OCEAN CURRENTS What causes OCEAN currents Use 1

OCEAN CURRENTS

What causes OCEAN currents? • Use 1 book per table. • Go to pg. 429 • On your lab table, draw the ocean currents. – Include continents – USE COLOR

What causes currents? • Prevaling Winds: – winds that blow from a single general direction over a particular point on the Earth's surface. – Examples: • Westerlies • Trade Winds

Wind belts

What causes currents? • Changes in Water Temperature: – Cold water sinks, warm water rises. – This creates a movement of water based on radiation from the sun.

What causes currents? • Coriolis Effect – Deflection of winds and ocean currents caused by Earth’s rotation

What causes currents? • Changes in Salinity – Saline water (salty water) becomes more dense and sinks. Causes deep water currents.

What causes currents? • Uneven Heating – Differences in solar radiation from the sun causes ocean water to heat at different intensities, causes the rising and sinking of water. – WARM water expands and rises – COLD water contracts and sinks

What causes currents? • Basin Shape – The continents form a barrier which causes ocean water to be deflected and divided.

9. 02 Label major surface currents • HOMEWORK – Use your book p. 429 to do this!

Currents regulate Earth’s climate

Ocean Terms: • Gyre: large system • Boundary Current: of rotating ocean currents, involved with large wind movements. ocean currents with dynamics determined by the presence of a coastline. – Western + Eastern

Ocean Gyres

Deep Currents • Thermohaline circulation- caused by • • density and temp. difference Salty water sinks; cold water sinks Global conveyor belt

Gulf Stream

Ocean Currents Lab:

EARTH SCIENCE • FINISH: Your Ocean Currents Lab – Use books + Obj. ’s • When done, show Mr. Shelson • Pick up Quiz review (due tomorrow) – YES…Homework if not complete!

Where does Ocean Salt come from?

Thermocline

Thermocline