1. Currents 4/13/15
14-1a pgs
IN: What do you think causes ocean currents?

2. Terms and Objectives: Terms:
Surface currents coriolis effect deep current upwelling el nino
Objectives:
Describe surface currents and list three factors that control them.
Describe deep currents.
Illustrate the factors involved in deep-current movement.
Explain how currents affect climate.

3. Earth’s oceans 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with water
There are four main oceans

4. Earth’s oceans
Earth’s oceans are very salty

5. Earth’s ocean currents
Surface Currents – streamlike movements of water that occur at or near the surface of the ocean.

6. Earth’s ocean currents
Controlled by 4 factors:
Global Winds
The Coriolis Effect
Continental Deflections
Temperature

7. Global Winds
Surface currents near the equator flow from east to west but currents near the poles flow from west to east.

8. The Coriolis Effect
The Earth’s rotation causes surface currents to move in curved paths rather than in straight lines.

9. Continental Deflections
When surface currents meet continents, they deflect, or change direction.

10. Temperature
Warm-water currents carry water away from the equator and cold-water currents carry water away from the poles.
N. Pole
Equator
S. Pole

12. Great Ocean Conveyor Belt

14. Finding Nemo?

15. OUT: If there were no land on Earth’s surface what might the pattern of the surface currents look like? (Draw a Diagram)