Ocean Currents By: By: Marisol Reyes Alejandra Delgado Maria Fajardo

Ocean Currents A continuous directed movement of ocean water Ocean currents are rivers of hot or cold water within the ocean. Ocean currents flow in complex patterns affected by the wind water. Ocean currents can be defined as a horizontal movement of seawater at the ocean’s surface. Ocean currents are made up of 2 major currents.

Surface Currents Stream like movement of water on or near the surface of the ocean. Make up about 10% of all the water in the ocean. These waters are the upper 400 meters of the ocean. They are primarily divided by wind.

Surface Currents

Deep currents Stream like movement of water beneath the surface of the ocean. Make up the other 90% of the ocean Currents in the deep ocean exists because of the changes in the density of sea water occurring at the surface. Driven by two forces - the sun and the rotation of the earth.

Deep Currents

Equatorial Currents Are found in the Atlantic, pacific, and Indian oceans. Equatorial currents, Equatorial countercurrents Equatorial currents move in a westward direction Equatorial countercurrents move in a eastward flowing current

Turbidity currents Strong current caused by an underwater land slide. Occur when large masses of sediment have accumulated along a continental shelf break loose and slide downward. The sediment causes the water to become cloudy, or turbid, and denser. Powered by gravity Thought to cause the deepening of submarine canyons.

Effects of temperature Flow in complex patterns affected by the wind, water salinity, and temperature. Are driven by wind and solar heating of the water near the equator. Move slowly relative to typical wind speeds. Carry great deals of energy because of the density of the water.

Vocabulary Corious Effect: deflection of the earth’s winds and oceans caused by the earth’s rotation. Gyres: huge circles of moving water formed as a result of wind belts and the corialis effect Deep currents: streamlike movement of water beneath the surface of the ocean. Surface currents: streamlike movement of water on or near the surface of the ocean.

Questions What are the two major types of ocean currents? Surface currents/ deep currents Longshore currents/ deep currents Equatorial currents/ surface currents Deep currents/ longshore currents 2) What are surface currents? 3) How does temperature change currents? 4)What is a turbidity current? 5)A deep current is a streamlike movement of water beneath the surface of the ocean. T/F

Sources http://ocsenergy.anl.gov/guide/current/index.cfm http://earth.usc.edu/-stott/catalina/oceans.html http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/mi-oc/ocean-currents.html http:/sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/0804301412.html http://earth.usc.edu/~stott/catalina/oceans/html