global currents and winds
DESCRIPTION
Global Currents and Winds. Ocean Currents. Influenced by: Weather/Wind Positions of the continents Rotation of the Earth Sun, Salinity, Density. Surface Current. Streams of ocean water moving at the surface Can stretch for hundreds of miles - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Global Currents and Winds
Ocean Currents Influenced by:•Weather/Wind• Positions of the continents• Rotation of the Earth• Sun, Salinity, Density
Surface Current
•Streams of ocean water moving at the surface•Can stretch for hundreds of miles•Controlled by winds, Coriolis Effect and land masses
Deep Currents • Controlled by temperature and density of water• More when cold and higher salinity (amount of salt in the water)• Flow deep, under the surface currents
Global Winds •Caused by uneven heating of the Earth by the Sun•Wind patterns cause friction against the water which pushes it
Continental Deflection
• Currents can change direction when they meet the continents
Upwelling •Land masses force deeper current upward
Coriolis Effect • Earth’s rotation causes winds and currents to move in curved paths instead of straight lines
Currents and Climate •Warm currents
create warmer climates in coastal areas
•Cold currents create cooler climates in coastal areas
Currents and Climate
What areas may be warmer due to ocean currents?
What areas may be cooler due to ocean currents?
Gulf Stream •Warm surface current in Atlantic Ocean•Flows from Florida area to Northern Europe
Jet Stream •High altitude winds that can steer weather systems•Do not follow regular paths around the Earth
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