Transcript Ocean Currents

Ocean
Currents
Nelson Science 10 Section 13.9
(525)
Weather Dynamics Unit
Science 10
Mrs. S. Pipke-Painchaud
Weather and Oceans

Oceans are very important in creating
_______________________________.
•
•
Occupy a __________ portion of the earth’s surface
Most land masses are found at ____* north
• What does this mean?
• What is the purpose of ocean currents?
(Nelson Science 10 525)
http://www.oceansonline.com/ocean_currents.htm
Use a red pen to highlight the warm ocean currents
http://www.studyofplace.com/ActivityContent/M2_A3_S02b.html
Ocean Currents
(top)
Wind Patterns
(Bottom)
~ Do you notice
any similarities or
differences?
Iceland and
Norway are
located at what
latitude?
What climate would
you expect them to
have based on their
similarity to the same
Canadian latitude?

Norway and Iceland have harbors that remain ice free
all winter. Why??
http://www.bigelow.org/ship
mates/hc_currents_lg.gif



Ocean currents transport ___________ stored
in the ___________ from one part of the world
to other parts (___________ to ___________)
Cold currents flow ____________ the equator
and warm as they travel through the region.
• (Nelson Science 10 525)
Causes of Ocean Currents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Warm water travels ___________ or _________ from the
_________________.
•


Cold water is opposite
Warm water is ________________ dense; Cold water is
____________ dense.
The sun’s energy is most intense at the
•
__________________  starts ___________ currents
Water warmed by the sun’s rays at the surface moves north
or south, the cold water from the bottom moves up to the
surface.
•
(Nelson Science 10 526)

Edges of the continents:

Earth rotates ______________
•
•
•

Currents on the West side of the oceans  _________ and
_____________ (____________ km/h)
Currents on the East side  ___________ and
____________ (___________ km/h)
What is the only current that travels around the world
without running into any continents?
•
•
(Nelson Science 10 526)
Water ~ Heat Sink


Remember that water takes a ________
time to heat up and a ____________
time to cool off.
Salt
• As warm water evaporates it leaves behind
•
saltier currents.
Saltier water is __________ dense 
_______  ___________ water currents
• (Nelson Science 10 526)
Effects of Ocean Currents
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
Remember the _________ the air the
_____________ moisture it can hold.
If a cold ocean current runs by a coastal
areas, then the air is __________ and
__________ (may cause a desert).
• Peru current is cold = cold, dry air =
______________ Desert
http://digilander.libero.it/luigipizzi/Atacama.jpg
“Bounded on the west by
the Pacific and on the east
by the Andes, the Atacama
Desert only knows rainfall
between two and four
times a century. . . There
are some parts of the
desert where rainfall has
never been recorded. The
only moisture available
comes from a dense fog
known as camanchaca,
formed when cold air
associated with ocean
currents originating in the
Antarctic hits warmer air.
This fog is literally
harvested by plants and
animals alike, including
Atacama's human
inhabitants who use 'fog
nets' to capture it for
drinking water” (Universe
Today).
http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/printer_ataca

Warm currents cause water to
_______________  _________  large
amounts of precipitation
•
Ex. Brazil Rainforests
http://www.bugbog
.com/gallery/brazil_
pictures/brazil_pictu
res_1.html
Red shows logging
http://www.aaas.org/news
/releases/2005/1021scipak.
shtml
http://en.wikinews.
org/wiki/Category:S
outh_America
Ocean Currents and Climate

Coastal regions are ____________ in
the winter and __________ in the
summer.
• i.e. Ottawa vs Newfoundland
• Ottawa has a ______ degree difference between
winter and summer
• Newfoundland (further _______) has only an
______ degree difference.
High Heat Capacity of Water

Our warmest months are June, July and
August even though we have more solar
energy in May, June and July. Why?
Global Weather Model

Please refer to page 536

Discuss the following text questions
together.
• Read through the info presented
• Questions on page 527
• 1 (b,c,d), 4, 5, 6
Sources



Nelson Science 10 Textbook
•
Section 13.9
Universe Today – Atacama Desert
•
http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/printer_atac
ama_desert_space.html
Resource Sites:
•
University of Miami
•
Ocean Planet – Smithsonian
• http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/
• http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/oc
eanography_currents_1.html