Water Currents Flashcards
Surface currents:
Only affect several hundred meters deep and are driven mainly by wind.
What causes surface currents?
Current is a long stream of moving water that flows through the ocean.
Currents
The currents move in a circular motion because of the earths rotation.
Coriolis Effect-
The affect of earths rotation on the direction of winds and currents.
In a northern hemisphere currents rotate in a Direction
Counter clockwise
In the Southern Hemisphere the currents rotate in the Direction
Clockwise
Gulf Stream-
Is a powerful surface current that moves warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to the Caribbean Sea and up along the east coast of the USA.
Cause-
The water causes the air and the atmosphere to become warmer
Effect-
We have longer growing seasons.
El Niño-
Causes warm water from western Pacific Ocean to move toward western South America.
Effect-
Warm temp + longer growing seasons.
La Niña-
Causes colder water to move from the western Pacific Ocean to move toward western South America.
Effect-
Colder temperatures = shorter growing seasons.
