Each of the following diagrams is a pdf file which depicts the general ocean circulation andor tidal currents in their respective areas. Ocean currents lost scientist current lab ii updated 5516 this is a fun little latitudelongitude ocean current activity. Generally speaking, the fact of the lesson is that warmer ocean currents produce warmer weather, while cooler ocean currents have the opposite effect. The ocean in motion circulation in this program, students will learn about the driving forces responsible for ocean circulation. Horizontal movements are referred to as currents, while vertical changes are called upwellings or downwellings. Dynamics of ocean currents california digital library. If you want to learn about what causes ocean currents, this is a cool way to get started. Their crests are the high tides, their troughs, the low tides, and the horizontal component of the water particles that make up the wave, the tidal currents. Earths rotation results in the coriolis effect which also influences ocean currents.
Play go with the flow to learn about ocean currents and to unlock the hidden treasure in this game, you are in a submarine and you need to fix the currents to take you where you want to go. This activity is a ucla oceanglobe lab exercise, used with permission from bob perry at the ocean globe program3. Ocean current notes ocean water contains streamlike movements of water called ocean currents. The deep waters of the oceans come from the surface water cooled in the polar region. Each lesson contains at least one handson activity with instructions or a worksheet for the students. Boem currently has 15 active wind energy leases and is committed to working with our many stakeholders as we continue to lease the ocs for responsible renewable energy development activities. In the activity, students play a game focused on the primary surface current names and locations. An overview of ocean currents with emphasis on currents on. This link takes you to a web page on my site that has individual jpgs, diagrams, flash files, etc. Jul 21, 2019 ocean currents are the vertical or horizontal movement of both surface and deep water throughout the worlds oceans. What influence does the wind have on the direction of ocean currents. Ocean current is the directed movement of the ocean water by virtue of the forces like wind, earths rotation, gravitation of the moon etc.
The most striking difference is the seasonal reversal of the monsoon winds and its effects on the ocean currents in the northern hemisphere. Winds, water density and tides all drive ocean currents. Globe or map, which includes japan, california, pacific ocean. Weather and climate worksheets campbell county schools. Have students draw what they think the ocean current directions are using arrows on a global map. Students construct a model ocean that they will blow wind over. The oceans cover more than 70 per cent of our planet. Ocean currents activity easy peasy allinone high school.
In our daily life, warm currents of water occur in oceans. Identify major ocean gyres and their physical properties temperature, speed, and direction. What causes ocean currents and how do we measure them. Warm ocean temperatures are generated near the equator, and then carried towards the poles where they cool before returning to the. Global winds and ocean currents university of maine. These comprehensive lesson plans present noaa science through activities using online data from noaa, and other trusted web sites. Earths surface is divided into three temperature zones. The process of global ocean circulation is presented, emphasizing the importance of this process for climate regulation. Grades 48 learning goals students will understand the location of the major surface currents of the oceans, how surface currents affect nearby landmasses, the relationship between temperature of water and density, the relationship between salinity of water and density. You want to get the key to the treasure chest full of gold. How come most common observers of the ocean fail to observe ocean currents. What is a rectilinear tidal current, and where are they usually found. Chart of the currents off of the united states map of the united states map of ocean currents preparation this activity works best as a small group activity or as a demonstration. Thermohaline circulation is the name for currents that occur when colder, saltier water sinks and displaces water that is warmer and less dense.
Work completed outside of lab class will not be given credit part ii classic czcs scenes. Display the ocean conveyor belt cartoon from the resource carousel. Nearly closed current system in the open ocean clockwise pattern in n. Hence, because deepwater 14c activity reflects the circulationdriven exchange of carbon between the atmosphere and deepocean reservoir. Water at depth flows the same way as water at the surface. Cut out as many as 75 glowinthedark hurricanes from poster board or file folders of. Ocean currents never change, but are persistent features of the ocean. Pdf pacific ocean western boundary currents and the interlinked equatorial pacific. Surface waters of the earths oceans are forced to move, primarily by winds.
What are the three main factors driving ocean currents. Currents are caused by water flowing in the ocean downhill like a river. If this was a real ocean current, what kind of temperature do you think the water would be. The current is like the wind, being stochastic both in space and time. As a current student on this bumpy collegiate pathway, i stumbled upon course hero, where i can find study resources for nearly all my courses, get online help from tutors 247, and even share my old projects, papers, and lecture notes with other students. In this activity, you examined the relationship between salinity and deep ocean currents without changing the waters temperature. Page1 reading activity to introduce students to the basics of ocean currents. These 4 factors keep currents flowing in distinct patters around the earth. Explain to students that this is a depiction of ocean currents called the ocean conveyor belt. Whichever way the wind blows, the current moves the same way. The current direction is also shown on each map by the black arrows. All ocean currents are caused by either wind patterns or by differences in water densities. Ocean currents stem activity little bins for little hands.
