Ocean Movement
Ocean Currents
Hurricane Katrina
Ocean currents
• Surface currents
– Affect surface water about 1 km deep
– Driven by the main wind belts of the world
• Deep currents
– Affect deep water (the other 90%)
– Movement happens because of density
– Larger and slower than surface currents
Deep ocean characteristics
• Conditions of the deep ocean:
– Cold
– Still
– Dark
– Essentially no productivity ( very little food)
– Sparse life
– Extremely high pressure
Deep currents (Thermohaline Circulation)
• Deep currents:
– Form in subpolar regions at the surface
– Are created when high density surface
water sinks
– Factors affecting density of surface water:
• Temperature (most important factor)
• Salinity (salt levels)
Identification of deep currents
• Deep currents
are identified
by measuring
temperature
(T) and
salinity (S),
from which
density can be
determined
Atlantic Ocean subsurface water masses
Conveyer-belt circulation
Thermohaline Circulation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuGrBhK2c7U
• Thermo = _____________
• Haline = _____________
• At the equator, water ____________ to
make the water more salty.
• The ________ Stream is 10,000km long.
• The ________________ trade wind brings
the surface water to the gulf of mexico
• The gulf stream brings __________,
________, and ____________
Your turn
• Explain how the ocean conveyor belt
works in a paragraph.
• Key words to use:
– Winds
– Salinity
– Heat
– Cold
• Draw a diagram to show your
understanding of the concept below the
paragraph. Pass in.