Name
Q2-Lab1
World Ocean Currents
Purpose
Students will:
a. Identify and describe Earth’s major ocean currents
b. Interpret the relationship between prevailing winds and ocean currents.
c. Identify the main characteristics of the world’s oceans including their size and the
relationship between temperature and depth.
d. Observe patterns in temperature data.
e. Infer relationships between sea temperatures and phytoplankton concentration.
f. Compare and interpret imagery depicting the Atlantic Ocean.
Background
Today, oceanographers rely on a vast array of instruments and satellites to gather information about the
speed, direction, and temperature of ocean currents. Maps of surface ocean currents, such as the one
on page 532 of your textbook, are essentially summaries of the vast quantities of data collected from
oceans all over the world.
The Gulf Stream is one of Earth’s most prominent ocean currents. It is often compared to a huge river in
the ocean, and it shares some similarities with a jet stream in the atmosphere. Benjamin Franklin
originally mapped the general location of the Gulf Stream using data from ships. Today, instruments on
satellites monitor the world’s oceans, and the daily location and conditions of the Gulf Stream are
broadcast to ships, weather forecasters, and people in the fishing industry.
Procedure A
1. Using the Global Ocean Currents map on page 532 of your textbook, locate each of the ocean
currents listed in Table 1. Use the map to complete the data table.
2. Answer the analysis and conclusion questions listed after the table.
Name
NAME OF
CURRENT
Q2-Lab1
TABLE 1: OCEAN CURRENTS DATA TABLE
OCEAN BASIN
LOCATION IN
GENERAL
(ATLANTIC/PACIFIC/INDIAN) OCEAN BASIN
TEMPERATURE
(EAST/WEST)
(WARM/COLD)
FLOW DIRECTION
RELATIVE TO
EQUATOR
(TOWARD/AWAY
FROM)
GULF STREAM
CALIFORNIA
CANARY
PERU
BRAZIL
KUROSHIO
W. AUSTRALIA
E. AUSTRALIA
BENGUELA
AGULHAS
Analysis and Conclusions
1. Based on the data table, what is the relationship between the temperature of an ocean current
and the direction of current flow relative to the equator? Explain why this relationship exists.
2. What is the general relationship between a current’s temperature and the side of the ocean on
which that current flows?
3. Along the east coast of a continent, what is the general relationship between a current’s
temperature and the direction of its flow? What is the general relationship along the west coast
of a continent?
4. In what direction, clockwise or counterclockwise, do the major circulation patterns rotate in the
Northern and Southern Hemispheres? Why does each hemisphere have a different pattern?
5. An ocean fog will occur when moist air blowing from a warm ocean current meets warm air over
a cold ocean current. Which Australian coast (N, S, E, or W) is most likely to experience such
fogs? Explain your reasoning.
Name
Q2-Lab1
Procedure B
1. Use your textbook (p. 532) and the blank map of the world to draw and label all of the major
ocean currents (from your data table). Use a BLUE colored pencil to draw the cold currents and
a RED colored pencil for the warm currents.
2. Using the data from Table 2, create (in Microsoft Excel) a bar graph that shows the surface area
for the world’s three main oceans. Label the X-axis “Ocean” and the Y-axis “Millions of
Kilometers.”
TABLE 2: OCEAN SURFACE AREAS
Ocean
Surface Area (million km)
ATLANTIC
106.6
PACIFIC
181.3
INDIAN
74.1
3. Use the data from Table 3 to create (in Excel) a line graph that shows the relationship between
the temperature and depth within the ocean near the tropics. Label the X-axis “Temperature
(degrees C)” and the Y-axis “Depth (meters).”
TABLE 3: OCEAN TEMPERATURES AND DEPTH
TEMPERATURE (°C)
DEPTH (METERS)
16.0
0
15.5
250
14.0
500
8.0
750
5.0
1000
3.5
1250
1.5
1500
1.0
1750
0.5
2000
0.25
2250
0
2500
0
3000
0
3500
0
4000
Analysis and Conclusions
1. Which ocean currents bring cool, nutrient-rich water from the poles toward the equator?
2. Which ocean currents distribute warm water from the equator?
Name
Q2-Lab1
3. Calculate the percentage that each of the three major oceans occupy out of total ocean area on
Earth.