Sixth graders experiment to understand the ocean s currents. Where winds blow in the same direction for a long period of time, currents will develop that transport large. Ocean currents are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind coriolis effect, and water density. The warm gulf stream moves northward along the american eastern seaboard and crosses the atlantic ocean all the way to europe. Ocean currents only affect things living in the ocean. We will show a video clip showing sea level height and describe its connection to ocean circulation.
In earths equatorial regions, surface ocean water becomes saltier as the water, but not the salt, evaporates. Both, however, tend to moderate the temperature more than inland. Download an assortment of puzzles, brainteasers, coloring activities, and formal curricula for grades 112. Jan 11, 2016 wind, currents, and climate interactive notebook includes foldables and answer keys for. Ocean currents summary students will learn what causes ocean currents and how they play a role in distributing marine debris and pollution around the world. Dynamics of ocean currents 433 system is moving through space at an unknown speed. Sprinkle a teaspoon of herb oregano or chili powder over the surface. Students will calculate the magnitude of ocean currents.
Grades 48 guiding question how are ocean currents formed and what role do they play in earths climate. The students will need to suspend the thermometers in the jars through their lids. Ocean current worksheet temperature affects and surface. Ocean current worksheet temperature affects and surface currents. Mesoscale activity in the cclme, mostly cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies and filaments, has an. The following table describes the current status of the layer architecture in. The activity is included as a separate in the lesson 7 folder file. Teachers, ask your students to create their own story by following the 18 frames in the story board below. Grades 48 learning goals students will understand the location of the major surface currents of the oceans, how surface currents affect nearby landmasses, the relationship between temperature of water and density. Use the links on the menu belowto access the chapters in your lab questions. In this ocean current lesson, 6th graders complete an experiment with two bottles of water and an index card to discover information about the ocean current.
The lessons are correlated to national science education standards and the ocean literacy essential principles and fundamental concents. Obtain maps of sea surface temperature sst and ocean surface winds from the. If the statement is false, rewrite it to make it correct. Climate impacts on global hot spots of marine biodiversity ncbi. Students will explain how and why ocean currents vary with increasing latitude. Pacific ocean teacher guide national geographic society.
Examine ocean salinity and temperature patterns and their. Oceanographic and biological features in the canary current large. Temporal trends for sst, chl, and ocean currents table s1 were. Contained by continental boundaries and deflected by earths rotation, these surface cur. The ocean conveyor belt is caused by differences in water temperature and salinity. Students plot the path of 2 current buoys to determine the location of a lost scientist in the pacific ocean. Some currents are enhanced, while others are weakened, as indicated by the anomalies.
Tasmania interactions of ocean currents and biology chapter 2. How long does it take long currents to complete their circuit of the globe. Which ocean current transports warm water away from earths equatorial region. Embedded systems with limited power resources enocean. Explore the idea of what causes ocean currents by comparing how water behaves. Surface currents are horizontal, streamlike movements of water that are found at or near the surface of the ocean. In this free course, the oceans, you will learn about the depths of the oceans and the properties of the water that fills them, what. Using the data table and the current cards, draw in each of the currents onto the global ocean surface current map label and draw in the correct location and direction of each. Pdf indian ocean circulation and climate variability researchgate.
Objectives students will watch an internet video on ocean currents and. Act out the currents and gyres of the pacific ocean and see how the pacific. While this vision may sound utopian when you first hear about it, current technology is already at a. Ocean currents introduction and map activity by geoearth. They are accompanied by increased atmospheric convective. Ocean current, stream made up of horizontal and vertical components of the circulation system of ocean waters that is produced by gravity, wind friction, and water density variation in different parts of the ocean. Work completed outside of lab class will not be given credit part ii classic czcs scenes use the links on the menu below to access the chapters in your lab questions. Currents normally move in a specific direction and aid significantly in the circulation of the earths moisture, the resultant weather, and water pollution.
Abrazil current bguinea current cfalkland current dcalifornia current 1. Surface currents carry warm water toward the poles. Largescale, surface ocean currents are driven by global wind systems that are fueled by energy from the sun. All curricula and activities are available for download and print. At the same time, the temperature of ocean currents in. Compare and contrast the movement of surface currents and deep currents. What is the difference between spring, neap, perigean, and apogean currents. A collection of curricula for the starlab ocean currents cylinder including. The current flow varies both in time, with depth below the mean surface and in space. The details of all publications are in the researchgate in full text pdf forms. Tsunami waves and ocean currents k2 humboldt state university. Awarmer and drier bwarmer and more humid ccooler and drier dcooler and more humid 2. Place the dish on a copy of the map accompanying this activity so that the equator runs through. The oceans contain many streamlike movements of water called ocean currents.
