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Warm-Up

Warm-Up. What is the difference between an ocean current and a surface current? Ocean currents move large masses of water while surface currents move water horizontally along the surface. True or False. The two hemisphere’s have currents that flow in the same direction.

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Warm-Up

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  1. Warm-Up • What is the difference between an ocean current and a surface current? • Ocean currents move large masses of water while surface currents move water horizontally along the surface. • True or False. The two hemisphere’s have currents that flow in the same direction. • False. They move in opposite directions. • Why is upwelling important? • It brings nutrients to the surface.

  2. Waves and Tides Chapter 16, Section 2

  3. Waves • Ocean waves are energy traveling along the boundary between ocean and atmosphere • Waves transfer energy through the ocean, that’s why even on a calm day in the middle of the ocean there may still be waves from a far off storm

  4. Waves

  5. Wave Characteristics • Most ocean waves obtain their energy and motion from the wind • Crests – the tops of the waves • Troughs – the bottoms of the waves • Wave Height – the vertical displacement between crest and trough

  6. Wave Characteristics • Wavelength – the horizontal distance between two successive crests or two successive troughs • Wave Period – the time it takes one wavelength to pass a fixed position • The height, length, and period that are eventually achieved by a wave depend on three factors: (1) wind speed; (2) length of time the wind has blown; and (3) fetch • Fetch – distance that the wind has traveled across open water

  7. Wave Motion • Waves can travel great distances across ocean basins • As a wave travels, the water particles pass the energy along by moving in a circle; so the water doesn’t move, only the energy • Circular orbital motion allows energy to move forward through the water while the individual water particles that transmit the wave move around in a circle • The wind energy is not only transmitted along the surface, but also downward

  8. Anatomy of a Wave

  9. Breaking Waves • As long as a wave is in deep water, it is unaffected by water depth • When a wave approaches shore, the water becomes shallower and influences wave behavior • As a wave advances on the shore, the slightly faster waves further out will catch-up and decrease the wavelength, making the wave grow steadily higher • When a critical point is reached, the wave is too steep to support itself and the wave front collapses, or breaks, and the water advances up the shore

  10. Breaking Waves

  11. Tides • Tides are regular changes in the elevation of the ocean surface • Other than waves, they are the easiest ocean movements to observe • Newton showed that there is a mutually attractive force between any two bodies, Earth and the moon • Ocean tides result from differences in the gravitational attraction exerted upon different parts of Earth’s surface by the moon and, to a lesser extent, by the sun

  12. The Cause of Tides • The primary body that influences the tides is the moon • The gravitational pull is greatest on the side of Earth closest to the moon, causing Earth to be stretched slightly • On the side of Earth closest to the moon, the pull of the moon’s gravity on the oceans is greater than it is on solid Earth • Water will flow towards this tidal “bulge”, creating a high tide • As Earth rotates, it will go “through” the tidal bulges, resulting in alternating high and low tides

  13. Cause of Tides

  14. Tidal Cycle • The sun also produces tidal bulges, slightly smaller than those produced by the moon • The influence is most noticeable during new and full moon phases (Earth-moon-sun are aligned), causing larger tidal bulges • Tidal Range – the difference in height between successive high and low tides • Spring Tides – have the greatest tidal range due to the alignment of the Earth-moon-sun system (new and full moons) • Neap Tides – daily tidal range is less due to the sun and moon acting against each other

  15. Spring Tides

  16. Neap Tides

  17. Tidal Patterns • Tides at various locations respond differently to the tide-producing forces • Three main tidal patterns exist worldwide: diurnal tides, semidiurnal tides, and mixed tides • Diurnal Tidal Pattern – characterized by a single high tide and a single low tide each tidal day • Semidiurnal Tidal Pattern – characterized by two high tides and two low tides each tidal day • Mixed Tidal Pattern – characterized by a large inequality in high water heights, low water heights, or both

  18. Tidal Patterns

  19. Assignment • Read Chapter 16, Section 2 (pg. 455-460) • Do Section 16.2 Assessment #1-10 (pg. 460)

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