Ocean Currents and gyres

What is the term for the one world ocean and its subdivisions?

There is one world ocean and five ocean basins.

At what latitude does the Southern Ocean have a boundary?

60 degrees South latitude.

What is the significance of 0 degree longitude?

It is called the prime meridian.

What natural bodies affect tides on Earth?

The Moon and Sun.

What type of tide is created when the Sun and Moon are on the same side?

A spring tide.

Describe the effect when the Sun and Moon are at 90 degrees to each other.

It creates a neat tide where the high is lower and the low tide is a little bit higher.

What causes ocean currents?

A flow of ocean water caused by global winds, the Coriolis effect, placement on land, gravitational pull of the Moon, Earth, and Sun, and density differences.

What defines a surface current?

A stream of flowing water in the top 100-400 meters of the Ocean caused by wind.

What is the Coriolis effect?

The effect of a rotating body on the fluids that flow over its surface.

How did the ocean initially form according to volcanic outgassing?

Volcanic outgassing released oxygen and hydrogen that created water vapor, which then condensed.

What role did comets and asteroids play in the formation of Earth’s oceans?

They had ice that melted upon impact with Earth.

What event led to the creation of the Moon?

Theia crashed into the Earth, causing a chunk to be blown out.

Why did the oceans become salty?

The breakdown of rocks released a little bit of salt into the oceans.

What are the chemical components that create halite?

Sodium (NA) and Chlorine (CL).

What is the Angle of Insolation?

The angle at which the sun rays strike a location on Earth.

What defines a gyre in oceanography?

A large system of rotating ocean currents.

Which direction do gyres rotate in the Northern Hemisphere?

Clockwise.

In which direction do gyres commonly rotate in the Southern Hemisphere?

Counterclockwise.

What is the temperature distribution in gyres?

Warm water is usually on the west side and cold water on the east side.

How much water do ocean currents control on Earth?

Ocean currents control 10% of water; deep ocean currents control 90%.

What is the effect of wind on surface water?

Wind drags the top levels of water down to 400 m to move with the wind.

What do currents do to the Earth's water?

They redistribute water all over the world.