Ad
related to: forces that influence ocean currents are considered important elements of life- K-8 Standards Alignment
Videos & lessons cover most
of the standards for every state
- DIY Science Activities
Do-It-Yourself activities for kids.
Using common classroom materials.
- Grades 6-8 Science Videos
Get instant access to hours of fun
standards-based 6-8 videos & more.
- Grades 3-5 Science Videos
Get instant access to hours of fun
standards-based 3-5 videos & more.
- K-8 Standards Alignment
Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of seawater generated by a number of forces acting upon the water, including wind, the Coriolis effect, breaking waves, cabbeling, and temperature and salinity differences. [1] Depth contours, shoreline configurations, and interactions with other currents influence a current's direction and ...
Our oceans move vast amounts of water, heat, chemicals and microscopic life around the planet - with one ocean current particularity crucial to life on earth. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning ...
Since liquid water flows, ocean waters cycle and flow in currents around the world. Since water easily changes phase, it can be carried into the atmosphere as water vapour or frozen as an iceberg. It can then precipitate or melt to become liquid water again. All marine life is immersed in water, the matrix and womb of life itself. [7]
An ocean current is a continuous, directed flow of seawater caused by several forces acting upon the water. These include wind, the Coriolis effect, temperature and salinity differences. [15] Ocean currents are primarily horizontal water movements that have different origins such as tides for tidal currents, or wind and waves for surface currents.
Those currents comprise half of the global thermohaline circulation that includes the flow of major ocean currents, the other half being the Southern Ocean overturning circulation. [ 2 ] The AMOC is composed of a northward flow of warm, more saline water in the Atlantic's upper layers and a southward, return flow of cold, salty, deep water.
Marine currents can carry large amounts of water, largely driven by the tides, which are a consequence of the gravitational effects of the planetary motion of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun. Augmented flow velocities can be found where the underwater topography in straits between islands and the mainland or in shallows around headlands plays a major role in enhancing the flow velocities ...
As the size of an organism and the strength of the current increases, inertial forces will eventually dominate, and the flow becomes turbulent (large Re). As the size and strength decrease, viscous forces eventually dominate and the flow becomes laminar (small Re). Biologically there is an important distinction between plankton and nekton.
A geostrophic current is an oceanic current in which the pressure gradient force is balanced by the Coriolis effect. The direction of geostrophic flow is parallel to the isobars , with the high pressure to the right of the flow in the Northern Hemisphere , and the high pressure to the left in the Southern Hemisphere .
Ad
related to: forces that influence ocean currents are considered important elements of life