The ocean currents exercise Ocean surface currents can

  • Slides: 8
Download presentation
The ocean currents exercise

The ocean currents exercise

Ocean surface currents can be Warm (and fast) or Cold (and sluggish) Ocean surface

Ocean surface currents can be Warm (and fast) or Cold (and sluggish) Ocean surface currents are driven by Westward flow of equatorial surface wind Earth’s rotation Gravitational roll-back of the waters that equatorial surface wind stacks on the western margins of tropical/semitropical oceans.

The westward flow of equatorial surface wind produces anticyclonic current gyres. They start with

The westward flow of equatorial surface wind produces anticyclonic current gyres. They start with North Equatorial and South Equatorial currents, in the Atlantic (1, 2), Pacific (3, 4) and Indian (only 5) oceans. 3 4 Warm Cold 3 1 2 1 North Equatorial Current in the Atlantic Ocean 2 South Equatorial Current in the Atlantic Ocean 3 North Equatorial Current in the Pacific Ocean 4 South Equatorial Current in the Pacific Ocean 5 South Equatorial Current in the Indian Ocean 5 4 Why no North Equatorial Current in the Indian Ocean?

The westward flow of equatorial surface wind produces anticyclonic current gyres. Blocked by land,

The westward flow of equatorial surface wind produces anticyclonic current gyres. Blocked by land, these currents turn polewards. 6 8 3 3 1 2 4 9 Warm Cold 6 Kuroshio or Japan Current 7 East Australian Current 8 Gulf Stream 9 Brazil Current 10 Agulhas Current 4 5 10 7

The westward flow of equatorial surface wind produces anticyclonic current gyres. They cool down

The westward flow of equatorial surface wind produces anticyclonic current gyres. They cool down as they reach ~45°, and return as cold water currents 11 3 2 12 Cold 3 1 4 Warm 6 13 8 9 11 California Current 12 Peru Current 13 Canary Current 14 Benguela Current 15 West Auatralian Current 4 5 14 10 15 7

Earth’s rotation produces the Circum-Antarctic or Circum-Polar Current. Also called the West Wind Drift,

Earth’s rotation produces the Circum-Antarctic or Circum-Polar Current. Also called the West Wind Drift, this cold water current is the only ocean surface current that joins the waters of all the oceans. 11 6 13 8 3 3 1 2 4 12 9 4 5 14 10 15 Circum-Antarctic Circulation Warm Cold 7

Equatorial Counter Current is the gravity driven roll-back of warm waters stacked on western

Equatorial Counter Current is the gravity driven roll-back of warm waters stacked on western margins of the tropical ocean by westward flowing equatorial surface wind. 11 6 13 8 3 3 1 ECC ECC 2 4 12 9 4 5 14 10 15 Circum-Antarctic Circulation Warm Cold 7

A bottle dropped by Scripps off Perth, Australia, took 5 years to reach Miami,

A bottle dropped by Scripps off Perth, Australia, took 5 years to reach Miami, Florida, located about 26, 000 km away. What currents did it ride on? What was its average speed? 11 6 13 8 3 3 1 ECC ECC 2 4 12 9 4 5 14 10 15 Circum-Antarctic Circulation Warm Cold 7

OCEAN CURRENTS Surface Currents Deep Water Currents SurfaceOCEAN CURRENTS Surface Currents Deep Water Currents Surface
Ocean Currents Ocean Currents Surface currents Upper 400Ocean Currents Ocean Currents Surface currents Upper 400
Currents and Climates Notes Surface Currents Surface currentsCurrents and Climates Notes Surface Currents Surface currents
Ocean Currents Surface Currents Deep Currents THE RUBBEROcean Currents Surface Currents Deep Currents THE RUBBER
Ocean Currents Ocean Currents Warm currents flow awayOcean Currents Ocean Currents Warm currents flow away
Currents Ocean Currents Ocean currents are a movementCurrents Ocean Currents Ocean currents are a movement
Currents Ocean Currents Ocean currents are a movementCurrents Ocean Currents Ocean currents are a movement