Ocean Currents

What do we know about ocean currents? What conditions promote the development of ocean currents?

Hitching a Ride!
Thor Heyerdahl sailed on a raft from Peru to Tahiti, in the Pacific Ocean. How did he do this?

By catching a current!

What do we know about ocean currents? A ocean current is a river of moving seawater. The largest currents that move across the ocean are called GLOBAL OCEAN CURRENTS.

Which current is off the New Jersey coast? The GULF STREAM

Who was the explorer/scientist who first discovered the Gulf Stream? Benjamin Franklin

Ocean Current

Location

Direction

Gulf Stream
Canary Current

Ea.Coast of US-NH Clockwise

We. Coast of Africa-NH Clockwise

No. Equatorial Current

We. Wind Drift (Kuroshio)

No. of Equator-NH
MidAtlantic/Pacific Ocean-NH

Clockwise
Clockwise

No. Atlantic Drift

So. Equatorial Current Brazil Current Ea. Australia Current

No. Atlantic Ocean- Clockwise NH

So. Of Equator- SH Counter-clockwise

Ea. Coast of SA-SH Counter-clockwise Ea. Coast of Australia-SH Counter-clockwise

Benguela Current
Peru Current

We. Coast of Africa-SH

Counter-clockwise

We. Coast of SA-SH Counter-clockwise

Why do some ocean currents move clockwise and others move counter-clockwise?
The Coriolis Effect says that the spinning Earth causes the winds and surface waters to move in these directions.
Northern Hemisphere- Clockwise Southern Hemisphere-Counter-clockwise

Gyres- Are caused when the continents deflect the ocean currents, causing them to move in giant circles.

What conditions promote the development of ocean currents?

Temperature- Warm water rises and cold water sinks (remember convection currents!)

How does a difference in salinity produce ocean currents?

Differences in salinity between two bodies of water can produce subsurface ocean currents. For example:
Mediterranean Sea-3.9% salinity Atlantic Ocean- 3.5% salinity

What do we know about deep ocean currents?

Turbidity Currents- Fast-moving currents that move along the steep continental slope.
Responsible for carving the v-shaped canyons in the floor of continental slopes.

Countercurrents- Slow, deep horizontal ocean currents that flow in an opposite direction of the wind-driven surface currents.

How do ocean currents benefit ocean life?

Upwelling-the rising of cold, nutrient rich current from deep in the ocean.

How do ocean currents benefit ocean life?

Upwellings transport phosphates and nitrates (plankton love this stuff!) to the ocean surface. The rest of the marine life love the plankton blooms! These occur along the coasts.

How do waves and tides produce ocean currents?

After a wave breaks on shore, the water moves up the beach. The returning seaward current is called undertow. A Rip Current is a fast-moving current of water (from a breaking sand bar) that moves seaward from the beach. Typical velocity 1-2 feet/sec and can be as fast as 8 feet/sec. Tidal currents are swift-moving currents parallel to shore, produced by tidal change. Longshore currents are currents of water flowing parallel to the shore. Barrier islands/spits are formed by these.

How do waves and tides produce ocean currents?

After a wave breaks on shore, the water moves up the beach. The returning seaward current is called undertow.

How do waves and tides produce ocean currents?

A Rip Current is a fast-moving current of water (from a breaking sand bar) that moves seaward from the beach. Typical velocity 1-2 feet/sec and can be as fast as 8 feet/sec.

How do waves and tides produce ocean currents?

Tidal currents are swift-moving currents parallel to shore, produced by tidal change.

How do waves and tides produce ocean currents?

Longshore currents are currents of water flowing parallel to the shore. Barrier islands/spits are formed by these.

What are the different types of ocean currents?

Surface currents Turbidity currents Countercurrents Rip currents Undertow Longshore currents Upwellings Tidal currents

Currents Not Always a Good Thing

Gulf Oil Spill Estimates = 800,000 gallons per day. If spill had continued, there is enough oil in that pocket to last for 7 years.

Oil Spill in the Loop Current

Oil Spill in Loop Current