1. Waves, Currents, and Tides

2. Waves, Currents, Tides (WCT) Cornell Notes
Key Terms
Notes
Summary:

3. Engage Study Jams: Waves and Currents The class “WAVE”
How did we move?
Did we actually move around the classroom with the wave?

4. Introduction to Waves

5. Waves Caused by: Wind Earthquakes
A disturbance which moves through or over the surface of a fluid
Mostly caused by winds
Caused by:
Wind
Earthquakes
Gravitational force of the Moon and Sun.
Form of great energy

6. Wave Characteristics Parts of a Wave Crest = high point
Trough = low point
Height = vertical distance from crest to trough
Wavelength = Horizontal distance between crest to crest or trough to trough

7. A wave is the movement of energy through water.
OCEAN WAVES
A wave is the movement of energy through water.

8. What causes waves? Waves form from wind
Waves form out in the open ocean, and travel inwards to the shore.

9. What are the effects of waves?
Waves can erode and deposit sediment, changing the shape of the beach

10. BIGGER winds create BIGGER waves

11. Tsunamis
Tsunamis (underwater waves) are giant ocean wave caused by earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions beneath the ocean floor
As tsunamis approach the shore, the waves come closer together and grow into a mountain of water

12. Tsunami Waves

13. The energy from waves can carry materials to the seashore
The energy from waves can carry materials to the seashore. Beaten-up pieces of shells and rocks can be carried to a beach by pounding waves. In Australia, a huge amount of sea foam was once carried in!

15. Wave Movement
When a wave passes through the ocean, individual water molecules move up and down but they do not move forward or backward.

18. Tides
Tides are the movement of ocean water at the shore when it rises and falls during the day
High and Low tides occur 2 times per day

19. Types of Tides Spring Tide
- Moon and sun are in direct line with one another
- Results in unusually high tidal range
Tidal Range = vertical distance between high & low tides
2x’s/month

20. Neap Tide sun and moon are at right angles
Pulls cancel each other out – causes a weak pull
unusually low tidal range
2 x’s / month

21. What causes tides?
The gravitational pull of the moon and sun on Earth’s water
High tides occur when the moon and sun are lined up on the same side of the Earth

22. What are the effects of Tides?
High tides: Water level is high on shore
Low tides: Water level is low on shore

23. Currents

24. What are ocean currents. http://www. brainpop
Ocean Current: mass of ocean water moving from one place to another.
2 types of currents:
Surface current
Thermohaline (Deep water) current

25. What causes Surface Currents?
Surface currents: horizontally flowing currents caused by global and seasonal winds
Usually warmer-water
Direction of currents is caused by Coriolis Effect

26. Coriolis Effect
Coriolis Effect: Earth’s rotation causes objects in the N. hemisphere move clockwise, objects in S. hemisphere to move counterclockwise

27. Demo: Deep Ocean Currents

28. What causes deep ocean currents?
Temperature = least dense = floating water
Temperature = more dense = water sinks
Thermo = heat, haline = salt
Deep ocean currents are vertical currents caused by differences in density and temperature ( water masses rise and fall)
Usually colder water

29. This diagram is a view of the deep ocean currents of the world.

30. What are the effects of currents?
Surface currents form large circular patterns called gyre.
Currents affect the climate of a location
Warm-water currents warm up climate, cold water currents cool down climate

31. “Global Conveyor Belt”
When combined with surface currents it results in a conveyor-belt movement of water around the globe!

32. Check for Understanding
When the temperature of these currents decrease, what will happen to the density?
The density will increase
Will cold ocean water sink toward the bottom or rise to the surface?
Cold water will sink the bottom because it is more dense (Convection!!!!)