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Name: __________________________________________ Period: _______________
Ocean Currents and El Nino/La Nina Notes
Ocean Currents
What are they?
A cohesive stream of sea water that _________________________ through the oceans.
There is a ________________________________ system of ocean currents in the world.
What affects Ocean Currents?
_______________________________ affect ocean currents. The uneven heating of the earth affects ocean currents. The Coriolis effect affects ocean currents.
The location of _______________________________ affect ocean currents.
Gulf Stream
An ocean current in the __________________________________ ocean that runs along the South East Coast of the U.S. all the way up to Europe.
Has followed it's course for millenia.
It is a strong ocean current that carries ________________________ water from the tropics to the high latitudes.
Name: __________________________________________ Period: _______________
Ocean Currents and Climate
Ocean currents affect ______________________________ climate.
o Example: Due to the _________________________ Stream current, many places in Europe have a much warmer climate than places in Canada that are at the same latitude.
Surface vs Deep Currents
Surface Currents are
Along the surface of the ocean (the top several hundred meters). Mainly moves water from east or west. ____________________________ affect these the most. Continents and land masses can act as barriers and deflect the currents at
the surface.
Color in the Gulf Stream current with the appropriate colors.
Name: __________________________________________ Period: _______________
Deep Currents are
Along the bottom of the ocean. Mainly moves water from equator to poles. Affected by the density of the water. Temperature and salinity (how salty it is) affect the water's density.
Both are affected by the _____________________________ Effect and move water around the Earth.
Ocean Currents Video
List 2 things you learned from this video:
1. _____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
El Nino and La Nina
El Nino
El Nino refers to the irregular _____________________________ in the sea surface temperatures from the coasts of Peru and Ecuador to the equatorial central Pacific.
El Nino is a __________________________________________ of the ocean-atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
El Nino - When and how long?
Name: __________________________________________ Period: _______________
It has important consequences for ___________________________ around the globe.
This phenomenon is not totally predictable but on average occurs once every four years.
It usually lasts for about 18 months after it begins.
El Nino Effects
El Nino causes _________________________________ rainfall in the southern United States and drier and warmer conditions in the northern states.
El Nino causes ______________________________ in the Western Pacific for places like Australia.
Why does El Nino Happen?
The Trade winds _________________________________ down in the Central and Western Pacific.
The colder water that the trade winds usually bring up stays lower in the ocean.
This makes the sea surface temperatures stay _________________ (warm). El Nino Years: 1902, 1905, 1911, 1914, 1918, 1923, 1925, 1930, 1932, 1939,
1941, 1951, 1953, 1957, 1965, 1969, 1972, 1976, 1982, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2006, 2009-2010
Normal Year Vs. El Nino
Name: __________________________________________ Period: _______________
Effects of El Nino Video:
List 2 things you learned from the El Nino Video:
1. _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
Color this area near the equator red.
Name: __________________________________________ Period: _______________
___________________________________________________________________
La Nina – What is it?
La Niña is characterized by unusually _____________________________ ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific.
La Niña tends to bring nearly _______________________________ effects of El Niño to the United States — wetter and cooler than normal conditions across the north and dryer and warmer than normal conditions across much of the south.
La Niña (Cold) Phases: 1904, 1908, 1910, 1916, 1924, 1928, 1938, 1950, 1955, 1964, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1988, 1998-2000, 2005-2006, 2007-2008, 2010-2011, 2011-12
Why does La Nina happen?
The _____________________________________ winds strengthen in the Central and Western Pacific.
The trade winds bring up ______________________________ cold water.
This makes the sea surface temperatures stay cold.
Name: __________________________________________ Period: _______________
Normal Year Vs. La Nina
When can we notice the effects of El Nino and La Nina?
The impacts of El Niño and La Niña at these latitudes are most clearly seen in
_______________________________________.
Why El Nino?
Color this area near the equator blue.
Name: __________________________________________ Period: _______________
El Niño was originally recognized by ________________________________ off the coast of South America because of unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean, occurring near the beginning of the year.
Warm water mean ____________________ _________________ to catch.
El Niño means The Little Boy or Christ child in Spanish. This name was used for the tendency of the phenomenon to arrive around Christmas.
Why La Nina?
La Niña means The Little ___________________________.
La Niña is sometimes called El Viejo, anti-El Niño, or simply "a cold event" or "a cold episode".
El Nino vs La Nina
Name: __________________________________________ Period: _______________
El Nino and La Nina Years Analysis:
Analyze the data in the chart (red are El Nino years and blue are La Nina years).
Was there an El Nino or La Nina during the year you were born? If so, which one?
___________________________________________________________________
Is there currently a El Nino or La Nina? ___________________________________
The Effect of El Nino/La Nina on Climate Change
DarkBlue
Blue Light Blue
Green Yellow Orange Red
What color is this?What color is this?
Name: __________________________________________ Period: _______________
List 2 things you learned from this video:
1. _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
