Factors Affecting Ocean Currents
- The factors relating to the earth’s nature and its rotation include the gravitational force and deflective force by earth’s rotation also known as Coriolis force.
- Oceanic factors include the pressure gradient, temperature variations and salinity differences. ...
- Tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun also play role in the forming of oceanic currents.
What are the four factors that influence ocean currents?
Oceanic currents are driven by three main factors:
- The rise and fall of the tides. Tides create a current in the oceans, which are strongest near the shore, and in bays and estuaries along the coast.
- Wind. Winds drive currents that are at or near the ocean’s surface.
- Thermohaline circulation.
Which factor most directly affects the flow of ocean currents?
Tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun also play role in the forming of oceanic currents. The factors that can modify the currents are direction and shape of coastlines, bottom reliefs of the ocean basins, seasonal variations and rotation of the earth. Ocean circulation is driven by winds and by differences in water density.
What are the causes and effects of ocean currents?
The following are the effects that are caused by the ocean surface circulation currents:
- Rainfall: The circulation current can affect the amount of a rainfall within a certain region. ...
- Storm: Another effect from the current is creating powerful ocean storms. ...
- Wind Patterns: Surface currents can affect the winds too. ...
- Climate: Ocean currents heavily affect the overall climate over a certain region. ...
Which of these factors control ocean currents?
Tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun also play role in the forming of oceanic currents. The factors that can modify the currents are direction and shape of coastlines, bottom reliefs of the ocean basins, seasonal variations and rotation of the earth. Ocean circulation is driven by winds and by differences in water density.
Which factors affect the movement of ocean currents select two correct answers?
Factors Influencing Nature and Movement of Ocean Currents:Factors related to the earth's rotation: Gravitational force and force of deflection.Factors originating within the sea: Pressure gradient, temperature difference, salinity, density and melting of ice.More items...
Which factors affect the movement of ocean currents select three correct answers?
Rotation of the Earth.Air pressure and wind.Ocean water density.Revolution of the Earth.
Which factors affect the movement of the ocean water class 7?
Answer: The factors affecting the movement of ocean water are as follows:Temperature.The gravitational pull of sun and moon.Warm and cold currents.Wind.
Which of these factors control ocean currents?
The wind belts, Earths' rotation, and the location of continents are the three factors that control the surface currents of the oceans.
Which factors affect the movement of ocean currents select three correct answers quizlet?
Temperature, density, and salinity.
What are the three movements of ocean water class 7?
Ocean waters have three kinds of movements: Waves, Tides and Currents. When the water on the surface of the ocean rises and falls, they are called waves. Streams which flow constantly in a definite direction on the surface of the ocean are called ocean currents.
Which movements occur in oceans Class 7?
Waves, tides and currents are the major movements of the ocean.
What is ocean currents short answer?
Ocean currents are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density. Ocean water moves in two directions: horizontally and vertically. Horizontal movements are referred to as currents, while vertical changes are called upwellings or downwellings.
Which factor causes surface ocean currents quizlet?
Wind direction, the spin of Earth, and differences in temperature contribute to currents. Currents occur at the surface of and deep within the ocean. The Coriolis effect contributes to the direction of current flow. Wind direction, the spin of Earth, and differences in temperature contribute to currents.
What are the factors affecting the height of the waves?
Wave height is affected by wind speed, wind duration (or how long the wind blows), and fetch, which is the distance over water that the wind blows in a single direction. If wind speed is slow, only small waves result, regardless of wind duration or fetch.
Which of the following affects the movement of surface currents ?:?
Surface currents are controlled by three factors: global winds, the Coriolis effect, and continental deflections. surface create surface currents in the ocean. Different winds cause currents to flow in different directions. objects from a straight path due to the Earth's rotation.
Which factors causes ocean water to become denser?
There are two main factors that make ocean water more or less dense: temperature and salinity. Cold, salty water is denser than warm, fresher water and will sink below the less dense layer. Density is defined as the measure of a material's mass (e.g. grams) divided by its volume (e.g. milliliters).
What causes ocean currents?
Thus, the difference in the temperature of the ocean waters causes ocean currents. They are convectional currents giving rise to a transfer of heat energy in the ocean waters from the areas of excess to the areas of deficit heat energy. The factors relating to the earth’s nature and its rotation include the gravitational force ...
How does temperature affect ocean currents?
The main effect of temperature differences on the earth occurs in a north-south direction i.e. from equator to poles. Warm equatorial waters therefore move slowly along the surface towards the poles while heavier cold waters of the polar areas creep slowly towards the Equator along the bottom of the sea. Thus, the difference in the temperature of the ocean waters causes ocean currents. They are convectional currents giving rise to a transfer of heat energy in the ocean waters from the areas of excess to the areas of deficit heat energy.
How does salinity affect the density of ocean water?
Oceanic salinity affects the density of ocean water and density variation causes ocean currents. Salinity increases the density of ocean water. If two areas having equal temperature are characterized by varying salinity, the area of high salinity will have greater density than the area of low salinity. The denser water sinks and moves as subsurface current whereas less saline water moves towards greater saline water as surface current. In other words, ocean currents on the water surface are generated from the areas of less salinity to the areas of greater salinity. Such system of surface and subsurface currents caused by salinity variation is originated in open and enclosed seas. For example, the current flowing from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via Gibraltar Strait is caused because of the difference in salinity.
Why does the Mediterranean Sea sink?
Consequently, water sinks in the Mediterranean Sea. In order to compensate the loss of water Atlantic water flows as surface current into the Mediterranean Sea. The sinking water in the Mediterranean Sea moves as subsurface current towards the Atlantic Ocean. Similarly, such system of surface and subsurface currents is generated between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea via Bab-el- Mandeb Strait.
