Table of Contents
What are the 2 types of ocean currents?
There are two main types of ocean currents: currents driven mainly by wind and currents mainly driven by density differences. Density depends on temperature and salinity of the water.
What are the two effects of ocean currents?
Ocean currents act as conveyer belts of warm and cold water, sending heat toward the polar regions and helping tropical areas cool off, thus influencing both weather and climate.
What are the causes of 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.
What are the 2 types of currents?
There are two kinds of current electricity: direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). With direct current, electrons move in one direction. Batteries produce direct current. In alternating current, electrons flow in both directions.
What is the cause of electric current?
Electricity is created when an outside force causes electrons to move from atom to atom. The flow of electrons is called an “electrical current.” Voltage is the “outside force” that causes electrons to move. Voltage is potential energy.
What are causes of ocean currents?
Ocean currents can be caused by wind, density differences in water masses caused by temperature and salinity variations, gravity, and events such as earthquakes or storms. Currents are cohesive streams of seawater that circulate through the ocean.
What causes most surface currents?
A: Surface ocean currents are caused by winds. Wind currents run in certain directions because the earth rotates. Winds go to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.
What causes deep ocean currents?
Pressure gradients. The hydrostatic pressure,p,at any depth below the sea surface is given by the equation p = gρz,where g is the acceleration of gravity,ρ is
What is responsible for deepwater currents?
Deep Ocean Currents. Deep ocean currents in oceans are caused by a large amount of sinking surface water. Surface water is the upper layer of water closest to the top surface.
How do ocean currents affect climate?
While the earth’s climates are controlled by a number of factors, ocean currents and water movements play a big role. Some currents take warm water away from the equator, influencing coastal climates near the poles. Others take colder water from the poles or the deep ocean and move it towards the equator, creating cooler coastal climates . Aug 29 2019