A question we ask very frequently but

IS WEATHER THE SAME AS CLIMATE?

Weather and Climate

Weather refers to the atmospheric conditions prevailing in an area for a short period of time. Say 24 hours Climate refers to the atmospheric conditons of an area for a long duration of time say a decade.

Tundra region

Arab Countries

Europe

Us..

Climate affects
Flora Fauna Food chain Clothes And ultimately people.

Sun

Earths tilt

Relief features

Oceans

What are ocean currents?

The general movement of mass of oceanic water in a definite direction is called ocean current which is more or less similar to water streams(rivers) flowing on the land surface of the earth.

Factors affecting ocean currents..

Density & Salinity Rotation of earth Temperature Direction of winds Shape of Continents Rainfall and evaporation

Coriolis force
It is an effect under which the direction of surface wind is deflected towards the right in North Hemisphere and towards the left in South Hemisphere.

Upwelling

The Great Oceanic Conveyor Belt

The term thermohaline circulation refers to a part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes.

North Equatorial current

Warm current Between equator and 10 degrees N latitude

South Equatorial Current

Warm Between equator and 20 degrees S latitude Originated under the stress of trade winds

Counter equatorial current

Originates due to difference in water gradient in the west and thus flows from west to east

Kuroshio system
Kuroshio current Kuroshio extension North Pacific drift Tsushima current

The ocean currents surrounding the Japanese Archipelago: 1. Kuroshio 2.Kuroshio extension 3. Kuroshio countercurrent 4. The Tsushima Current 5. The Tsugaru Current 6. The Sya Current 7. Oyashio 8. The Liman Current

Kuroshio current
a north-flowing ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean. It is similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic and is part of the North Pacific ocean gyre. Like the Gulf stream, it is a strong western boundary current.

Oyashio current
The Kurile current, is a cold subarctic ocean current that flows south and circulates counterclockwise in the western North Pacific Ocean. It collides with the Kuroshio Current off the eastern shore of Japan to form the North Pacific Current (or Drift). This cold current flows through Bering Strait in the southern direction and transports cold water of the Arctic Sea into the Pacific ocean.

California current
moves south along the western coast of North America, beginning off southern British Columbia, and ending off southern Baja California.

Peru current
the Peru Current, is a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north-westward along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile to northern Peru.

East Australia Current

An ocean current that moves warm water from the tropical Coral Sea, where it splits from the South Equatorial Current, down the east coast of Australia. It is the largest ocean current close to the shores of Australia. It can reach speeds of up to seven knots in some of the shallower waters along the Australian continental shelf, but is generally measured at two to three knots.

El Nio-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

El Nio = warm surface current in equatorial eastern Pacific that occurs periodically around Christmastime Southern Oscillation = change in atmospheric pressure over Pacific Ocean accompanying El Nio ENSO describes a combined oceanicatmospheric disturbance

El Nio

Oceanic and atmospheric phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean Occurs during December 2 to 7 year cycle
Sea Surface Temperature Atmospheric Winds Upwelling

Normal conditions in the Pacific Ocean

El Nio conditions (ENSO warm phase)

La Nia conditions (ENSO cool phase; opposite of El Nio)

Non El Nio

El Nio

1997

Non El Nio

upwelling

El Nio

thermocline

El Nio events over the last 55 years

El Nio warmings (red) and La Nia coolings (blue) since 1950. Source: NOAA Climate Diagnostics Center

World Wide Effects of El Nio Weather patterns

Marine Life
Economic resources

Effects of severe El Nios

Gulf stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

It comprises ofFlorida current Gulf stream North Atlantic current

Canary current
A wind-driven surface current that is part of the North Atlantic Gyre. This eastern boundary current branches south from the North Atlantic Current and flows southwest about as far as Senegal where it turns west and later joins the Atlantic North Equatorial Current.

Labrador current
The Labrador Current is a cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean which flows from the Arctic Ocean south along the coast of Labrador and passes around Newfoundland, continuing south along the east coast of Nova Scotia. It is a continuation of the West Greenland Current and the Baffin Island Current.

Brazil Current
The Brazil Current is a warm water current that flows south along the Brazilian south coast to the mouth of the Ro de la Plata. This current is caused by diversion of a portion of the Atlantic South Equatorial Current from where that current meets the South American continent

Benguela Current
The broad, northward flowing ocean current that forms the eastern portion of the South Atlantic Ocean gyre. The current extends from roughly Cape Point in the south, to the position of the Angola-Benguela Front in the north, at around 16S. The current is driven by the prevailing South Easterly Trade winds.

Monsoon currents
The Indian Monsoon Current refers to the seasonally varying ocean current regime found in the tropical regions of the northern Indian Ocean. During winter, the flow of the upper ocean is directed westward from near the Indonesian Archipelago to the Arabian Sea. During the summer, the direction reverses, with eastward flow extending from Somalia into the Bay of Bengal. These variations are due to changes in the wind stress associated with the Indian monsoon. The seasonally reversing open ocean currents that pass south of India are referred to as the Winter Monsoon Current and the Summer Monsoon Current (alternately, the Northeast Monsoon Current and the Southwest Monsoon Current).[

Mozambique current
The Mozambique Current is an ocean current in the Indian Ocean, usually defined as warm surface waters flowing south along the African east coast in the Mozambique Channel, between Mozambique and the island of Madagascar.

Agulhas Current
It flows down the east coast of Africa from 27S to 40S. It is narrow, swift and strong. It is even suggested that the Agulhas is the largest western boundary current in the world ocean, as comparable western boundary currents transport less.

West wind drift

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is an ocean current that flows clockwise from west to east around Antarctica. An alternative name for the ACC is the West Wind Drift. The ACC is the dominant circulation feature of the Southern Ocean and, at approximately 125 Sverdrups, the largest ocean current. It keeps warm ocean waters away from Antarctica, enabling that continent to maintain its huge ice sheet.

Ocean currents are important as

They are responsible for distribution of temperature and maintaining life in oceans. Those points where a warm and a cold oceanic current meet are the points where fisheries flourish. Ocean currents also play a regulating and balancing role as they help in maintaining a balance in temperature all over the globe.

Impact of Global warming

Slowing down of Global oceanic conveyor belt Resulting in Ice Age like conditions in Northern hemisphere especially North Atlantic ocean