1. Make a classification of the movements of water in the ocean, based on the cause of their occurrence. Fill in the diagram
2. How is a tsunami different from storm surges?
Tsunamis are waves that occur as a result of seaquakes, and wind waves are the result of wind activity. Tsunami is the translational movement of water, and wind waves are oscillatory.
3. What is the importance of ocean currents?
Ocean currents affect the climate of the territory, Cold currents bring cooling and dryness, and warm currents bring warming and precipitation. Also, currents carry organic matter, contributing to their distribution throughout the oceans.
4. Using the map of the oceans in the atlas, plot on the contour map:
a) places of the highest tides - in green
b) warm currents Gulf Stream, North Atlantic, Kuroshio, South Tradewind, North Tradewind, Brazilian and Guiana - in red
c) cold currents Peruvian, Labrador, Canary, Western Winds, Benguela - in blue
Sign the currents with the initial letters of their names
5. Imagine that there was an accident on an oil tanker near the equator off the eastern coast of South America. The accident resulted in an oil spill. In what areas of the ocean can traces of this accident be found? Use the map of the oceans in the atlas to answer.
Traces of this accident can be found in any part of the ocean, because the currents will carry the oil. For example, the North Trade Wind Current will transfer oil to the Gulf Stream, then in turn to the North Atlantic, then to the Canary or Norwegian. The South Trade Wind Current will carry oil into the Brazil Current, then through the West Winds, and then across the South Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
The Importance of Oceanic Sea Currents
water circulation ocean currents around the world have a significant impact on the movement of energy between the ocean and the atmosphere. They are important for the formation of weather on the planet.
It is an example of a warm current - it originates in the Gulf of Mexico and moves north towards Europe.
Since warm water is related to the temperature of the water on the surface of the ocean, the warm current keeps in places like Europe, the climate is warmer than in other areas at the same latitudes.
The Humboldt Current is an example of a current that affects the weather.
At the same time, the cold current, as a rule, off the coast of Chile and Peru, creates a cool climate on the coast, and arid in northern Chile. However, Chile's climate is changing and the El Niño ocean current is thought to play a major role in disrupting it.
The movement of energy, moisture, as well as debris - can travel around the world with the help of currents and get trapped.
Due to the accumulation of garbage, man-made disasters can occur. Ocean currents also create natural accumulations such as icebergs.
The Labrador Ocean Current, which flows south from the Arctic Ocean along the coasts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, is famous for moving icebergs in the North Atlantic.
Sea currents play an important role in navigation.
- Ocean currents play a role in reducing shipping costs and fuel consumption.
- Shipping companies and sailing ships use ocean currents to reduce the time it takes to travel by sea.
Finally, ocean currents are important for the distribution of marine life in the world.
Many animal species rely on currents to move from one place to another, which is an important factor in their breeding and movement over large areas.
Ocean Currents as Alternative Energy Sources
Today, ocean currents are gaining importance as a possible form of alternative energy.
Since water is a dense body, it carries a huge amount of energy, which can be captured and turned into a usable form of energy by water turbines. This experimental technology is being tested in the US, Japan, China and some countries in the European Union.
Regardless of which of the ocean currents will be used as alternative energy sources, they can reduce energy costs.
Ocean currents influence the weather around the world - they are essential objects of study for geographers, meteorologists and other scientists, as they have a huge impact on the globe.
The direction of the currents is influenced by the force of the Earth's rotation: in the Northern Hemisphere, the currents move to the right, in the Southern - to the left.
The current is called warm if its temperature is warmer than the temperature of the surrounding waters, otherwise, the current is called cold.
Density currents are caused by pressure differences that result from uneven distribution of seawater density. Density currents are formed in the deep layers of the seas and oceans. A striking example of density currents is the warm Gulf Stream.
Wind currents are formed under the action of winds, as a result of the friction forces of water and air, turbulent viscosity, pressure gradient, deflecting forces of the Earth's rotation, and some other factors. Wind currents are always superficial. Northern and South Trade winds, the current of the West Winds, Intertrade Pacific and Atlantic.
1) Gulf Stream - a warm sea current in the Atlantic Ocean. In a broad sense, the Gulf Stream is a system of warm currents in the North Atlantic Ocean from Florida to the Scandinavian Peninsula, Svalbard, the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean.
Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the countries of Europe adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean have a milder climate than other regions at the same geographical latitude: masses of warm water heat the air above them, which is transferred to Europe by westerly winds. Deviations of air temperature from average latitude values in January reach 15–20 °C in Norway, and more than 11 °C in Murmansk.
2) The Peruvian current is a cold surface current in the Pacific Ocean. Moves from south to north between 4° and 45° south latitude along the western coasts of Peru and Chile.
3) The Canary Current is a cold and, subsequently, moderately warm sea current in the northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. Directed from north to south along the Iberian Peninsula and Northwest Africa as a branch of the North Atlantic Current.
4) The Labrador Current is a cold sea current in the Atlantic Ocean, flowing between the coast of Canada and Greenland and rushing south from the Baffin Sea to the Newfoundland Bank. There it meets the Gulf Stream.
