13.

6 Wind and
Ocean
Currents
Science 10

A Little Background
Atmospheric Pressure is the
force of the air pressing down
on the earths surface
Atmospheric pressure is
measured using a barometer.
Since air molecules are so spread
out (lots of empty space), we
dont feel the pressure that they
exert

Differences in air pressure help

cause winds and affect air
masses. They are also factors
in the formation of storms such
as thunderstorms, tornadoes
and hurricanes.

What is Wind?
Wind is a movement of air in the
atmosphere
How Wind Develops
Caused by a difference in air pressure
due to unequal heating of the
atmosphere.
Question: Where on the planet does the
surface get heated more than other
areas?...
At the Earths surface, wind always
blows from areas of high pressure to
areas of low pressure

How are Winds Created?

Winds are created by.
1. Heating the air, decreases pressure (warm air
rises creating a low pressure)

2. Cool air rushes into replace the warm air

(cooler dense air, produces high pressure)

3. As air goes from high to low pressure winds

form
This is a CONVECTION style Convection
Current Demo Time!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xWWowXtuvA

Classifying Winds
I. Localized
- affect only small areas
Types of Local Winds
Sea Breezes- from sea to land
Land Breezes- from land to sea
II. Prevailing winds
- affect large areas,
- types to follow after we look at
what causes prevailing winds

Causes of Prevailing
Winds
Due to a combination of
convection currents and
coriolis effect
air at the equator is warmed
and rises, forming a
convection current called the
equatorial convection current

The Coriolis Effect

Earths rotation causes anything
that moves LONG DISTANCES,
such as prevailing winds, to
APPEAR to change directions.
The apparent change in direction
of a moving object in a rotating
system is called the CORIOLIS
EFFECT.
Demo Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcPs_OdQOYU

Coriolis cont
Evident on the earth because as
Earth rotates eastward, an object
travelling from north to south will
appear to move to the right
In the southern hemisphere
objects moving from the pole
appear to move to the left
The Coriolis effect is more
predominant closer to the poles

Prevailing Wind
Terms:
Polar easterlies occur between
60 degrees latitude and the poles
and moves east to west
Mid-latitude westerlies occurs
between 30 degrees and 60 degrees
latitude and move from west to east
Northeast trade winds occur just
north of the equator and move east
to west
Southeast trade winds occur just
south of the equator and move east
to west

Effects of Prevailing
Winds
Help distribute large amounts
of solar energy from the
equator to the colder parts of
the world.
Also carry moisture, causing
a variety of precipitation
(snow, rain, etc)

Wind terms cont

Gusts occur because of a
rapid air pressure change
and move in no fixed
direction
Squalls gusts accompanied
by rain
Wind speed indicator
anemometer/weather
vane
anemometer

Sooooooo Do you
think the Coriolis Effect
and Wind effect how
water moves in the
ocean?

Ocean Currents

Ocean Currents
Mass movement or
flow of ocean water
River within the
ocean
Two types
Surface and Deep

Surface Current
Horizontal, stream-like
movements of water that
occur at or near the
surface of the ocean
Can reach depths of
several hundred meters
Surface Current Animation

Surface currents flow in a circular pattern

Red current = warm current

Blue current = cold current

Northern Hemisphere flows clockwise

Southern Hemisphere flows counter-clockwise
Poles flow in opposite direction

Notice that the warm currents flow from the equator

Surface
Currents
Controlled by three factors
Prevailing winds = Cause
surface currents to flow in
the direction the wind is
blowing (top 400 m)
Coriolis Effect
Continental Deflections =
shape of the land it flows
up against

Deep Currents
Stream like movement of
ocean water far below the
surface. THIS IS WAY DOWN
THERE!
Caused by changes in density
This change in density is the
result of changing
temperature and salinity

Causes, broken down

Change in temperature
Decreasing the temperature (its colder) of
water increases density (water sinks)

Change in salinity
Increasing the salinity of water increases
density (again, making water sink)
Salinity increases because when water at the
poles freezes, the salt doesnt freeze so its
left behind and sinks to the ocean floor and is
replaced by new water (hence the current)
Both TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY causes
warmer less dense water from the equator
moves to replace it (water will always want to
be level and that is why the water that leaves
gets replaced)
The Pic on the next page does a good job
explaining this phenomena