1. Ocean
Currents
and
Circulation

2. Currents Ocean Circulation
Wind Patterns
The westerlies and the trade winds are two of the winds that drive the ocean’s surface currents.
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3. Currents Ocean water circulates in currents.
Surface currents are caused mainly by wind, and affect the
uppermost 10% of the ocean.
Circulation of the other 90% of the ocean is driven by gravity, as Density
dense water sinks and less dense water rises.
Upwelling and downwelling describe the vertical movement of water masses.
The Coriolis effect modifies the course of ocean currents.
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4. Current Notes Cause of currents
Currents are rivers of water on or below surface
Cause of currents
1. Winds create surface currents ( Trades +Westerlies)
2. Rotation of Earth ( Coriolis Effect) makes Gyres
3. Density changes causes movement
More dense water moves to bottom
More dense water moves less dense water
Evaporation changes density
Freezing changes density
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5. Ocean Currents What are some effects of ocean currents?
 transfer heat from tropical to polar regions
 influence weather and climate
 distribute nutrients and scatter organisms
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6. Surface Currents Surface currents are driven by wind
Most of Earth’s surface wind energy is concentrated in the easterlies and westerlies.
Due to the forces of gravity, the Coriolis effect, solar energy, and solar winds, water often moves in a circular pattern called a gyre.
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7. GYRE MOVEMENT A Gyre is formed of three ocean currents.
Water moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere gyres
Counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere gyres.
Surface Currents
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8. Flow Within a Gyre
Gyres can be further subdivided into distinct currents. The four interconnected currents in the North Atlantic Gyre have different flow characteristics and temperatures.
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9. Flow Within a Gyre
The energy of the wind especially the Trade winds and the Prevailing Westerlies is transferred to the ocean to create a current at a 45 degree angle to the wind. This energy continues to 100m where the angle is 90 degrees. This is termed the Ekman spiral.
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10. Geostrophic Gyres Warm currents indicated by red
Geostropic Gyre Flow
Warm currents indicated by red
Cool currents indicated by blue
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11. What currents are found within gyres?
Currents Within Gyres
What currents are found within gyres?
Western boundary currents -These are warm, narrow, deep, fast currents found at the western boundaries of ocean basins.
 the Gulf Stream
 the Kuroshio (Japan) Current
 the Brazil Current
 the Agulhas Current
 the Eastern Australian Current
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12. What currents are found within gyres?
Currents Within Gyres
What currents are found within gyres?
Eastern boundary currents –These currents are cold, shallow and broad, and their boundaries are not well defined.
 the Canary Current
 the Benguela Current
 the California Current
 the West Australian Current
 the Peru Current
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13. Effects of Surface Currents on Climate
Currents and Climate
Surface currents distribute tropical heat. The warm ocean currents are shown in red and cold currents in blue.
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14. Subsurface currents Thermohaline changes cause subsurface currents
Ocean is high heat reservoir ( convection movement)
High latitude water is more dense and it sinks
Most movement is horizontal
Middle of ocean ( 18 %) layering, surface is 2 %
Pycnocline Halocline Thermocline
Density Salinity Temperature
Bottom ocean water formation makes up 80 %
At the Weddell Sea in Antarctica
Polar regions are highly saline
Bottom water moves incredibly slow due to intense pressure
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15. Upwelling And Downwelling
Upwelling is the upward motion of bottom water. Winds from shore blow surface waters out to sea.
This motion brings cold, nutrient rich bottom water towards the surface to replace water blown out to sea.
Downwelling is downward motion of water. Winds blow from the sea inland causing an abundance of water at the shore.
It supplies the deeper ocean with dissolved gases.
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16. El Niño An El Niño Year A Non-El Niño Year
In an El Niño year, the trade winds diminish and reverse. Storms over land may increase in these years.
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17. The Temperature-Salinity Diagram
A general temperature-salinity (T-S) diagram.
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The End
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