Why is the ocean moving below the surface?
There is movement of ocean water below the water surface in the form of subsurface current from colder polar areas to warmer equatorial areas in order to balance the loss of water in the equatorial areas. Thus, the poleward surface current and Equatorward subsurface currents form a complete circulatory system of ocean water.
What are the factors that affect Earth's rotation?
The factors relating to the earth’s nature and its rotation include the gravitational force and deflective force by earth’s rotation also known as Coriolis force.
Which ocean currents form a circulatory system?
Thus, the poleward surface current and Equatorward subsurface currents form a complete circulatory system of ocean water. The Gulf Stream and Kuroshio warm currents moving from equator towards north are examples of such currents.
Why do ocean currents slow down?
As ocean water warms to greater depths, and temperatures climb in the polar regions , major ocean currents may slow down or even stop.
Which direction do ocean currents flow?
Major current systems typically flow clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere, in circular patterns that often trace the coastlines.
What percentage of ocean currents are surface currents?
Surface Currents amount to only 8-10% of the global oceanic current flow. Deep ocean currents: Differences in water density, resulting from the variability of water temperature (Thermo) and salinity (haline), also cause ocean currents. This process is known as thermohaline circulation.
How are ocean currents classified?
The ocean currents may be classified based on their depth as surface currents and deep water currents:
What are the determinants of climate?
From helping to keep our planet warm, to influencing precipitation patterns around the world, to playing a critical role in the global carbon cycle- ocean currents are one of the major determinants of weather and climatological conditions.
Where do ocean currents originate?
In other words, ocean currents on the water surface are generated from the areas of less salinity to the areas of greater salinity. Such a system of surface and subsurface currents caused by salinity variation is originated in open and enclosed seas.
Why is it important to know the surface ocean currents?
Knowledge of surface ocean currents is essential in reducing the costs of shipping since travelling with them reduces fuel costs.
What causes ocean currents to move in opposite direction?from gktoday.in
The rotational force of the earth causes movement of ocean water near the equator in opposite direction to ‘the west to east rotation of the earth and thus equatorial currents are generated. These currents flow from east to west. Some ocean water moves in the direction of the rotation of the earth i.e.
Why do ocean currents slow down?from samajho.com
As ocean water warms to greater depths, and temperatures climb in the polar regions , major ocean currents may slow down or even stop.
How do ocean currents work?from samajho.com
Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Surface currents carry warm water toward the poles and deep currents bring most of the cold water back toward the equator.
What is the process of thermohaline circulation?from samajho.com
This process is known as thermohaline circulation. Thermohaline circulation drives deep ocean circulation. Differences in temperature and in salinity change the density of seawater. So thermohaline circulation is the result of density differences in water masses because of their different temperature and salinity.
How are ocean currents classified?from samajho.com
The ocean currents may be classified based on their depth as surface currents and deep water currents:
What are the factors that affect the Earth's nature?from gktoday.in
The factors relating to the earth’s nature and its rotation include the gravitational force and deflective force by earth’s rotation also known as Coriolis force.
How does the ocean affect the climate?from samajho.com
The ocean covers 71% of the planet and holds 97% of its water, making the ocean a key factor in the storage and transfer of heat energy across the globe. The movement of this heat through local and global ocean currents affects the regulation of local weather conditions and temperature extremes, stabilization of global climate patterns, cycling of gases, and delivery of nutrients and larva to marine ecosystems.
What are the two types of ocean currents?
Ocean currents refers to the continuous horizontal and vertical movement of large masses of ocean water. The two types of ocean currents are: the deep ocean currents and the surface ocean currents.
Is weather a factor affecting ocean currents?
Therefore, weather reports is not one of the factors affecting the ocean currents.
What are the factors that affect ocean currents?
The ocean currents direction is also being affected by some factors. Such as, wind, depth, salinity, earth rotation, and temperature. It is also classified as a horizontal movement of ocean water.
How does ocean current affect climate?
Ocean current basically has a very important role to our climate. This is because the current it self work as a conveyer belt which transport the warm water and cold water from one place to another places. This also will help our earth climate in balance where the current deliver the cold ocean water to a high temperature places. You can imagine if one certain area is already having a hot temperature and the ocean water there is also high, surely there will be no life there. Since, not all kind of animal and ocean plants can live in a high temperature. Especially, for the last of coral reef that is so fragile and sensitive about its surrounding.
Why do tides go high?
The tides also go high during the full moon this is happen because the moon is close to earth and the gravity of the moon pulls the earth’s ocean water. When the tides go high, this kind of condition is used by the fisherman to help them sail their ship easily to the ocean. And when the tides go low, the fisherman will use this condition to help them to go back to the land.
What are the two types of tides?
There are two types of tides which are tides based on frequency (e.g., semi diurnal tides, diurnal tides, mices tides) and tides based on the moon, sun, and earth position (e.g., spring tides, neap tides). Neap tides will occur twice a month during the first and last quarter moon.
Why do tides go high during a full moon?
The tides also go high during the full moon this is happen because the moon is close to earth and the gravity of the moon pulls the earth’s ocean water. When the tides go high, this kind of condition is used by the fisherman to help them sail their ship easily to the ocean.
Why do waves move back and front?
That is why you will see the waves move back and front. The wind that blows the waves in the ocean makes an energy transfer to the wave. You can fell the energy by standing in the beach and when the waves come and touch your feet, you will be dragged back to the sea.
How can we save the ocean?
Ways to Save the Ocean. Ocean Relief. Conservation of Oceans. 1. Waves. Basically, waves are a horizontal ocean water movement. Waves can exist because of the energy transferred from the wind. When the wind hit the ocean water there will be a friction exist between the water molecules and the wind molecules.