Transcript Ocean Currents - Los Gatos High School

Ocean Currents
Two Types of Currents
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Density Driven (deep water) Currents
Wind Driven (surface) Currents
Density Driven Currents
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Move water vertically through the ocean
Density differences cause deep water
currents
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Dense water sinks at the poles
Less dense water rises
at the equator
This process creates
circulation throughout
the oceans of the world
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Surface Currents
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Winds are primary energy source for
surface currents.
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Winds blow across the ocean surface
friction between the wind and the ocean
surface drags the water along
Which way does the water flow?
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Rotation of the earth changes path of air
and water (Coriolis Effect)
Water flows to the right (clockwise) in
Northern Hemisphere
Northern Pacific Surface Currents
Kuroshio
Current
California
Current
North Equatorial Current
Equator
South Equatorial Current
East Australian
Current
West Wind Drift
Peru
Current
Global Surface Currents
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Most ocean currents have a dramatic
impact on local weather and continental
climate patterns
Ex: Mediterranean climate zones
Surface Currents in the US
The
California
Current is
cold and
comes
from
Alaska
San
Francisco
Washington,
DC
The Gulf
Stream is
warm and
comes
from the
equator/
Gulf of
Mexico
What is a gyre?
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
A roughly circular pattern of ocean
surface currents
Caused by the Coriolis Effect
North Pacific Gyre
Equator
Why are gyres/ currents important?
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Warm currents move heat from the
equator to middle and high latitudes
Gyres influence air temperature, weather
and climate of every continent