4. The atmospheric pressure directly above the ocean surface is approximately 14.7 pounds per
square inch, and for every 33 feet of depth, the pressure increases another 14.7 pounds per
square inch. Knowing this, calculate the pressure for the average depth of the world’s oceans
(12,171 feet). Show your work.
5. List the world’s oceans from largest to smallest.
6. Define the term thermocline. At what depths does it occur within the tropical oceans? (You may
need to use your textbook for this one, or a simple web search)
Procedure C
1. Log on to the Exploring Earth website, and access investigation ES2403.
Background
You will examine differences in winter temperatures for cities at the same latitude and identify a
pattern: coastal northern Europe has warmer winter temperatures than Canada or inland Europe. You
will explore images of sea surface temperatures (SST) in the Atlantic Ocean and relate the warm waters
of the Gulf Stream to the pattern of winter temperatures you observed. You will view animations
showing the formation of warm and cold eddies in the Gulf Stream and identify each type in SST images.
Finally, you will explore the connection between colder sea surface temperatures and the abundance of
phytoplankton; you will infer that cold eddies in the Gulf Stream can be productive fishing grounds.
Name
Q2-Lab1
Page 1 of ES2403
1. About how wide is the Gulf Stream? How fast does it flow?
2. What current does the Gulf Stream join with, and to which countries does it ultimately travel?
Page 2 of ES2403
1. Does it surprise you that palm trees could be growing in winter in Cork, Ireland? Why or why
not?
Page 3 of ES2403
1. Record sea surface temperatures for January and July in Table 4 below.
TABLE 4: CANADIAN AND EUROPEAN SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES
CITY,
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE
AVG.
AVG. JAN.
AVG.
COUNTRY
HIGH/LOW
SST
HIGH/LOW
JAN. TEMPS
JULY TEMPS
HALIFAX,
44N, 63W
0/-9°C
23/13°C
CANADA
ST. JOHN’S,
45N, 66W
-2/-12°C
21/12°C
CANADA
CORK,
51N, 8W
7/2°C
19/10°C
IRELAND
LONDON,
51N, 0W
7/2°C
21/13°C
UNITED
KINGDOM
AMSTERDAM,
52N, 4E
5/-6°C
21/15°C
NETHERLANDS
WARSAW,
52N, 21E
-1/-7°C
24/16°C
POLAND
KIEV, UKRAINE
50N, 30E
-3/-9°C
27/16°C
2. What patterns do you observe?
AVG. JULY
SST
Name
Q2-Lab1
Page 4 of ES2403
1. Explain the effect of the Gulf Stream on the climate of coastal northern European cities.
Page 5 of ES2403
1. What are six factors that contribute to fishing conditions?
Page 6 of ES2403
1. What is an eddy?
2. What do eddies consist of?
3. What is the usual diameter of an eddy on the surface?
4. How deep can eddies reach below the surface?
5. The warm water eddy that formed at approximately 40N, 65W resulted from the interaction
between which two currents?
Page 7 of ES2403
1. Where are the two warm core eddies located in relation to the main Gulf Stream current?
2. What is the water temperature within the eddies? What is the temperature of the surrounding
water?
Name
Q2-Lab1
Page 8 of ES2403
1. What is chlorophyll?
2. What would result from there being higher concentrations of chlorophyll in an ocean area?
Page 9 of ES2403
1. In what temperature of water is phytoplankton generally more abundant?
2. Based on the map of phytoplankton concentration, determine which areas of the North
American coast would be best for the fishing industry.
Page 10 of ES2403
1. Locate Gulf Stream eddies on this map. Are these warm or cold eddies? Briefly describe their
location.
2. Describe the concentration of phytoplankton within these eddies. What can you infer about the
abundance of fish in them?