5) The North Atlantic Current is a powerful warm ocean current that is the northeastern continuation of the Gulf Stream. Starts at the Great Newfoundland Bank. West of Ireland, the current is divided into two parts. One branch (the Canary Current) runs south and the other north along the coast of northwestern Europe. The current is believed to have a significant influence on the climate in Europe.
6) The cold California Current emerges from the North Pacific Current, moves along the coast of California from the northwest to the southeast, merges in the south with the North Tradewind Current.
7) Kuroshio, sometimes the Japan Current - a warm current off the southern and eastern coasts of Japan in the Pacific Ocean.
8) The Kuril current or Oyashio is a cold current in the northwest Pacific Ocean, which originates in the waters of the Arctic Ocean. In the south, near the Japanese Islands, it merges with Kuroshio. It flows along Kamchatka, the Kuriles and the Japanese islands.
9) The North Pacific Current is a warm ocean current in the North Pacific Ocean. It is formed as a result of the confluence of the Kuril Current and Kuroshio. Moves from the Japanese islands to the shores of North America.
10) Brazilian current - a warm current of the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern coast of South America, directed to the southwest.
P.S. To understand where the various currents are, study the set of maps. It will also be useful to read this article
What is the importance of currents for the Earth's climate, you will learn from this article.
What is the importance of ocean currents?
Ocean current is the movement of water that is directed horizontally with respect to the surface of the ocean.
In general, the ocean can be compared to a large heat engine, instead of fuel, in which solar energy acts. She sets it in motion. The machine creates an uninterrupted water exchange between the deep and surface layers of the ocean, which provide all life in it with dissolved oxygen and have a beneficial effect on the life of marine life.
Ocean currents play an important role in the redistribution of solar heat on our planet. Everything is very simple: cold currents lower the ambient air temperature, while warm currents, on the contrary, increase it. Thus, the currents of the World Ocean have a huge cold effect on the coastal climate of continental zones. Just like air masses, they carry cold and heat, changing climatic temperatures.
In addition, ocean currents affect the redistribution of precipitation on land. Those areas that are washed by warm waters are always characterized by a humid climate, and those that are washed by cold waters are characterized by a dry climate without rain, where fogs act as natural humidifiers.
Under the influence of currents and waves, ocean water is constantly mixed. As a result, cold water gradually sinks to the bottom, while warm water slowly rises to the surface. When warm and cold water mixes in deep depressions, it becomes saturated with gases and various substances. Then the ocean currents spread it over the entire water surface and affect the processes of atmospheric circulation, the erosion of the coast, the enrichment of water with oxygen, the movement of ice and the movement of plankton, the distribution of marine animals and fish.
Speaking about the animal world of the ocean, the importance of ocean currents in their distribution also plays an important role. They carry plankton in their waters, and large marine animals roam behind them. It is worth noting that when a warm current meets a cold one, ascending currents of water are obtained, which raise rich and nutritious salts from the depths. In such places, plankton develops and multiplies at a tremendous rate. Such places are fishing grounds rich in marine animals and fish.
Also, ocean currents play an important role in navigation: sailing ships and shipping companies use them to reduce the time for sea travel and to reduce consumption, delivery of fuel.
It happens that a cold current turns into a warm one. This leads to an increase in the average ambient temperature by several degrees, torrential tropical downpours. They have a detrimental effect on fish: small ones die, and large ones go to other places.
We hope that this article has taught you the importance of ocean currents.
I love the sea, especially at a time when most of the tourists have already left. You can be alone on the shore, enjoying its beauty and hidden power. Yes, there is a great force hidden in the oceans - the currents, which I will now talk about.
What is ocean current
This is the name given to huge masses of water that move either continuously or periodically. There are a lot of them, and each has its own characteristics. It is no coincidence that they are called "rivers of the ocean", but they are distinguished from the usual rivers by one important feature. So, as you know, the movement of water masses in rivers is subject to the force of gravity, but in the case of currents, other circumstances act as a driving force.
Scientists have not yet managed to recreate the full picture, but there are already some explanations for the nature of sea currents. First, the ocean has no actual boundaries, and its waters are in motion due to physical and chemical factors:
- movement of air masses (in the case of surface currents);
- the rotation of the earth;
- difference in water density at different depths;
- temperature difference;
- different levels of salinity.
Regarding the direction, the currents are divided into meridian (from the equator to the poles) and zonal (to the east and west).
What is the importance of ocean currents
Temperature is one of the main physical indicators of flow. For the Earth, and more precisely, for all life on it, this is extremely important. It is thanks to currents that the stability of climatic zones is determined, and some of them are in direct proportion to the temperature of the current. For example, the Gulf Stream is sometimes called the "furnace" of Europe, because its warm waters, washing it from the north, make the winter much milder, displacing the cold northern air. Not only heat is distributed, but also the mass of substances dissolved in sea water, and oxygen.
This creates favorable conditions for maintaining life in the ocean, in addition, currents carry organisms for many kilometers, where they develop new territories. This is how the remote islands, whose nature is rich in endemics, were settled.
