Ocean Currents and Prevailing Winds

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Prevailing Winds Noun

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[pri-vey-ling windz]

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Prevailing Winds

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Winds that consistently blow in a single direction over a specific area, strong enough to push ocean currents.

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Example: Arrows show prevailing winds blowing consistently in specific directions, influencing ocean currents.

Front

Ocean Current Noun

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[oh-shuhn kur-uhnt]

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Ocean Current

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A continuous, directed movement of ocean water, primarily pushed by prevailing winds, that flows in one of Earth's oceans.

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Example: The map shows ocean currents with arrows indicating direction, helping students understand how water moves in the oceans.

Front

The Gulf Stream Noun

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[thuh guhlf streem]

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The Gulf Stream

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A specific warm ocean current that carries water from the equator northward along the east coast of North America.

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Example: The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current flowing from the equator along the east coast of North America, shown with arrows and labels.

Front

Coriolis Effect Noun

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[kawr-ee-oh-lis ih-fekt]

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Coriolis Effect

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The effect of Earth's rotation that causes moving objects, like winds and ocean currents, to curve from a straight path.

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Example: Earth's rotation causes winds to curve, shown by arrows indicating trade winds and westerlies.

Front

Deep Ocean Current Noun

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[deep oh-shuhn kur-uhnt]

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Deep Ocean Current

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A global pattern of interconnected ocean currents driven by variations in water density, which is affected by temperature and salinity.

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Example: The image shows how warm and cool ocean currents flow globally, illustrating deep ocean currents.

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Density Noun

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[den-si-tee]

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Density

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A measure of how much mass is contained in a given volume, a key factor in driving deep ocean currents.

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Example: Objects with different densities float or sink in water, showing how density affects ocean currents.

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Salinity Noun

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[suh-lin-i-tee]

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Salinity

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The measure of the amount of dissolved salts in water, which affects water density and can drive deep ocean currents.

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Example: A map showing different salinity levels in the ocean helps explain how salt concentration varies globally.

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Temperature Noun

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[tem-per-uh-cher]

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Temperature

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A measure of how hot or cold something is, indicating its thermal energy and affecting both air and water density.

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Example: A thermometer shows how heat affects water temperature, demonstrating thermal energy changes.

Front

Latitude Noun

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[lat-i-tood]

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Latitude

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The distance of a place north or south of the Earth's equator, which affects sunlight received and influences weather.

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Example: The image shows how sunlight hits the Earth at different angles depending on latitude, affecting climate and weather.

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Climate Noun

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[klahy-mit]

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Climate

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The long-term average weather patterns in a particular area, which is heavily influenced by the ocean's redistribution of energy.

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Example: A climate graph shows how rainfall and temperature change over the year in a tropical rainforest.