The TEKS

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The TEKS

• Know that climatic interactions exist among
  Earth, ocean, and weather systems.
• 8.10 (A) recognize that the Sun provides the
  energy that drives convection within the
  atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean
  currents

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ENGAGE

• Ocean Currents
• What causes the movement of air and water
  throughout the Earth?

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EXPLORE

1. Fill your container with tap water.
2. Carefully place blue water at each end of the
   container using a syringe.
3. Observe what happens.
4. Record your observation on your lab sheet.

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EXPLAIN

1. What did the blue water represent?
2. Why was the blue water placed at the far end of
   your container?
3. What did you observe?

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TIME FOR A FOLDABLE
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CONVECTION

• Transfer of heat by the movement of warmer, less
  dense (air or liquid) rising
• and cooler, denser (air or liquid) sinking

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CONVECTION
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CONVECTION
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CONVECTION
Moves air in the atmosphere!
Moving Air Winds Convection in the
atmosphere is the main cause of the wind. Where
does the Energy for Convection come from
on Earth?
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THE SUN!!!
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CONVECTION
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CONVECTION
causes deep ocean currents!
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CONVECTION

• Wind over the shore changes direction because of
  EARTHS UNEVEN WARMING COOLING!

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Hot Air is Less Dense!
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Atmospheric Movement

• MOSTLY CAUSED BY
• Temperature differences
• Pressure differences
• Coriolis Effect (due to Earths rotation)

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The Coriolis effect

• The Coriolis effect
• Is a result of Earths rotation
• Causes moving objects to follow curved paths
• In Northern Hemisphere, curvature is to right
• In Southern Hemisphere, curvature is to left
• Changes with latitude
• No Coriolis effect at Equator
• Maximum Coriolis effect at poles

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The Coriolis effect on Earth

• As Earth rotates, different latitudes travel at
  different speeds
• The change in speed with latitude causes the
  Coriolis effect

Figure 6-9a
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Role of the Ocean

• Slowly absorbs and slowly releases heat energy
  helping keep Earths temperatures relatively
  stable
• Oceans heat or cool the air above them and
  transport heat around the globe in currents.
• Hurricanes form over warm ocean water, drawing
  their energy from the waters heat.

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Ocean Currents

• Currents
• large scale water movements
• occur everywhere in ocean
• both surface and deep
• 2 main types surface currents (10) and deep
  sea currents (90)
• surface currents are primarily wind driven
• deep currents are density driven
• other forces affecting currents
• Coriolis effect
• friction
• gravity
• thermal expansion
• geologic shape of ocean basin

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ELABORATE
1) Use the pipette to carefully put several drops
of red hot water at the bottom of the
container. 2) Remove the pipette and watch what
happens to the red water.
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Why is it important to study ocean currents? How
do plants, animals, and humans use ocean currents?
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Ten Bizarre Things That Washed Up On Shore
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EVALUATION

• 1) Convection currents, which affect weather and
  climate, are created by...
• A. slow, constant tectonic movement.
• B. erosion of ocean beaches.
• C. mining of the seafloor.
• D. the uneven heating of the Earth.

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• 1. Convection currents, which affect weather and
  climate, are created by...
• Answer
• D. the uneven heating of the Earth.

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2) Water is cooler near the poles and warmer near
the equator. Movement of cooler and warmer water
from these regions moderates the global climate.
Which of the following describes the movement
of water between the poles and the equator?
A. tides B. ocean currents C. evaporation
D. gravity
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2. Water is cooler near the poles and warmer near
the equator. Movement of cooler and warmer water
from these regions moderates the global climate.
Which of the following describes the movement of
water between the poles and the equator?
Answer B. ocean currents
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• 3. Surface ocean currents are primarily formed by
  _______.
• A. winds
• B. tides
• C. aquatic organisms
• D. underwater volcanoes

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3. Surface ocean currents are primarily formed by
_______. A. wind
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4. Which of the following is NOT true A.
colder, denser water at the poles sinks below
warmer water. B. colder, denser water at the
poles rises above warmer water. C. warmer, less
dense water at the equator rises above colder
water. D. saltier, denser water sinks
below fresh, less dense water.
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4. Which of the following is NOT true B.
colder, denser water at the poles rises above
warmer water.
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5. What does the Coriolis Effect explain? A.
why it is hard to catch baseballs. B. why
surface winds or currents turn in one direction
or another. C. how volcanoes are formed.
D. why salt water is denser than fresh water.
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5. What does the Coriolis Effect explain?
B. why surface winds or currents turn in one
direction or another.
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Lost at Sea
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Duckie Progress

• January 1992 - shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean,
  off the coast of China
• November 1992 - half had drifted north to the
  Bering Sea and Alaska the other half went south
  to Indonesia and Australia
• 1995 to 2000 - spent five years in the Arctic ice
  floes, slowly working their way through the
  glaciers
• 2001 - the duckies bobbed over the place where
  the Titanic had sunk
• 2003 - they were predicted to begin washing up
  onshore in New England, but only one was spotted
  in Maine
• 2007 - a couple duckies and frogs were found on
  the beaches of Scotland and southwest England.