How do ocean currents effect our climate? Ocean water moves in currents.

Currents Current: a large stream of moving water that flows through the oceans. Currents carry water from place to place. Some currents move water at the surface and some move water deep in the ocean.

Major Ocean Currents

Surface Currents Surface currents are caused by wind and move in circular patterns. Coriolis Effect: effect of the Earth’s rotation on the direction of winds and currents. Gulf Stream: largest and most powerful current in the N. Atlantic. Carries warm water from the Gulf of Mexico northward

Effects on Climate Climate: pattern of temperature and precipitation typical of an area over a long period of time. Currents affect climate by moving cold and warm water around the globe. A surface current warms or cools the air above it, influencing the climate of the land near the coast. Coldwater = cool,dry Warm water = warm, moist

El Nino and Deep Currents El Nino: an abnormal climate event that occurs every 2-7 years in the Pacific Ocean. Deep currents are caused by the differences in density in ocean water. Deep currents move and mix water around the world. They carry cold water from the poles toward the equator.

How Deep Currents Form

Upwelling Caused by winds, Upwelling is the movement of cold water upward from the deep ocean. As the winds blow away the warm surface water, cold water rises to replace it. The arrival of El Nino can prevent upwelling from occurring.

Upwelling Upwelling brings up a new supply of nutrients from the deeper layers of the ocean. Without this, the surface layer would be very scarce in nutrients. Usually home to large schools of fish.