Why is Europe warmer than Northern Canada? By Rebecca S.

Introduction Northern Canada and Europe are located on the same line of latitude, but they have completely different climates and weather patterns. Did you ever wonder why this was? It all has to do with a very important current, the Gulf Stream.

What is the Gulf Stream? The Gulf Stream is the second largest current system in the world, and the largest system in the Atlantic Ocean. It is formed off the coast of Florida and ends in northwest Europe. The average temperature of the Gulf Stream is 77 degrees Fahrenheit, which keeps the air temperature of the earth warmer in some places.

How does the Gulf Stream work? Winds from the Artic cool the surface water in the Atlantic. The cool water becomes denser and saltier, so it sinks to the ocean floor. Then, the new surface water begins to warm as it moves to the equator. The Gulf Stream moves the warm water in the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic to replace the cold water that moved toward the equator. The Gulf Stream is classified as a convection current because the cold water sinks and the warm water rises.

What is a Convection Current? Convection currents are caused by the expansion of a liquid (or gas or solid) as its temperature gets higher. The less dense, warmer liquid rises and the denser, cold liquid sinks. The Gulf Stream is a convection current.

Specific Heat Capacity of Water The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius is known as the heat capacity of water. Every substance has a different heat capacity; however, water has a very high heat capacity. Water takes a long time to warm in the sun, but it also takes a long time to cool during the night. Water resists change in temperature because of its high heat capacity. The Gulf Stream keeps the water warm, which helps the climate in some parts of the world Water stays hot for a long amount of time.

How does the Gulf Stream impact the Climate in Europe? The Gulf Stream carries warm waters to the Atlantic near Europe and stays warm until it starts to cool. The Gulf Stream plays a major role in warming France, England, and other European countries. The warm waters keep the air warm in Europe. “This Gulf Stream is a huge heat generator that enables the coasts of Europe to be decked in eternal greenery…” – Jules Verne

Why is Europe warmer than Canada? Part of Canada and Europe are on the same line of latitude, but Canada is much colder than Europe. Why is this? It is because of the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream does not go near Canada, so the warm waters do not make the air warm, but the Gulf Stream does go towards Europe, which makes it warmer over there. Snow covered mountains in Canada. Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The Gulf Stream is shown in this picture in the lighter blue, green, yellow, and red. You can see that it goes up the east coast and cuts across the Atlantic and goes over to Europe

On the next slide I have my graph. I asked 20 adults why Europe is warmer than Canada, then graphed their responses as either correct, incorrect, or “don’t know”.

Vocabulary Words Convection currentConvection current: caused by the expansion of a liquid (or gas or solid) as its temperature gets higher Temperature: Temperature: The property of a material that tells how warm or cold it is relative to some standard. In an ideal gas, the molecular kinetic energy per molecule Specific heat capacitySpecific heat capacity: quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius Current: Current: A current is the rate of fluid flow, especially water in a river or ocean. A current can be any continuous, directed movement of a fluid.

Related Links: The following sites were used to gather information and images. NASA Observtory NASA Observtory From this website I used a good image of the Gulf Stream Other Students “Biggie Question” projects Mrs. Peck’s Physics Homepage CNESCNES I got some really good information from this site. The Cooperative for Marine and Atmospheric Studies The Cooperative for Marine and Atmospheric Studies I got some very useful information from this site. BBC Weather Center BBC Weather Center This website had very good, through information about the Gulf Stream. California State UniversityCalifornia State University This website had very useful information and it was very easy to understand.

The End