Currents and Climate 2014
Currents
 A ___________ is a
large _________ of
moving water that
flows through the
____________.
 Currents carry
__________ great
distances and some
_____________ move
water at the
___________ of the
ocean, while
others move the
___________ water.
 Currents move the
Sun’s energy from
the __________ to
the __________.
 They also move
_______ water from
the poles towards
the _____________.
 This moderates the
___________ of our
planet.
Surface Currents
• The wind mainly drives surface
currents, which affects water to
the depth of several hundred
meters.
• If Earth were not rotating, winds
and currents would only flow in
straight lines to the north and
south poles.
• This Coriolis effect causes the
winds to curve.
• .
Coriolis Effect
• The Earth’s ___________ causes
the winds and currents to curve
in relation to Earth’s surface.
• In the northern hemisphere the
_____________ effect causes the
currents to _____________ to the
right.
The Gulf Stream
 The ___________ and most
___________ surface current
is the _______ __________ in
the North Atlantic Ocean.
 It is caused by strong _____
from the __________.
 The Gulf Stream carries ____
__________ from the Gulf of
Mexico to the Caribbean Sea,
then northward along the
coast of the United States.
 This current keeps Northern
Europe much ____________ in
the winter than it would
otherwise be.
Deep Currents
How Surface Currents
affect Climate
 Climate is a
_____________ of
______________ and
________________,
typical for an area
over a long period
of _.
 Currents affect the
climate by moving
cold and warm water
around the globe.
 A surface current
warms or cools the
air above it,
_______________ the
climate of the land
near the coast.
 Stream like movements of ocean
water located far below the
surface are called deep
currents. ________ ___________
are not controlled by _______.
 Deep currents form in parts
of the ocean where water
density increases. The density
of the ocean is affected by
temperature and salinity.
 Deep currents are caused by
changes in _____________.
Deep Currents continued
 Formation and Movement of
Deep Currents: Differences
in water ____________ cause
variations in the movement
of deep currents.
 Thick metal hulls protect
Surface Currents and Climate
Upwelling
 _____________ is
the movement of
deep, cold, and
nutrient-rich
water to the
surface of the
____________.
 Nutrients that are
brought to the
surface support
the growth of
plankton. Plankton
support larger
organisms, such as
fish and seabirds.
 Warm-Water Currents and
Climate: Warm-water
___________ create warmer
climates in coastal areas
that would otherwise be
much ____________.
 Cold-Water Currents and
Climate: Cold-water
currents keep ___________
along a coast cooler than
the inland climate yearround.



Nature’s Climate Change
 El Nino is an abnormal climate event that occurs every two
to seven years in the _____________ Ocean.
 It begins when an unusual pattern of winds form over the
western Pacific.
 This causes fast sheets of warm water to move eastward to
the South American coast.
 It can last one to two years.
 Last one was from mid 2009 to early 2010.
El Niño
 El Niño - is the warming of water
in the Pacific Ocean.
 _________ and ___________ along
the Pacific coast
 Warm water disrupts food chain of
fish, birds, and sea mammals
 ___________ and _________________
in southern US
 Fewer than normal hurricanes in
the _____________
More El Niño
 El Niño is a change in the water
temperature in the Pacific Ocean
that produces a warm current.
 Effects of El Niño El Niño
alters weather patterns enough to
cause disasters, including flash
floods, mudslides, and droughts.
El Niño also prevents upwelling
off the coast of South America.
El Niño Effects on Us!
 El Nino causes shifts in weather
patterns around the world,
bringing severe conditions to
different areas.
 El Nino caused an unusually warm
winter in northeastern U.S.
 It also brought heavy rains,
flooding, and mud slides in
California.
 It also brought a string of deadly
tornadoes in Florida.
 .
La Niña
 La Niña - is the
cooling of water in
the Pacific Ocean.
 Snow and rain on
the ______ coast
 Unusually cold
weather in Alaska
 Unusually warm
weather in the rest
of the USA
 Drought in the
southwest
 Higher than normal
number of
hurricanes in the
Atlantic
Predicting El Niño
 Studying and
Predicting El Niño:
Learning as much as
possible about El Niño
is important because
of its effects on
organisms and land.
 To study El Niño,
scientist use a
network of buoys
located along the
equator. The buoys
collect data about
surface temperature,
air temperature,
currents, and wind.