Unit 4 Weather Lesson 2 How Do the Oceans and the Water Cycle Affect Weather?

The Oceans Affect Weather In the summertime, the sun absorbs the heat in the oceans. This results in the air above the oceans to be cooler.

The Oceans Affect Weather In the winter months, the oceans release heat into the air above them. This causes the air to be warmer.

Warm Water Currents Uneven heating in various parts of the ocean results in currents. Warm currents flow like rivers in the oceans. Two warm currents include The Gulf Stream Current and the North Atlantic Current. These warm currents causes the weather in these places to be warmer.

Cold Water Currents There are also cold water currents such as the California Current. This current creates cooler weather along California’s Coast.

El Nino Currents can also be deep in the ocean. These currents carry cooler water. When warm air on the oceans’ surface is not blown away by winds, the these cooler currents cannot reach the surface. This results in El Nino. El Nino changes weather patterns over the Pacific Ocean causing heavy rains in some areas and little rainfall in others.

Weather Patterns & the Water Cycle Global winds carry warm vapor from the tropics to cooler regions. There, heat is released to the atmosphere as the water vapor condenses.

Clouds  Clouds form where there is high humidity.  Clouds are made of dust and condensed water.  Water formed in clouds returns to Earth as precipitation.  There are three types of clouds: cumulus, stratus, and cirrus.

Cumulus Clouds  These clouds are puffy and indicate fair weather, but as a cumulus cloud grows, rain can develop.

Stratus Clouds  Stratus clouds form low in the atmosphere. They usually cover the sky. It is possible for moderate rainfall or snowfall to fall from stratus clouds.

Cirrus Clouds  Cirrus clouds form high in the troposphere, where the air is very cold. They are made mostly of ice crystals.

Precipitation  Light drizzle falls from stratus clouds.  Rain and other forms of precipitation fall from cumulonimbus clouds.  Solid forms of precipitation are snow, sleet, and hail.

Snow  Snow is formed when water vapor turns directly into ice crystals.

Sleet & Hail  Sleet & hail is formed when liquid water passes through cold air and becomes frozen.

Other Forms of Condensed Water Vapor  Dew  Frost  Fog

Ocean Current Videos Ocean Currents – Bill Nye the Science Guy 1HYFg&feature=related 1HYFg&feature=related Deep Ocean Currents – music video eature=related eature=related