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Understanding Ocean Currents: Influences on Climate and Weather Patterns

Ocean currents play a vital role in regulating Earth's climate by transporting heat across the planet. Warm currents flow away from the equator, while cold currents move toward it, influenced by factors like the sun, wind, Coriolis effect, and gravity. Surface currents, driven by wind and forming large gyres, only represent about 10% of ocean water, while deep water currents, which make up 90%, are caused by differences in density linked to temperature and salinity. Events like El Niño and La Niña further illustrate the impact of ocean currents on global weather patterns.

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Understanding Ocean Currents: Influences on Climate and Weather Patterns

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  1. Ocean Currents

  2. Ocean Currents • Warmcurrents flow away from the equator. • Cold currents flow toward the equator.

  3. Factors Influencing Currents Sun Wind Coriolis Gravity

  4. Sun Energy from the Sun heats the water. Warm water is less dense than cold water. Warm water rises, and cold water sinks. As warm water rises, cold water moves in to replace it.

  5. Convection Cycle

  6. Wind Just as wind moves from high pressure to low pressure areas, so does the water. Winds blow across the surface of the water, causing friction. The water piles up because the surface currents flow slower than the winds.

  7. Wind

  8. The Coriolis Effect Causes water to move to the right in the Northern Hemisphere Causes water to move to the left in the Southern Hemisphere

  9. The Coriolis Effect

  10. Surface Currents Make up 10% of oceans’ water Up to maximum depth of 400 m Surface ocean currents are caused by the surface wind patterns.

  11. Surface Currents

  12. Gyres • Enormous circular currents • Five major locations: • North Pacific - clockwise • South Pacific - counterclockwise • Indian Ocean - counterclockwise • South Atlantic - counterclockwise • North Atlantic - clockwise

  13. Oceanic Gyres

  14. Gulf Stream A strong surface current Begins at the tip of Florida Flows up the eastern coastline of the U.S. Crosses the Atlantic Ocean Causes warmer climate in NW Europe

  15. Impact of the Gulf Stream Newfoundland in winter (54° North) Ireland in winter (54° North)

  16. The Great Ocean Conveyor:Helps maintain Earth’s Balance

  17. Deep Water Currents Make up about 90% of oceans’ water Differences in density cause them to move. Differences in density are related to temperature and salinity. At high latitudes, they sink deep into the ocean basins. Temperatures are so cold, they cause the density to increase.

  18. El Nino • Abnormally highsurface ocean temperatures off the coast of South America • Causes unusual weather patterns across the globe

  19. El Nino Starts because the easterly trade winds weaken and allow the warm waters in the Western Pacific to move east toward South America This changes where the convection current occurs. Causing rain where it usually doesn't occur and drought where it usually rains

  20. El Nino Winter

  21. El Nino Summer

  22. La Nina • Abnormally lowsurface ocean temperatures off the coast of SouthAmerica • Causes unusualweather patterns across the globe

  23. Ocean’s Effect on Climate Ocean currents move more slowly than winds. Oceans hold more heat than the atmosphere and land. Cold currents will cause nearby coastlines to be cooler. Warm currents will cause nearby coastlines to be warmer.

  24. Predictable Patterns How do these currents affect the climate of the coastline?

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