Eastern boundary currents brings cooler temperature to low latitudes. Ppt ocean currents powerpoint presentation free to download id. Because they respond extremely slowly to changes, the effects of global warming will gradually become noticeable but over a period of centuries. These waters are the upper 400 meters of the ocean. Drift in ocean currents impacts intergenerational microbial. Notes ocean currents free download as powerpoint presentation. Ocean waves, tides and currents waves a wave is a rhythmic movement that carries energy through matter or space. Surface currents surface currents are caused by the wind and usually move only the upper few hundred meters of water. Ocean waves and tides atlanta public schools 234975 ppt. However, floating plankton have a different perception of their habitat because they drift in ocean currents.
Ocean currents are similar to winds in the atmosphere in that they transfer. Download ppt as well as these direct measurements of currents, numerical models are increasingly used to predict ocean currents based on, for example, wind data and buoyancy fluxes heat and freshwater exchange. Upper ocean deep ocean deep ocean circulation surface circulation ess200a prof. The major surface circulation patterns at sea are the result of the prevailing winds in. Ocean currentssurface currents the upper 400 meters of the ocean 10%. 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. Ocean currents o animation of surface currents linked in ppt lab or demonstration illustrating temperature, salinity and density.
Effect of insolation and salinity gradients on the ocean currents. It also provides basic information about ocean currents,wave. The gravitational forces of the moon and sun on the water causes the tides the moon, being nearest, has the greatest effect even though the sun is the larger. Southern transverse currents transverse currents are the major eastare the major eastwest currents powered primarily by trade winds and westerlies provide most of the energy for the worlds surface currents. Ocean currents and mixing by winds and waves can transport and redistribute heat to deeper ocean layers. For example western boundary currents carries heat from the tropics toward the poles. Ocean currents warm currents flow away from the equator. Ocean currents earth surface wind pattern figure 6. The adobe flash plugin is needed to view this content.
Ocean currents, including the ocean conveyor belt, play a key role in determining how the ocean distributes heat energy throughout the planet. Global warming could alter currents patterns for a least a short time. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. 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. Ocean currents 433 system is moving through space at an unknown speed. Ocean currents currents surface currents in the oceans are driven by winds.
Ocean currents houston independent school district. They constitute about 10% of all the waters in an ocean. Ocean currents and climate national geographic society. What causes ocean currents ocean exploration facts. An overview of ocean currents with emphasis on currents on. Ocean currents are like rivers that move within the ocean. Upwelling is a process in which currents bring deep, cold water to the surface of the ocean.
Ocean currents 6th grade earth science sutton middle school. Ocean currents transport important quantities, such as nutrients, heat and pollutants around the world, often with direct consequence to humans. Patterns of surface currents are determined by wind direction, coriolis forces from the earths rotation, and the position of landforms that interact with the currents. This module discusses the origin of ocean currents in both the open ocean and in coastal areas. Surface currents in the ocean are driven by global wind systems that are fueled by energy from the sun. Directions of ocean currents the direction is influenced by many different factors. The module focuses on the driving mechanisms for currents. Currents flow in complex patterns affected by wind, the waters salinity and heat content, bottom topography, and the earths rotation. Western boundary currents are warm, deep, narrow, and fast flowing currents that form on the west side of ocean basins due to western intensification. This makes them one of the most important driving forces of climate. Ocean currents moving seawater surface ocean currents transfer heat from warmer to cooler transfer heat from warmer to cooler areas oceanography 101 oceanography 101 phil farquharsonphil farquharson similar to pattern of major wind belts affect coastal climatesaffect coastal climates deep ocean currents.
This is a zipped file containing all the sections necessary for a unit on ocean currents. It is the layer of the ocean water which moves due to the stress of blowing the wind and this motion is thus called as ekman transport. 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. Dynamics of ocean currents california digital library.
