Download Winds and Ocean Surface Currents

Winds and
Ocean Surface
Currents
Is it 9 planets, or 8? Or maybe 11? Any of the statements
may be true; it depends on how you define a planet.
1.  All planets in our solar system receive energy
from the ______________.
Sun
The eleven known planets and dwarf planets
Neptune
Uranus
Mars
Earth
Venus
Mercury
Saturn
Jupiter
Can you name eight planets in order?
Does this help?
My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos.
What is Weather?
_____________
is the condition of the
Weather
atmosphere at a given place and time.
Click here for a weather.com current weather map.
Type in your zip code to see your current weather.
What is Climate?
Climate
________________
is the atmospheric
conditions in an area over a long period of time.
What Are Some Types of Climate?
polar
Three basic types of climate are __________,
________________,
and ________________.
temperate
tropical
POLAR
TEMPERATE
3 BASIC CLIMATE REGIONS
This over simplified way of classifying
climates traces back to ancient times.
TROPICAL
Click here to view images of 10 different climate zones.
2.  It is summer in the Northern Hemisphere when
the direct rays of the Sun strike Earth at the
Tropic of Cancer
______________________.
•  HINT: During the summer solstice (about June 21)
the direct rays of the sun fall on this tropic.
SUMMER for
NORTHERN
HEMISPHERE
WINTER for
NORTHERN
HEMISPHERE
WINTER for
SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE
SUMMER for
SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE
Click here to see a graphic simulation of Earth in orbit.
3.  The ____________________________
is the
greenhouse effect
process by which the atmosphere traps heat.
Is the greenhouse
effect good or bad?
•  How about both?
•  The greenhouse effect of Earth’s
atmosphere helps capture the
solar energy we need to live.
•  Too little greenhouse effect and
the sun’s energy radiates out to
space too fast and we cool off
too much at night. Too much
and we overheat.
•  Earth manages to not
cool off too much, nor
heat up too much.
•  It keeps an energy
balance.
Click here to view a National Geographic animation
on the greenhouse effect and global warming.
A Big Idea
•  Earth gains heat energy from the ________.
Sun
Energy is also lost when it escapes into
_______.
space
Overall, Earth will lose as much energy as it
gets and thus, Earth maintains an energy
balance
_________________.
Think About It
•  Why is it important that this
energy balance be
maintained?
•  What might happen if it got
out of balance?
4.  When the ___________
is blowing, we know
wind
that air is moving from one place to another.
Why We Have
Local Winds
•  The short answer is that winds
are caused by differences in
_______________________.
air pressure
Remember this: L
•  Air pressure will always move
highpressure
from areas of _____
to areas of _____
low pressure.
H
4.  When the ___________
is blowing, we know
wind
that air is moving from one place to another.
Air Pressure Graphic Organizer
•  Think of 3 terms for each arrow.
high pressure
sinking
warm air
cold air
low pressure
rising
4.  When the ___________
is blowing, we know
wind
that air is moving from one place to another.
Air Pressure Graphic Organizer
•  Think of 3 terms for each arrow.
high pressure
sinking
warm air
cold air
low pressure
rising
warm air
rising
low pressure
cold air
sinking
high pressure
4.  When the ___________
is blowing, we know
wind
that air is moving from one place to another.
Breezes
•  Label each circle with an “H” or “L” to indicate the air pressure.
Recall that wind moves from high pressure toward low pressure.
Unequal heating of land and sea causes breezes.
L
H
H
Click here for an animation of land and sea breezes.
L
5. The term ____________________________
air pressure
refers to the weight of the air.
•  Air has weight,
mass, and takes
up space – it is
not empty space.
6. The instrument used to measure air pressure
barometer
is a/an ____________________.
ANALOG
DIGITAL
•  Air pressure is
measured in
pounds per square
inch in the US.
•  It is measured with
the instruments
pictured.
•  Air pressure
decreases with
altitude. That is,
the higher you go,
the less there is.
