Waves Tides and Currents Flashcards
(54 cards)
Ocean Circulation can occur in the form of?
waves, currents, and gyres
What drives the wind?
Sunlight Energy
What is the purpose of ocean circulation?
Stabilize the earths climate
When energy passes through a wave, How do the water molecules move?
Up and Down. Vertical circular orbits
Surface currents make up what percent of the ocean?
10%
What causes surface currents?
Wind
Do surface currents cross the equator?
No
Due to the Coriolis Effect what way do the surface currents go in the Northern Hemisphere?
To the right
Do to the Coriolis Effect what way do the surface currents go in the Southern Hemisphere?
To the left
What are gyres?
Large circular currents
What causes gyres?
Accumulating water movement and energy from surface currents
What percent do deep water ocean currents make up of the ocean?
90%
The great ocean conveyor is driven by what type of circulation?
Thermohaline circulation
What drives Thermohaline circulation?
Salinity and Temperature
Do deep water currents cross the equator?
Yes
How do deep water currents work?
The water gets heated up at he equator and goes towards the poles and cools down causing it to drop back down.
Why is upwelling important?
Carries cold nutrient rich water from the deep ocean to the surface
Why is downwelling important?
Carries oxygen down to the sea floor
What is the crest of a wave?
Highest part of a wave
What is the trough of a wave?
the lowest part of a wave
What is wavelength?
The distance between crests of waves
How do you determine the height of a wave?
It is the vertical distance from crest to trough
What can cause a wave?
Mostly wind but also earthquakes, volcano, and gravity pull
What does the size of a wave depend on?
Strength (wind speed), Fetch (the distance) and Duration (The length of the gust)
