1. Surface Currents

2. Ocean Circulation

6. Which surfer is in Florida and which one is in California?

7. The Gulf Stream

9. Surface Currents – streams of water in the ocean caused by global wind patterns. They move warm water away from the Equator. “ “ cold “ “ “ “ Poles. Most curve to the right in the Northern Hemisphere. “ “ “ “ left “ “ Southern “

10. So why do the ocean currents curve? The rotation of the Earth causes the wind and ocean currents to curve. This is known as the Coriolis Effect.

14. Rubber Ducks

15. 10 JANUARY 1992: Somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean nearly 29,000 First Years bath toys, including bright yellow rubber ducks, are spilled from a cargo ship in the Pacific Ocean. 1992

16. 16 NOVEMBER 1992: Caught in the Subpolar Gyre (counter- clockwise ocean current in the Bering Sea, between Alaska and Siberia), the ducks take 10 months to begin landing on the shores of Alaska. 1992

17. EARLY 1995: The ducks take three years to circle around from the drop site, to northeast to Alaska, south to Hawaii, and back west to the original drop site, with some even landing again in North America. NOAA worked out that the ducks travel approximately 50 percent faster than the water in the current. 1992 1993 1995

18. 1995 - 2000: Some intrepid ducks escape the Subpolar Gyre and head North, through the Bering Straight and into the frozen waters of the Arctic. Frozen into the ice the ducks travel slowly across the pole, moving ever eastward. 1992 1993 1995

19. 2000: Ducks begin reaching the North Atlantic where they begin to thaw and move southward. Soon ducks are sighted bobbing in the waves from Maine to Massachusetts.. 1992 1993 1995 2000

20. 2001: Ducks are tracked in the area where the Titanic sank.. 1992 1993 1995 2000 2001

21. 2003: The First Years company offers a $100 savings bond reward for the recovery of wayward ducks from the 1992 spill. To be valid ducks must be sent to the company and must be found in New England, Canada, or Iceland. Britain is told to prepare for an invasion of the wayward ducks as well. 1992 1993 1995 2000 2001

22. 2003: They begin washing up on the shores of Scotland. 1992 1993 1995 2000 2001 2003

23. Totals – over 17,000 miles during 11 years 1992 1993 1995 2000 2001 2003

24. The Dead Sea and The Great Salt Lake

25. The Dead Sea

27. The Dead Sea, between Israel and Jordan, has a salinity of 30%, 8.6 times saltier than the ocean.

29. The Great Salt Lake

30. The Great Salt Lake in Utah has a salinity of up to 27%, 7.7 times saltier than the ocean.

31. Deep Sea Currents

35. Ocean Circulation

36. Deep Sea Currents – Cold, salty, dense water that moves along the sea floor. Part of the global ocean “conveyor belt” May not rise back to the surface for over 1,000 years Starts when water gets cold and salty, becomes dense, and sinks to the sea floor Salinity – the amount of salt in the water

37. Oceans and Climate

38. February Average Temperatures -32 -24 -16 -8 0 8 16 24 32 Degrees Celsius

39. July Average Temperatures -32 -24 -16 -8 0 8 16 24 32 Degrees Celsius

40. Yellowknife, NWT 62 degrees North San Francisco, CA 38 degrees North Dodge City, KS 38 degrees North

41. Bergen, Norway 60 degrees North Moscow, Russia 56 degrees North Edinburgh, Scotland 56 degrees North Dublin, Ireland 53 degrees North Ojmjakon, Russia 63 degrees North

45. What effect does the Gulf Stream have on the climate in Europe?

47. How do ocean currents affect climate? Temp. + Maritime Climate (near the ocean) – mild temps. Not too hot and not too cold. + Continental Climate (inland) – extreme temps. Hot summers and cold winters

51. How do ocean currents affect climate? Temp. + Maritime Climate (near the ocean) – mild temps. Not too hot and not too cold. + Continental Climate (inland) – extreme temps. Hot summers and cold winters Precip. + Warm currents cause more clouds and rain. + Cold currents make dry weather – deserts.