Module F Unit 2 Lesson 3 Ocean Currents

Unit 2 Lesson 3: Ocean Currents

How does water move in the ocean?

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to describe the movement of ocean water, explain what factors influence this movement, and explain why ocean circulation is important in the Earth system.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Ocean Currents are always cold.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Continents affect the directions of currents.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Currents only flow near the surface of the ocean.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Wind affects currents.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: The sun affects currents near the surface of the ocean.

• True

• False

​Deep Current

Convection Current

Upwelling

​Ocean Current

Surface Current

Coriolis Effect

Unit 2 Lesson 3 Vocabulary

​Stream like movements of water in the ocean. A surface current is an ocean current near the surface caused by wind. This is one of the largest processes that transport water and energy around the planet.

​

What are ocean currents?

Multiple Choice

Stream like movements of water

• Ocean Currents

• Continental Deflections

• Coriolis Effect

• Upwelling

Multiple Choice

Currents are on the surface or less than a 100 meters deep (330 feet)

• Ocean Currents

• Convection Currents

• Deep Currents

• Surface Currents

Multiple Choice

Surface Currents are driven mainly by

• Coriolis Effect

• Wind

• Upwelling

• Moon

- The Coriolis effect causes surface currents to curve right or left.

- Continental deflection causes surrents to change direction when flowing toward land.

- Energy from surface winds can transfer to water, causing surface currents.

​

​What affects surface currents?

- Latitudes as you approach the poles move slower than latitudes near the equator. This difference in rotational speed is called the Coriolis effect.

- Wind traveling north or south in the northern hemisphere will tend to deflect to the right or "clockwise"

- Wind traveling north or south in the southern hemisphere will tend to deflect to the left or "counter-clockwise"

- Since wind affects the water currents our ocean currents are deflected in a similar manner.

- This phenomena is only noticeable for things that travel long distances without interruptions.

​

Coriolis Effect

Multiple Choice

Which three factors most directly affect surface currents in the oceans?

• upwelling, convection, and the sun’s energy

• deep currents, convection currents, and surface winds

• dissolved solids, dissolved gases, and the sun’s energy

• surface winds, the Coriolis Effect, and continental deflection

Multiple Choice

Currents change direction by hitting the continents or other large landmass.

• Ocean Currents

• Continental Deflections

• Coriolis Effect

• Upwelling

Multiple Choice

Because the Earth rotates on its axis, circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

• Ocean Currents

• Continental Deflections

• Coriolis Effect

• Upwelling

Multiple Choice

Ocean currents affect climates around the world. Based on the map, which area MOST likely has a warmer climate than expected?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Multiple Choice

What causes surface currents north and south of the equator to move in different directions?

• Gases in the ocean

• The rotation of the Earth

• Temperature differences

• Continental deflection

Multiple Choice

Which best describes the Gulf Stream?

• A cold ocean current that cools the weather off near Australia.

• A cold ocean current that helps decrease global warming.

• A warm ocean current that influences weather along the east coast of the U.S. and up toward Europe.

• A warm ocean current that influences weather in Cuba and moves toward Antarctica.

- A deep current is a stream like movement of ocean water far below the surface

- It forms when surface water becomes denser than the water below, causing it to sink and become a deep current.

​

​Deep Ocean Currents

- A convection current is any movement of matter resulting from density differences.

- Convection currents transfer energy when warm water is moved to colder regions.

​

​Convection

Multiple Choice

Which of the following can cause an increase in density that results in a deep ocean current?

• The sun heats the water’s surface.

• A warm wind blows across cold water.

• An iceberg melts, adding fresh water to ocean water.

• Warm water loses energy to its surroundings and cools.

Multiple Choice

How does convection cause ocean currents?

• During the process of convection, energy is transferred to the atmosphere, forming winds. These winds power surface currents.

• During the process of convection, the heating of surface water by the sun results in upwelling.

• During the process of convection, energy in warm water is lost to its surroundings. The water cools, becomes denser, and sinks.

• During the process of convection, more minerals and gases dissolve in warm water. This increases the density of the warm water and causes it to sink.

Multiple Choice

Movements of ocean water located far below the surface.

• Ocean Currents

• Convection Currents

• Deep Currents

• Surface Currents

Multiple Choice

Warm water from surface currents replaces colder denser water that sinks to the ocean floor.

• Ocean Currents

• Convection Currents

• Deep Currents

• Surface Currents

Multiple Choice

Regular movements of water far below the oceans surface are called

• Warm Currents

• Deep Currents

• Shallow Currents

• Surface Currents

- Upwelling is the movement of deep, cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface.

- Upwelling brings nutrients from the deep ocean to the surface.

​

Upwelling

Multiple Choice

Winds on the surface cause the warm surface water to be replaced with the colder more nutrient rich water. 

• Ocean Currents

• Continental Deflections

• Coriolis Effect

• Upwelling

- Surface and deep currents and upwelling move ocean water through ocean basins.

- Mater transported by currents includes water and dissolved solids and gasses.

-Energy is transported from areas near the equator to Earth's Poles.

​

Ocean Circulation

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Multiple Choice

What does the blue line represent in the Thermohaline circulation?

• Warm salty water

• Warm water

• Cold water

• Cold salty water

Multiple Choice

Which of the following types of water would SINK the fastest?

• warm and salty

• cold and salty

• warm and fresh

• cold and fresh

Multiple Choice

Two types of ocean currents are

• local and global

• sea and land

• surface and deep

• warm and cold

Multiple Choice

Currents that occur at or near the surface of the ocean are called 

• Deep Currents

• Convection Currents

• Surface Currents

• Wave Currents

Multiple Choice

Surface currents are mainly caused by

• The Coriolis Effect

• Cold and Warm Water

• Convection

• Wind

Multiple Choice

Warm ocean currents generally come from

• The North Pole

• The South Pole

• The Equator

• Both A and B

Multiple Choice

________ and _______ affect the ocean's density and cause the Global Conveyor Belt to travel

• gravity and the Coriolis Effect

• temperature and salinity

• wind and climate

• temperature and the Coriolis Effect

Multiple Choice

The Gulf Stream is an example of a  _______________

• upwelling

• surface current

Multiple Choice

What is the Coriolis effect?

• heat transfer caused by the rising of hotter, less dense fluids and the falling of cooler, more dense fluids.

• A punk rock band.

• the apparent deflection of moving air as a result of Earth's rotation.

• The amount of matter in a given volume.