Global Winds and Surface Currents
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Question: How are global winds and surface currents related?
Materials: textbook, netbook, 3 maps of the world: climate zones, ocean currents, global wind patterns.
Colored pencils/crayons, Red and Blue Markers/colored pencils.
Procedure: You will begin by gathering background information about wind and surface currents. Check off
each step as it is completed.
 STEP 1: Use page 330 in your textbook to answer the following questions.
1) Wind is moving air caused by differences in
2) Differences in air pressure are cause by differences in
3) Where is the warmest air on Earth found?
4) Where is the coldest air on Earth?
5) Warmer air is more dense / less dense than cooler air. Therefore warmer air will always rise /
sink and cooler air will always rise / sink
6) Air temperature is based on energy from the
 STEP 2: Get into lab groups and watch Study Jams on Air Pressure and Wind. Then answer the following
questions in complete sentences.
1) What is air pressure?
2) What tool measures air pressure?
3) What are three factors that can change air pressure?
4) A pattern of rising and falling air is called a
5) What is the Coriolis Effect?
 STEP 3: Now watch the BrainPop video on Ocean Currents. Then answer the following questions.
1) Surface currents are currents that move along the uppermost layers of water in the ocean. Surface
currents are mainly caused by
2) Surface currents move in large circular patterns known as
3) Why are winters in Paris, France milder than winters in Montreal, Canada?
Name:
Global Winds and Surface Currents Lab
4) How does the Coriolis Effect produce a gyre?
 STEP 4: On the OCEAN CLIMATE ZONES map, color the zones as follows: Tropics: red, Subtropics: yellow,
Temperate: green, Polar: blue.
 STEP 5: Using the information on the website: http://oceanmotion.org/html/impact/conveyor.htm , color
the surface currents on your MAJOR WORLD OCEAN SURFACE CURRENTS map. Color the warm surface
currents red and the cold currents blue.
 STEP 6: Compare the two maps. Answer the evaluation questions below.
Evaluation
1. According to the Major World Ocean Surface Currents map, which four currents make up the North
Atlantic gyre?
2. In which two climate zones is the North Atlantic Gyre located?
3. Compare the Ocean Climate Zones map to the Global Air Circulation & Wind Patterns map:
a.
Which climate zone contains the westerlies?
b.
Which climate zone do easterlies come from?
4. What causes the trade winds near the equator to move at a 45 degree angle?
5. Which current is near New Jersey? Where did it come from and where is it going?
Conclusion
Write a 5 sentence summary of what you have learned. Explain how global winds and surface currents are
related. Explain how surface currents affect climate on Earth.
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Global Winds and Surface Currents Lab
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USE THIS MAP WITH PROCEDURE STEP #4
Global Winds and Surface Currents Lab
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USE THIS MAP WITH PROCEDURE STEP#5
Global Winds and Surface Currents Lab
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Global Winds and Surface Currents Lab
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Evaluation
Global Winds and Surface Currents Lab
3. According to the Ocean Surface Currents map which four currents make up the North Atlantic gyre? The
Gulf Stream, the North Atlantic Drift, the Canary Current, and the North Equatorial.
4. What is the climate zone of this gyre?
There are two, subtropical and temperate. Primarily temperate.
6. Looking at the Climate Zones and Wind Pattern maps: Which climate zone contains the westerlies?
The temperate zone.
4. Where do easterlies bring cold air from? The Poles
5. The trade winds near the equator move at a 45 degree angle. Why?
The Coriolis Effect deflects the wind.
6. Which current is near New Jersey? Where did it come from and where is it going? The Gulf Stream (warm
current). The warm current came from the equator and is moving north.
Conclusion
Write 3-4 sentences on how global winds and surface currents are related.
Global winds and ocean surface currents are related because the currents are primarily driven by the wind.
Above the equator the wind moves to the right and to the left because of the Coriolis Effect. The gyres follow
the movement of the wind. The currents flowing toward the equator are generally cool and the currents
flowing away from the equator are warm.