ESE Fluid Spheres
CH 1-Act 1: Ocean Circulation (pgs. 4-11 )
Name_____________________
Date______________ Period___
What Do You See?
Think About It:
Investigate:
PART A—Wind on the Ocean Surface: Write a short summary of what we discussed.
PART B—The Coriolis Effect: Write a short summary of what we discussed.
Digging Deeper—RG:
PRE-READING
True
False
Statement
1. The four major ocean on
Earth are the Atlantic,
Pacific, Indian and
Antarctic.
2. The open ocean is mostly
very shallow.
3. The rapid change from
warm to cold water is the
thermocline.
4. The density of seawater
depends mainly on the
salinity of the water.
True
POST READING
False
Support from the text – Why is this True/
False?
5. Oceanographers study
the ocean.
6. The circulation of the
upper layer of the ocean is
caused mainly by density.
7. The force that appears
to make water move in a
curved path is the Coriolis
force.
CYU:
2. How does the wind cause surface currents in the ocean?
3. Why are waves an important feature of the ocean surface?
4. Describe the Coriolis effect in your own words.
U&A
2. How would you expect waves to change over time when:
a) wind speed increases?
b) wind blows over a part of the ocean for a long time?
3. Refer to Figures 2 and 3 (thermocline and pycnocline) to answer the following questions:
a) What is the temperature of ocean surface water at the Equator, in the tropics, and at high
latitudes?
b) In what part of the ocean is the thermocline best developed? Least developed? Explain using your
understanding of the relationship between temperature and density in the ocean.
c) In what part of the ocean is pycnocline best developed? Least developed? Explain using your
understanding of the relationship between temperature and density in the ocean.