Surface Currents & Gyres Flashcards
What are gyres?
Large roughly circular surface patterns of circulation
What are the two main driving factors of surface currents?
Trade winds and the Prevailing Westerlies
Large gyres north of the equator flow…
Clockwise
Large gyres south of the Equator flow…
Counterclockwise
What four currents make up the North Atlantic Gyre?
He North equatorial current, the Gulf Stream, the North Atlantic drift, and the canaries current
Characteristics of the North Equatorial Current?
Flows east to west, warm water current, influenced by trade winds and earths rotation
Characteristics of Gulf Stream
Flows south to north, warm water current, directed by land, often strengthens hurricanes
Characteristics of North Atlantic drift
Flows west to east toward Europe, warm water current, influenced by Prevailing Westerlies heads south to become canary current
Characteristics of canaries current?
Cold water current, flows north to south, eventually warms and rejoins Equatorial Current
What is the stagnant area in the central North Atlantic called?
The Sargasso Sea
How does the North Atlantic Drift affect European weather particularly Great Britain?
The North Atlantic Drift increases rain and snowfall and warms Great Britain.
Is the Western US cooled and warmed by the California current?
Cooled
What is the result of Western South America terrain as a result of the Peru Current?
Desserts
What is the Great pacific garbage patch?
A 5 million square mile patch that contains 100 million tons of debris. The North Pacific Gyre traps a large amount of debris, the garbage patch is the result.
What part of a Gyre contains the strongest and the warmest currents?
The western currents