But did you know that tides are really big waves that move through the ocean in response to the forces exerted by the moon and the sun. Explanation winds create ocean currents, just as your breath created currents in your simulated ocean. Choose a station using our tides and currents map, click on a state below, or search by station name, or id. Students will explain the cause of the coriolis effect, and how this effect influences ocean currents. Winddriven ocean currents ocean surface topography. Correlate current direction and speed with global winds. Click here for video introduction ocean currents are regular movements of water in one direction in the ocean. Make sure that the simulated ocean containers glass baking dish or clear tray are shallow, otherwise it is difficult to. The tropical zone is the area near the equator, between about 23.
History of changesupdates to noaa current predictions. Project 2061 benchmarks for science literacy thermal energy carried by ocean currents has a strong influence on climates around the world. Coastal and sea floor features influence their location, direction, and speed. The gulf stream and north atlantic current modify the climate of northwestern europe by making the. Global winds and ocean currents ocean surface topography. Human activities drive environmental changes at scales that could. Point out that ocean currents are driven by the wind and influenced by the landmasses that obstruct the flow of water as well as the density and temperature of the water.
These are pdf files and include detailed typed out lecture notes for the chapter. Use blue pencil for the cold currents and red pencil for warm currents. Winddriven ocean currents are complicated by many external factors including earths rotation, the presence of landmasses, and seafloor topography. Ocean currents ocean water moves on and below the surface in streams known as currents. In this exercise, you will work with the information presented in class class notes as well as the provided figure to answer the following questions. Mapping ocean currents national geographic society. The lesson plan itself has been set up to reflect a learning cycle approach to instruction. Latitudinal constraints on the abundance and activity of the cyanobacterium. As with all sessions, the presentation to participants has been designed to practice what we preach. A powerpoint with lecture content and activity guidance for the teacher is also provided along with a 5e chart.
If you live near the coast or have ever visited the beach, you are probably aware of tides. The gulf stream, a warm ocean current, has a different effect on the climate of new york city and the surrounding coastal areas. Ocean currents flow for great distances, and together, create the global conveyor belt which plays a dominant role in determining the climate of many of the earths regions. Ocean currents motion in the ocean lesson plan ocean currents lesson plan motion in the ocean theme ocean currents and waves links to overview essays and resources needed for student. No means are available fox determining absolute motion, but this is of no concern, because theobserved largescale motion of the atmosphere and the sea can be adequately described by. Middle school ocean currents what are their effects. Ocean currents ocean currents mass movement or flow of ocean water river within the ocean conveyor belt two types surface deep or subsurface ocean currents vocabulary gyre. Ocean currents get ready to add this simple ocean currents activity to your ocean lesson plans this season. Deepwater circulation changes lead north atlantic climate during.
How are tidal currents different from other types of currents. On a map, students will locate and draw the major gyres and ocean currents that have an effect on canadas climate. Pdf pacific western boundary currents and their roles in climate. Currents are influenced by global wind coriolis effect, salinity, continental deflection and convection cells. What are gyres and where are the major gyres located. Fill a tin pie plate to the inner rim with cold tap water. Ocean currents introduction and map activity by geo.
In class, we will be discussing the forces responsible for generating the global ocean surface currents. Interesting facts and fun activities related to the story of a giant squid attacking a 150ton ship and dragging it to the ocean s. The canary current large marine ecosystem cclme is an eastern boundary upwelling. Currents overview lesson 8 presents the mechanisms that drive surface and deep ocean currents. A collection of curricula for the starlab ocean currents cylinder. To complicate the matter, these waves combine to reinforce or interfere with each other in varying amounts, partially contributing to the wide differences in. Students will observe a demonstration on how the temperature of water creates water movement. A collection of curricula for the starlab ocean currents.
Ocean currents are similar to winds in the atmosphere in that they transfer. The movement of the warm and cold water inside the bottles is referred to as a convection current. This is a crossover science activity oceanography geog. Covers types of currents surface and deep and the role of ocean currents and the planet. This unit consists of 5 lessons focused on ocean currents and physical oceanography.
What influence does the land have on the direction of ocean currents. Dont forget to use a red colored pencil for the warm currents and a blue colored pencil for the cold currents. The surface currents of the major ocean basins show similarities to the prevailing wind systems that drive them. It has a warm climate because it receives direct sunlight all year.