Ocean CurrentsOcean CurrentsWhat Are Currents?What Are Currents?

Current: a large Current: a large stream of stream of moving water moving water that flows that flows through the through the oceans.oceans.

Currents carry water Currents carry water over very long over very long distances.distances.

Ocean CurrentsOcean CurrentsSurface CurrentsSurface Currents

Surface Surface Currents:Currents: are are only several only several hundred meters hundred meters deep and are deep and are driven mainly by driven mainly by winds.winds.

In each of the 5 oceans In each of the 5 oceans they follow a circular they follow a circular pattern. pattern.

Ocean CurrentsOcean CurrentsCoriolis EffectCoriolis Effect

Coriolis Effect: the Coriolis Effect: the effect of the Earth’s effect of the Earth’s rotation on large rotation on large scale wind patterns.scale wind patterns.

In the northern In the northern hemisphere it hemisphere it causes currents to causes currents to curve right. (left in curve right. (left in the southern the southern hemisphere)hemisphere)

Ocean CurrentsOcean CurrentsGulf StreamGulf Stream

Gulf Stream: Gulf Stream: is is the largest and the largest and most powerful most powerful surface current surface current in the North in the North Atlantic.Atlantic.

Carries 100 times as much Carries 100 times as much water as the Mississippi water as the Mississippi RiverRiver

Brings warm water northBrings warm water north Was first identified by Was first identified by

Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin

Ocean CurrentsOcean CurrentsGulf StreamGulf Stream

Ocean CurrentsOcean CurrentsImpact On ClimateImpact On Climate

As global currents As global currents move warm water move warm water around, they around, they greatly influence greatly influence the climates of the the climates of the world.world.

Without the Without the gulfstream, how do gulfstream, how do you think Europe’s you think Europe’s climate would climate would change? change?

Ocean CurrentsOcean CurrentsDeep CurrentsDeep Currents

Deep Currents: Deep Currents: are driven by are driven by differences in differences in water water temperature and temperature and salinity.salinity.

Cold and salty water Cold and salty water are more dense are more dense and sink toward and sink toward the poles.the poles.

Deep Water CurrentsDeep Water Currents

Ocean CurrentsOcean CurrentsDeep CurrentsDeep Currents

What do you What do you think will think will happen as the happen as the glaciers melt glaciers melt near the poles near the poles and the oceans and the oceans become less become less salty?salty?

Ocean CurrentsOcean CurrentsUpwellingUpwelling

Upwelling: is the Upwelling: is the movement of movement of cold deep water cold deep water to the surface of to the surface of the ocean.the ocean.

Occurs as wind Occurs as wind blows away blows away warm surface warm surface water.water.

The End!