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Currents

Currents. Surface Currents. Created: Wind passing kinetic energy to ocean H 2 O molecules Wind is created by uneven heating of the atmosphere Controlled by: Air currents (wind), Earth’s rotation, Location of the continents

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Currents

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  1. Currents

  2. Surface Currents • Created: • Wind passing kinetic energy to ocean H2O molecules • Wind is created by uneven heating of the atmosphere • Controlled by: • Air currents (wind), Earth’s rotation, Location of the continents • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCorkyBe66o&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

  3. Deep Currents • Cold, Slower moving, dense currents • Temperature determines density • H2O molecules contract when cooled = denser = sinks • H2O molecules expand when heated = less dense = rises • Salinity determines Density • Polar Regions in total have a higher salinity because the large amounts of frozen H2O that leaves the salt content behind. • H2O is then more dense and sinks to form currents under the less dense surface currents • Note surface ocean waters have a higher salinity then polar, but polar have a higher salinity in total which is on the bottom of the ocean floor. • Demo? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuOX23yXhZ8&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_8mw-1HYFg&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

  4. Waves

  5. Basics about waves • Crest: The highest part of the wave • Trough: the lowest part of the wave • Wave Period: the time required for two consecutive wave crests to pass a given point

  6. Wave Energy • Caused by: • Friction between air and ocean molecules • Wind = Waves • Longer wind in the same direction = larger waves • Demo

  7. Water Movement • Energy moves forward not the H2O molecules • Molecules move in circular paths • 1 wave period = 1 circular motion of a H2O molecule • Diameter of the circle = wave height • Energy enters from the top and decrease as it goes to the bottom • Diameter of the circle path decrease with depth seafriends.org.nz

  8. Wave Size • Determines wave size: • Speed • Length of time the wind blows • Fetch • The distance that the wind can blow across open H2O

  9. Seismic ocean waves • Caused by: • Undersea landslides • Earthquakes • Volcanic Eruptions • http://www.tsunami.noaa.gov/ Tsunamis

  10. Tides

  11. Tides • The periodic rise and fall of the water level in the oceans and other large bodies of water • Caused by: • Gravitational pull • Mostly by moon, but also the Sun. • Tidal Range: difference in high and low tide levels • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orUH09dGvtw&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

  12. Types • Spring Tide • When the Moon, Sun, and Earth are aligned causing higher high tides and lower low tides • Neap Tide • When the Moon and Sun are at 90-degrees to each other resulting in a smaller tide range.

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