Sea Surface Temperature
the temperature of the top layer of the ocean provided by energy measurements (infrared or microwaves) from satellites
Isolines
lines used to create categories of data
isotherms
Lines made based off temperature readings
isobars
Lines made based off air pressure readings
currents
moving water masses
buoy
a tool that scientists use to study physical characteristics of the ocean such as local SSTs
surface currents
moving mass of current within top 400 meters of ocean
convection
a method of heat transfers
prevailing winds
a wind current that moves heat in the atmosphere and affects ocean currents
westerlies
Winds moving west to east
gulf stream
most studied current, discovered by Benjamin Franklin, average speed is 4.6 mph (fastest in fall, slowest in spring)
gyre
circular nature of a flow (There are 5 gyres in the ocean where our garbage patches are)
differential heating
a process by which all places on Earth do not receive do not receive the same amount of energy from the earth and sun at all times of the year .
Coriolis Effect
the deflection of a mass moving over Earth's surface due to Earth's rotation
Convection Currents
a transfer of energy from one area to another (blue ice)
currents in Northern Hemisphere
Winds and currents pulled to the right (to the left in the southern)
radiation
movement of energy through space (stove)
conduction
transfer of energy through direct contact (water heating)
convection
transfer of energy from one area to another (heat passing through pan metal to metal)
heat capacity
the amount of energy it takes to increase or decrease a unit of temperature of a substance
law of thermodynamics
the natural and spontaneous flow of energy from an object of higher temperature to an object of lower temperature. (pg. 193)
How are SST's created or generated? Why are they important? What type of data do they give us?
generated : SSTs are the temperatures of the water close to the surface. It is considered sea surface temperature 400 meters down. They are measured using satellites by using data that is gathered in the form of microwaves or infrared Rays. They are often
Why are buoys important? What type of data do they give us?
Buoys are very important because they can give us the sea surface temperature in local areas. They can also give us other data like temperature wave heights.
How are currents formed?
Caused by prevailing winds and coriolis effect
hot water rises and cold water sinks and that makes the cycle or convection
the convection in winds move water to form currents
coriolis effect make the currents curve
How can objects (trash, rubber duckies) travel throughout the ocean?
They get moved around by currents, but eventually move By gyres: circular nature of a flow which causes the trash to push together and turn into a trash gyre. There are 5 major gyres in our oceans.
Why are currents important to marine organisms?
Some creatures take advantage of the fast currents on the ocean's surface
Turtles and others follow a current's path during long journeys
Migration is easier with currents
currents change indicate temperature changes
edges of currents provide a large food
Who first investigated the Gulf Stream?
The Gulf Stream was first investigated by Benjamin Franklin in the 1770s.
he was one of the first scientists to study the gulf stream, although many people had already known of its existence.
The current flows north along Florida's atlantic coast and then
How do water currents compare to air currents?
Winds:transfer energy in the atmosphere (troposphere)
Currents: (ocean) transfer energy in the top layer of the ocean
*caused by prevailing winds and the Coriolis Effect
How does density affect currents?
Ice cube experiment! Cold water dense so sinks (more compact less kinetic energy). Warm water rises (Because less dense and more kinetic energy) . The cold is sinking while warm is rising and this is creating a circular motion like currents. Creates gyres
How does energy cycle?
Energy is transferred through convection, radiation, and conduction. radiation is energy from the sun that is transferred to convection in oceans.
Radiation transfers energy from the sun to the ocean or to the ground. Conduction is contact and convection
2 gulf currents?
loop current and Florida current
1. When looking at the global map, how do warm currents move in comparison to cold currents?
warm currents move south and cold currents move north in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere cold currents sink while warm currents rise
2. The oceans do not flow freely around the globe without interruptions. What happens when water currents hit land masses?
when water currents hit land masses they curve with the land masses
3. What would the ocean be like if we did not have cold and warm currents?
If we did not have cold and warm currents the ocean would be flat with very few waves or movement. It would be hard for sailboats to flow across the ocean because they would not be able to move without the currents pushing them.
4. What do you notice about the movement of ocean and wind currents?
Trade winds go east to west in a circular motion and above them are prevailing winds going west to east. These winds create a circular motion just like in the oceans how there is circular motions of currents.
5. You are teaching lower school students about the Coriolis Effect. Explain it as if you were speaking to a 3rd grader.
The world is spinning on it's axis. If a plane if flying in a straight line it will not end up in a straight line due to the Coriolis effect or earth spinning on its axis.
6. You are teaching lower school students about gyres. Explain it as if you were speaking to a 3rd grader.
A gyre is a circular flow in the ocean. As trash and other materials in the ocean are floating around they get caught in the circular motion and group together to create a mass.
Explain how heat from the sun results in convection currents in the ocean.
The sun's energy is absorbed by the top layer of the ocean water. The water molecules spread apart, become less dense, and cause movement of water. The energy from warmer water transfers to cooler water. Note: Satellite imagery allows you to see this proc
Describe what is meant by the Coriolis Effect. How does it relate to ocean currents? Which way is the movement in the southern hemisphere?
The Coriolis Effect is the apparent deflection of moving objects, including fluids, to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. The deflection of moving water can be seen in the flow of ocean currents. Ultimately a
What is heat capacity? Why is the heat capacity of water so important on Earth?
Heat capacity is the ability of a substance to absorb and store energy. Water has a high heat capacity, meaning that a lot of energy has to be transferred for water to increase or decrease in temperature. Therefore, the ocean stores much thermal energy. B
How does convection contribute to the formation of a gyre?
Convection is the transfer of energy (heat) from one area to another area. The Law of thermodynamics explains that warm water will move towards the cold water to reach equilibrium. The cycle consists of water equatorial water turning to the right (in the
Give a real-life example of the 3 energy transfers and how they are connected. (You can not use the pot of water on a stove example)
A campfire: The fire simulates the radiation (energy that travels through space - Sun)
The pan will heat up based on conduction from the outer-most layer of
metal to the inner-most layer touching the water.
The water will be the convection once it begins