1. What causes ocean currents?
Do Meow
What causes ocean currents?
(Think about the demonstration we did with the thyme, candle, and cooking oil)

2. Announcements Please copy your homework
You have 8 words to define this week and you will be tested on them THIS WEEK
Deep Current Gyre
Surface Current Tradewinds
Coriolis Effect Polar Easterlies
Jet Stream Westerlies
Check this out

3. The Influence of Ocean Currents
Image from flikr,
The Influence of Ocean Currents
Image: “Sunset Koksijde,” by flickr user fdecomite. CC BY 2.0. Source:
It all begins with the sun……

4. OCEAN CURRENTS Mass movement or flow of ocean water
River within the ocean
Two types:
Surface and Deep
Image: No title, Pixabay contributor cocoparisienne. CC0 Public Domain. Source:
Image from pixabay,

5. Ocean Currents Surface Currents
The upper 400 meters of the ocean (10%).
Deep Water Currents
Thermal/Salinity currents (90%)
Images:
“Corrientes-oceanicas.png” by Dr. Michael Pidwirny. Image is public domain; U. S. government publication. Source:
“Ocean circulation conveyor belt.jpg” by Thomas Splettstoesser. Image is public domain; U. S. government publication. Source:
Image from Wikimedia,
Image from Wikimedia,

6. Surface Currents
Link
Horizontal, stream-like movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean
Can reach depths of several hundred meters
Example: Gyres

7. Controlled by three factors Global winds Coriolis Effect
Surface Currents
Controlled by three factors
Global winds
Coriolis Effect
Continental Deflections

8. Surface Currents Global Winds
Cause surface currents to flow in the direction the wind is blowing
EX: Jet Stream
Coriolis Effect Link
The apparent curving of moving objects due to the Earth’s rotation

9. Surface Currents Coriolis Effect Northern Hemisphere = clockwise
Southern Hemisphere = counter clockwise
Continental Deflections
Shape of continents change the direction of current flow

10. Deep Currents
Stream-like movement of ocean water far below the surface
Caused by
Changes in density
Change in temperature
Change in salinity
Image: “Water mass bodies of the Southern Ocean” by wikimedia user Fred the Oyster. Source:
Image from Wikimedia,

11. What Affects Deep Currents?
Change in temperature
Decreasing the temperature of water increases density
Change in salinity (demonstration)
Increasing the salinity of water increases density

12. Bring warm water to colder regions
Currents and climate
Warm water currents
Bring warm water to colder regions
Image: Public domain from NASA, listed on wikimedia. Source:
Image from Wikimedia,

13. Bring cold water to warmer regions
Currents and climate
Cold water currents
Bring cold water to warmer regions
Image is public domain image from NOAA,
Image from NOAA,

14. Why are Ocean Currents Important?
They make the average temperatures of climates more similar
This is on a large scale
Ocean air holds a lot of water vapor – so there is more rain at the coast
Currents redistribute heat throughout the globe
Example: Gulf Stream brings warm air into England, making it warmer