5.02 Ocean Currents PART 11. Describe four factors that influence ocean currents.The four factors that influence ocean currents include earths rotation and wind, salinity and temperature differences, solar heating and sea floor topography. The progression of water sinking, rising and flowing is accountable for transporting heat all over the globe and affecting climate and weather in almost every place on the planet. Wind is by far the greatest factor in the production of surface currents. Strong winds that move along a body of water also move the water on the surface of that body of water. Another significant factor in the production of currents is water density. Water density is caused by the quantity of salt in water and its relative temperature. Water with a high salinity rate or a colder temperature will be denser and more likely to sink. The water that sinks pushes the water underneath it upwards. The accompaniment of sinking and rising of water in the same geographic area causes a current. Water responds to the topography of the ocean floor. If the ocean floor happens to include a valley or trench, then in response, the moving water will move downward. If there is a rise in the ocean floor, then the water moving along it will be forced upward. This upward or downward change in direction results in the displacement of water which creates a current. Naturally, the Earth's rotation creates two currents: a clockwise movement of water (Northern Hemisphere) and a counter-clockwise movement of water (Southern Hemisphere). When these currents are refracted by land, they create ocean currents.2. Explain how the Coriolis Effect impacts ocean currents.The Coriolis Effect is the obvious change in the direction of wind as a result of the Earths spin. The Coriolis Effect mainly controls wind direction. This control, in turn, influences ocean currents at the surface because as aforementioned, wind is a major influence on ocean water. 3. What is the relationship between ocean currents and climate?Ocean temperatures aid in regulating atmospheric temperatures and atmospheric temperatures aid in regulating ocean temperatures. Global warming affects oceans. As the temperatures globally become warmer, often tropical storms are intensified and more frequent. In addition, as the ice melts on Earth, the rising sea levels as a response will impact the coastal regions. These impacts will, overtime, affect the land surfaces. 4. What is upwelling and why is it important to the marine ecosystem?Upwelling simply brings nutrients from deep water up to shallow water. However, it plays a critical role in balancing the energy between the ocean and the Earth. In tropical regions, upwelling permits the buildup of heat that is later transported to higher latitudes by major currents. Upwelling also strongly facilitates the interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere by inducing a phenomenon such as El Nio. Regardless of where upwelling occurs, an increase in biological productivity will occur. Generally, high nutrient concentrations that are found in deeper waters are upwelled into the photic layer where photosynthesis is stimulated. This increase in primary productivity affects the entire food chain in a positive manner.5. Explain the relationship density has on wind currents and ocean currents.Density currents are pulled to the ocean bottom by the force of gravity. Water density is mainly affected by temperature and salinity therefore water that is cold or high in salt content will sink to the bottom. Moreover, the atmosphere also influences ocean circulation. The movement of wind induces currents across the ocean surfaces. In coastal areas, upwelling occurs where colder water rises and it carries to the surface the decayed organisms from the ocean floor that act as nutrients. These organisms are a food source for ocean life, resulting in excellent conditions for fishing in some of these coastal areas. 6. Which factor in creating currents has the greatest influence on weather patterns?Heat capacity is has the greatest influence on weather patterns. The oceans are in a sense, responsible for influencing the world's climate because they store enormous quantities of solar energy and distribute that energy around the world via atmospheric winds and currents.

PART 21. Location: Morro Bay, California; United States, North America; Pacific Coast 2. Climate: January temperatures: 62 F and 42 F; July temperatures: 65 F and 52 F; Climate type: Mediterranean: dry summers, rain during the winter3. Ocean: Pacific Ocean; The major current is the California Current; flows southward from British Columbia. Its temperature is usually around 60 F which keeps the central coast of California cool year-round.