These waters are occupied at the upper 400m of an ocean or the ekman layer. What are the different ocean currents that carry warm water give at least three examples. At present, currents averaged over the top 30m of the ocean are provided on a 5day timebase, with a 10day smoothing, based on steady ekman dynamics. Ppt ocean waves, tides and currents powerpoint presentation. Mar 10, 20 ocean currentssurface currents the upper 400 meters of the ocean 10%. Here we show that upper ocean microbes can be advected up to 3,500 km in. Factors influencing currents sun wind coriolis gravity 4.
Surface currentspycnocline circulation these waters make up about 10% of all the water in the ocean. Winddriven currents deep water currents 40% of the global heat transport move slower than surface winds kilometers per day vs. Our current understanding of how marine biota are adapted to magnitudes, trends, and temporal patterns of variability in seasurface temperature has arisen from examining longterm records at key ocean locations. Distribute the student handout before you begin for students to take notes on key information. Ocean currents have a tremendous impact on the globe and earths hydrospheric and atmospheric interactions.
Ocean currents and climate study guide ocean water the ocean water never stands still. Generally, an ebook can be downloaded in five minutes or less. Coriolis effect surface currents in the northern hemisphere curve right. My units have been made to be both informative and visually stimulating for all students. This unit should take about a week and a half to 2 weeks to complete. The ocean currents moderate the planets temperature. Ocean currents meander bend in a currents flow ring large, whirllike pattern when a meander is cut off eddy small current ring surface current link horizontal, streamlike movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean can reach depths of several hundred meters surface currents continued. T he flow of ocean water exerts a fundamental influence on global climate on all scales and has major environmental consequences. Today were going to learn about ocean currents slide 3 1. Ocean currents free download as powerpoint presentation. Ocean circulation winddriven circulation ekman layer, transport, pumping sverdrup theory western boundary current ess228 prof. The great ocean currents the climate engine ocean currents transport enormous amounts of heat around the world.
But whats causing the motion you see here with this gently swaying anemone on the sea floor off the atlantic coast. Oscar is provided on both 1 degree and degree grids. The current flow varies both in time, with depth below the mean surface and in space. Jinyi yu basic ocean current systems from is the temperature rising. This is known as the coriolis effect and is largely responsible for upwelling. In oceans, waves move through seawater waves caused. Ocean currents cause hills to form as water moves around in circle as water moves around in circle it piles up in middle it piles up in middle the greater the slope, the more quickly water flows greater current. Because of this rotation, winds tend to veer right in the northern hemisphere and left in the southern hemisphere.
Oscar is an ongoing research project intended to improve the calculation of surface currents from satellite data, and validation methods. In this model, high salinity water cools and sinks in the north atlantic, and deep water returns to the surface in the indian and pacific oceans through upwelling. Departing space station commander provides tour of orbital. Displaying powerpoint presentation on ocean currents and climate available to view or download. The current is like the wind, being stochastic both in space and time. Ocean currents continuous movement of ocean water due to wind and the coriolis effect surface currents warm currents flow away from equator cold curents counter currents flow in the opposite direction of windrelated currents gulf stream rings stream wanders, sends out. Land near the ocean is often warmer in winter and cooler in summer. The thermohaline circulation the great ocean conveyor belt. Ocean currents meander bend in a currents flow ring large, whirllike pattern when a meander is cut off eddy small current ring surface current link horizontal, streamlike movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean can reach depths of. Ppt ocean currents powerpoint presentation free to. Upwelling is a result of winds and the rotation of the earth. Ocean current vocab ppt ocean current jigsaw lesson ppt and worksheet currents and climate ppt currents. An ocean current is a regular movement of large amounts of water along defined paths.
This unit introduces students to forces that force ocean currents, and allows students to explore what thermohaline and winddriven currents in the ocean look like and why. Ocean currents and climate average february temperatures oceanography 112 oceanography 112 phil farquharsonphil farquharson upwelling and downwelling upwelling vertical movement of cold, vertical movement of cold. The module focuses on the driving mechanisms for currents, along with influences that modify existing currents. 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. Ppt ocean waves, tides and currents powerpoint presentation free to download id. The great ocean conveyor belt is the name for a model of the large system of ocean currents that affects weather and climate by circulating thermal energy around earth. Physical and chemical oceanography bay high school.
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