents phytoplankton and fishing pmf ias. Winddriven circulation is the largescale oceanic circulation that results from the act. Winds are able to move the top 400 meters of the ocean creating surface ocean currents. The coriolis effect what is an upwelling and why is it important to the marine ecosystem. 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, the relationship between salinity of water and density. This module discusses the origin of ocean currents in both the open ocean and in coastal areas. These currents are on the oceans surface and in its depths, flowing both locally and globally. In our geography notes on the hydrosphere, we have seen the major movements of the ocean water. 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.
The gulf stream is another ocean current that played a historical role in the. We will show a video clip showing sea level height and describe its connection to ocean circulation. How does warm water from the tropics causes mild climates in western europe. 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. Ocean current worksheet temperature affects and surface currents. What causes ocean currents ocean exploration facts.
Example includes movement of water from the atlantic ocean to mediterranean sea. Ocean currents are made up of horizontal and vertical components. Currents are generally measured in meters per second or knots, where 1 knot equals 1. Ocean waves are caused by wind moving across the surface of the water. Differences in water density, resulting from the variability of water temperature thermo and salinity haline, also cause ocean currents. We will show a video clip showing sea level height and describe its. The module focuses on the driving mechanisms for currents, along with influences that modify existing currents. 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. Rip currents are narrow channels of water that form when waves of different intensities break on the shoreline and generate currents that try to keep the water level even by pulling the large amount of water brought to shore by the waves back into the ocean. The topography and shape of ocean basins and nearby landmasses also influence ocean currents.
The oceans contain many streamlike movements of water called ocean currents. We now know that ocean currents have played a major role in human exploration for thousands of years. These deep waters sink into the deep ocean basins at high latitudes where the temperatures are cold enough to cause the density to increase. Causes of ocean currents the movement of ocean water is one of the two the. The tides are part of what causes currents in the ocean. Theyre primarily driven by winds and by seawater density, although many other factors including the shape and configuration of the ocean basin they flow through influence them. It also creates surface currents, which are horizontal streams of water that can flow for thousands of kilometers and can reach depths of hundreds of meters. Evaporation causes an increase in salinity and density and causes the water to sink inviting less dense water to take its place. The currents tutorial is an overview of the types of currents, what causes them, how they are measured, and how they affect peoples lives. Unit 2 ocean currents in this unit, you will investigate the forces that drive surface currents in the worlds oceans. Ocean currents, ocean floor, ocean in a bottle craft, and ocean lapbook layers of learning map the ocean floor, identifying the major mountain ranges and rifts, learn about ocean currents and color a map of the prevailing currents on earth, make an ocean in a bottle craft and then round it out with an ocean lapbook. Convection occurs because the oceanic waters heat up becoming less dense. Explain how the coriolis effect impacts ocean currents. Ocean currents national oceanic and atmospheric administration.
It gives information related to different types of ocean current in detail and causes of ocean currents. What causes ocean currents and how do we measure them. If the tide rises water moves inland, this is called a flood current. Ocean current worksheet temperature affects and surface. In this video, you will learn all about those things as well as tides, ocean currents and waves. Oceans are the lifeline of the earth and humankind because it plays an important role in the earths climate and in global warming. North atlantic, south atlantic, indian, north pacific, and south pacific. Pdf ocean currents types and causes of currents hafez. If you want to learn about what causes ocean currents, this is a cool way to get started. 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.
Ocean currents are similar to winds in the atmosphere in that they transfer. Examine ocean salinity and temperature patterns and their. In cold regions, such as the north atlantic ocean, ocean water loses heat to the atmosphere and becomes cold and dense. In science, a wave is defined as a transfer of energy. Identify major ocean gyres and their physical properties temperature, speed, and direction.
In the foregoing analysis of the ocean and the atmosphere as two interacting subsystems, we have identified two major energy inputs into the ocean. Ocean currents can be caused by wind, density differences in water masses caused by temperature and salinity variations, gravity, and events such as. Students will observe a demonstration on how the temperature of water creates water movement. Nov 01, 2019 oceanic currents are the movement of water from one location to another. The primary generating forces are wind and differences in water density caused by variations in heat and salinity. Currents normally move in a specific direction and aid significantly in the circulation of the earths moisture, the resultant weather, and water pollution. The processes that drive a circulation pattern throughout the atlantic ocean also operate in the other oceans of the world. Ocean currents shortcut method by to learn faster clear ias. Having covered the fundamentals, we shall see in this post, a superfast way to learn the details of ocean currents. As the tide recedes the water moves seaward, this is called an ebb. The water at the ocean surface is moved primarily by. Ocean currents are patterns of water movement and patterns that influence climate zones and weather patterns around the world. It also provides basic information about ocean currents and wave. Water moves ahead from one place to another through ocean currents while the water in the waves does not move, but the wave trains.
Deep ocean currents are densitydriven and differ from surface currents in scale, speed, and energy. The colder and saltier the ocean water, the denser it is. Contributions to interannual variability of lod can mainly be attributed to the pressure torque and the matter term, whereas the contribution by the ocean currents varies on shorter timescales up. Human designed so many machines that can measure the depth and life within the ocean. In the southern hemisphere it causes a slow transport of moving water to the left. It causes the currents to be deflected to the right in the direction to which they flow in the northern hemisphere and in the southern hemisphere the. Equatorial pacific ocean currents under the influence of prevailing trade winds, the north equatorial current and the south equatorial current start from the eastern pacific. Where winds blow in the same direction for a long period of time, currents will develop that transport large masses of water over considerable distances across ocean surfaces.
Ocean currents can be caused by wind, density differences in water masses caused. Relate upwelling areas to their impact on the food chain. Wind that blows over the ocean water creates waves. The friction between the air molecules and the water molecules causes energy to be transferred from the wind to the water.
Correlate current direction and speed with global winds. These are the wind stress over the sea surface and heat fluxes in the form of latent heat, conductivity and solar radiation. Currents can also be generated where the river meets the sea. 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. Different climates produce water masses of different densities. Ocean currents, abiotic features of the environment, are continuous and directed movements of ocean water. Get ready to add this simple ocean currents activity to your ocean lesson plans this season. Ocean current ocean current causes of ocean currents. Water density is affected by the temperature, salinity saltiness, and depth of the water. The five major circulation patterns formed by the currents on this map are the worlds five major ocean gyres. It also provides basic information about ocean currents,wave and tides. On a map, students will locate and draw the major gyres and ocean currents that have an effect on canadas climate. There are two distinct current systems in the oceansurface circulation.
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