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

Rubber Duck article