Ocean Currents Flashcards
What is an ocean current?
It is a movement of water from one place to another, usually driven by winds and the rotation of the Earth.
How are currents created?
Through the friction of deflected air on open water, the rotation of the Earth itself, the topography of the sea bed, the shape of continents and the density of the water.
If a current is caused by prevailing winds, what is it called?
It is called a drift current.
What is a surface water current?
It is the movement of water throughout the upper 10% of the ocean, driven by winds and tides.
What is a deep water current?
The movement of water throughout the lower 90% of the ocean, dragged along by the movement of surface water currents. Up to 400m deep.
What is the effect of the deflected winds moving the currents called?
The Coriolis effect.
Where do warm water currents originate from?
Equitorial Locations.
Where do cold water currents originate from?
The poles.
What happens to currents at the poles?
The currents become vertical, as the ocean is more dense with higher concentrations of salt. This is called Thermohaline Circulation.
What is the global conveyor belt?
It is one continuous current that spans the entire planet, travelling across the entire planet, from pole to pole.
What is the role of the currents?
They transfer heat and sediment across the planet, which provides most of the Earth’s heat, as water is a much better insulator than air, and the sediment provides habitat and nutrients for all of the Earth’s enviroments.
