Geography
OCEAN SURFACE CIRCULATION 1. For each wind arrow, draw an arrow showing the direction of the average water movement due to deflection. 2. The water movement in the ocean is deflected further by the continents. Draw in a single, large dashed circle with arrows showing the resulting circular surface current in the North Atlantic Ocean. 3. What is the direction of the overall water motion? clockwise counterclockwise 4. In what direction does the current you drew flow next to the East Coast of North America? toward the north foward the south 5. Does the water in the Atlantic Ocean moving to the north past the East Coast of North America come from a warmer or cooler climate than the East Coast of North America? warmer cooler 6. Two shdents are discusting the turface currents in the Pocific Ocean in the northern hemisphere Student 1t t think the surface current trovels clockwise. like f dnew to the right, becouse the whal is the same os over the Atlantic Ocean in the northem hemisphere. The cold-woter current is moving south next to the West Coost of North Amenico. Student 2i I think it trovels counterclockwise, like I drew. The Aflantic Ocean is a different ocean thon the Pacific Ocean, so the currents will trovel in different directions. The warm-water current is moving north next to the West Coost of North America. With which student do you agree? Why? 7. Ocean water at beoches in Southern California on the West Coast are much colder than beaches in South Carolina on the East Coost, even though they are located at the same latitude. Explain why, using the direction of the surface currents near each coast. 8. On the world map, draw in the large surface ocean circulation in the northern hemisphere for the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Check your answers with Questions 2 and 6. 9. Jopan is on the wentern side of the Pacific Ocean. Fwa students are discussing whiether they would expect ocean water temperatures in Japon to be more similar fo Southorn Colifornia or South Corolina. Student It Southem Colifomia, becouse both Japan and Southern California are in the Abcific Oceon so the same woter circulates between them. Student 2: South Carolina, becouse currents in both locafions are coming from the south, so water temperatures in both areas would be watm from tropical water. With which student do you agree? Why? 10. The Coriolis Effect causes surface currents to go counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere. On the map below draw the surface ocean currents in the southern hemisphere for the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The surface ocean circulation in the northern hemisphere in these oceans has been drawn with dashed lines for you. 11. Would you expect Chile in the southern hemisphere to have ocean water temperatures more similar to Southern California or South Carolina? Explain your answer.
After graduating, you and two of your classmates decide to embark on a sailing voyage. Being novices at long-distance sailing, you and your friends decide to tackle something that appears relatively simple. You decide that a round-trip across the Atlantic, starting in North America, would NOT be a bad idea. You decide to leave from North Carolina, where the old boat you bought is located, and travel across to England, then south from there all the way down to Morocco, then back across the Atlantic. You also decide to prepare by digging up your old ISP 203a notes and a map of ocean currents to help you out....1. How do you plan your route there and back, so that the prevailing ocean currents provide the most help? Which currents are these? Draw them and label them on the map on the last page of this handout.2. You know that currents are driven by winds. What are the two major winds that drive the currents you will use in part 1?Getting across to England is a breeze you cant believe how easy the trip was, and how quickly it all went by. Now you are ready to head back. You know the trip home will take longer...You are back at sea, just entering the warmer climates to the south, when disaster strikes. Off the CanaryIslands (on your map), your boat capsizes in a storm. Before she sinks, you have just enough time to grab the emergency kit and jump into the inflatable lifeboat. Whew! But...now what??? The current is flowing westward; try as you might, you cant make the boat go east as you have no sail. So, youre off across the Atlantic again, although not exactly as youd planned. This WILL be educational!