CLASSIC
MERCURY TYPE
7. When a large amount of warm air meets a
large amount of cool air, an area of unstable
weather called a(n)______________
forms.
front
•  HINT: When the colliding air masses pass
over an area, precipitation often occurs.
Click here for an animation of a cold front and a warm front.
•  The world’s major
areas of air
pressure create
belts of air that
move around the
Earth in the same
direction.
Prevailing winds are ones that blow
8. _________________
in the same direction over large areas of Earth
•  The belts are
caused by the
rising of heated
equatorial air and
the descending of
colder polar air.
•  The way they
interact causes
these large wind
systems.
Click here for an animation
of global winds.
Prevailing winds blow in the same
8. _________________
direction over large areas of Earth
•  Generally, the
prevailing winds
that we experience
in the middle
latitudes are
known as the
______________
prevailing
______________.
westerlies
HIGH LATITUDES
– near poles
LOW LATITUDES
– near equator
Click here for satellite imagery animation
showing westerly movement of weather
systems across the US.
Characteristics of Global Winds
•  Match the traits and write them on the table.
TRAITS
• Near low latitudes
• Middle latitude wind belts
• These winds blow from the
subtropics
• Most common winds in US
• Used to sail from Europe to
America
• They push storms from W to E.
• An area of few winds
• Blow from the NE in N hemis.;
SE in S hemis.
• Warm air rises rather than
blowing E or W
prevailing
westerlies
trade winds
doldrums
Characteristics of Global Winds
•  Match the traits and write them on the table.
TRAITS
• Near low latitudes
• Middle latitude wind belts
• These winds blow from the
subtropics
• Most common winds in US
• Used to sail from Europe to
America
• They push storms from W to E.
• An area of few winds
• Blow from the NE in N hemis.;
SE in S hemis.
• Warm air rises rather than
blowing E or W
prevailing
westerlies
trade winds
doldrums
middle
latitude
wind belts
these winds
blow from the
subtropics
near low
latitudes
most
common
winds in US
used to sail
from Europe
to America
an area of
few winds
they push
storms from
W to E.
blow from the
NE in N
hemis.; SE in
S hemis.
warm air
rises rather
than blowing
E or W
What Causes Ocean Surface Currents?
Ultimately, the Sun is the source of energy that
heats Earth unevenly producing global winds.
Prevailing ______,
wind in turn, drive surface currents.
s
The Sun heats
the Earth
unevenly which
creates winds.
The friction of
the air moving
against the
water creates
surface
currents.
Click here for an animation showing ocean surface currents driven by wind.
9. Warm ocean water from the tropics moves in
currents to colder areas.
giant streams, or __________,
Cold polar water moves to warmer water.
•  Note that warm currents and cold currents are in different
colors. What do you notice about the direction of currents?
9. Warm ocean water from the tropics moves in
currents to colder areas.
giant streams, or __________,
Cold polar water moves to warmer water.
•  Many currents in the N. Hemisphere run clockwise while
many currents in the S. Hemisphere run counter- clockwise.
Click here for an animation of global ocean currents.
Big Idea Revisited
•  Like the air currents, water currents help hot places
from getting too hot and cold places from getting too
cold by moving _________
water from place to place.
What Current Did Ben Franklin Study?
•  Ben Franklin studied and charted this current, giving it the
name by which it is known by today – the Gulf Stream.
Compare his 1770 map to NASA’s satellite image.
How Does the Gulf Stream Affect Climate?
•  The Gulf Stream has a great effect on the climate of
the east coast of the US as well as the climate of
much of Western Europe.
WESTERN
EUROPE
10. The Gulf Stream is a (warm, cool) ocean
current.
warm water past the east coast of the US
•  It brings ________
and moves it all the way to _____________________.
Western Europe
•  It affects the climate of
the US East Coast by
making
___________________
winters milder/
__________________.
warmer
•  Name
a cold ocean
current on this map.
Labrador
___________________
Current,
or
__________________.
Current
• Canary
Other effects?
Extra for Experts: Click here for an
in-depth narrated animated lesson
on surface and deepwater
currents and their effects.
The End