Lab Report: Ocean Currents (9A)
Ocean Currents Lab (9A) Report (5 points)
Students’ score for lab reports will be based on their 6 best lab reports.
Students may submit (or resubmit) only one lab report per week.
No lab reports will be accepted after the Friday of week 15
(spring and fall semesters).
Summer Semesters:
2 lab reports per week until week 7,
1 lab report by the Wed. of week 8
The lab report should be typed in an easy-to-read font (e.g., 12-pt, “Times New Roman”),
or submitted via one of the Lab Report tasks in the CourseMap in Etudes. The lab report should
include the title of the assignment (Lab Report for the Ocean Currents Lab), your name and
section number, and the date of submission, preferably in the upper left corner of the assignment.
Staple your report on top of these instructions, because you also need to turn in your work on the
maps below – or scan or photograph your maps, upload them in Etudes, and type in your
answers. If the lab report is not legible or formatted correctly, points may be deducted.
Answer questions #1, #2, and #3, OR answer questions #1, #2, and #4 (your choice). In other words,
you may choose the third question that you will answer. Notice that you also get to choose which
parts of question 2 that you answer. Make sure that you clearly identify the questions you selected.
The questions begin on the next page. Write your answers to question #1 on the map below.
Map for Question #1
East or west side
of the ocean?
East or west side
of the ocean?
Lab Report: Ocean Currents (9A)
1) Ocean Circulation Patterns, and Eastern and Western Boundary Currents (2 pts)
a) Label the west side of the ocean and the east side of the ocean in the map on the previous
page. In other words, write “west” and “east” in the appropriate box.
b) Sketch the ocean current pattern that would exist in the ocean in the map on the previous
page. The arrows to the right of the map show the prevailing winds at each latitude.
Do NOT draw the winds into the map (e.g., on top of the currents).
Do NOT draw the Ekman transport; sketch the direction the water actually moves in.
c) Label the western boundary currents and eastern boundary currents in the map on the
previous page. In other words, write “WBC” and “EBC” next to the appropriate currents.
Grading Comments:
East vs. West (1 pt):
● 1/2 pt for labeling the east and west sides of the ocean correctly,
plus at least one EBC and one WBC
● 1 pt for labeling the east and west sides of the ocean correctly,
plus ALL of the EBCs and the WBCs
Ocean Circulation Pattern (1 pt):
● 1/2 pt: mistake at one latitude regions
● 0 pts: mistakes in two or more latitude regions
● 0 pts: draws the winds on top of the currents
● 0 pts: draws the Ekman transport instead of or in addition to the ocean currents
Lab Report: Ocean Currents (9A)
2) Ocean Currents and Water Temperature (2 pts)
Refer to the map that you edited as your answer to question #1 on the first page.
Answer 2 of the following 3 questions: a, b, or c (your choice).
a) Where is the coastal climate warmer at 60oN, at location A or location B?
Why? Explain your reasoning.
b) Where is the coastal climate warmer at 30oN, at location C or location D?
Why? Explain your reasoning.
c) Where is the coastal climate warmer at 0o, at location E or location F?
Why? Explain your reasoning.
3) Causes of a Gyre (2 pts)
Refer to the map that you edited as your answer to question #1 on the first page.
a) What is the direction of the ocean current at location G: north, east, south, or west?
What causes ocean current G? In other words, what pushes or pulls the water in this
direction?
b) What is the direction of the ocean current at location H: north, east, south, or west?
What causes ocean current H? In other words, what pushes or pulls the water in this
direction?
c) What is the direction of the ocean current at location J: north, east, south, or west?
What causes ocean current J? In other words, what pushes or pulls the water in this
direction?
d) What is the direction of the ocean current at location K: north, east, south, or west?
What causes ocean current K? In other words, what pushes or pulls the water in this
direction?
Lab Report: Ocean Currents (9A)
4) Causes of Upwelling and Downwelling (2 pts + possibly 1/2 point of extra credit)
Examine the side-view picture below.
a) What is the direction of the water at location A: to the right, to the left, up, or down?
What causes the water at this location to move in this direction?
In other words, what pushes or pulls the water in this direction?
b) What is the direction of the water at location B: to the right, to the left, up, or down?
What causes the water at this location to move in this direction?
In other words, what pushes or pulls the water in this direction?
c) What is the direction of the water at location C: to the right, to the left, up, or down?
What causes the water at this location to move in this direction?
In other words, what pushes or pulls the water in this direction?
d) What is the direction of the water at location D: to the right, to the left, up, or down?
What causes the water at this location to move in this direction?
In other words, what pushes or pulls the water in this direction?
e) Does upwelling make the surface water warmer or colder?
Does upwelling make the surface water fresher or saltier?
Does upwelling increase or decrease the amount of nutrients near the surface of the
ocean?
Grading Comments:
1/2 pt for direction and explanation for each arrow
Must have at least one good explanation of upwelling or downwelling (otherwise, -1/2 pt)
Extra ½ pt for good explanations of BOTH upwelling and downwelling