Study Guide - Atmospheric and Oceanic currents and Coriolis Effect

sinks

Cold water _______ (More dense water)

Convection currents occur when ________________ energy transfers between two parts of a fluid

Heat

Convection Current

Heat energy that is transferred between two parts of a fluid of different temperatures is known as a __________ _________

Air sinking toward the Earth's surface causes a

High pressure area

Wind flows from

High pressure to low pressure

Unequal Heating

What drive the force of convection currents?

two things that impact weather patterns and climate conditions

1) rotation of Earth on its axis 2) differences in the heating of the earth

surface currents

A streamlike movement of water that occurs at or near the surface of the ocean.

Gulf Stream

A well-known ocean current that carries warm water up the coast of North America and then sweeps across the Atlantic toward Europe.

ocean current

An ocean current is the continuous flow of water.

_________ heats the air directly above the earth.

Conduction

Wind is created when

Cool air moves in to replace warm air

When air moves into the upper atmosphere it becomes

Cool and heavy

Heat flow in the oceans and the atmosphere is

Cool flows down - warm flows up

clockwise

Currents and winds in the northern hemisphere turn in this direction.

counterclockwise

Currents and winds in the southern hemisphere turn in this direction.

Regional Climates

Global convection currents help create climates by spreading heat and cool air through certain areas. For example, in the summer, global convection currents bring cool winds to help redistribute heat. When air at the equator heats up, it rises and cool air takes its place, causing the area to cool. The warm air slowly rises and then cools, which causes it to sink back down and slowly warm back up again.

how do global winds affect our weather

Global winds blow heat and moisture around the earth. Weather usually travels in the direction of the global wind for that latitude.

Convection Current

Global winds,Local breezes, Cyclones,Thunderstorms are examples of what _______ ________ can cause.

Review the lab about density mixing warm and cold water

INB

Review the lab that showed how convection currents moved

INB

When air is heated it becomes

Less dense

Convection currents in the Earth's mantle are cause by

Less dense hot magma moving upward.

Ocean currents are created by

Less dense warm water rising and more dense cold water sinking

Air rising above the Earth's surface causes a

Low pressure area

land breeze

Occurs at night The land is cooler than the water. A breeze flows from the land toward the water.

sea breeze

Occurs during the day The ocean is cooler than the land. A breeze flows from the water toward the land.

Unequal Heating

The Sun's rays are most intensely directed at the equator and not at the poles. Because of this, the poles are cooler than the equator. Without unequal heating, wind and global convection currents wouldn't be created.Unequal heating causes patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation.

Coriolis effect

The effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents. Because the Earth rotates on its axis, circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

wind

The movement of air from an area of high pressure (H) to an area of low pressure (L).

What is the driving force of currents in the oceans and atmosphere?

Unequal heating of the Earth by the Sun

rises

Warm water________(less dense water)

How does convection create wind

When hot air rises, it leaves behind an area of low pressure (since air molecules leave). When that air cools and sinks, it packs molecules together and creates a high-pressure area. Since molecules like to spread out, the air moves from the high-pressure to the low-pressure area as the wind over the surface of the Earth.

________ is created by unequal heating of the Earth's surface.

Wind

global winds

Wind belts that travel across the world due to unequal heating of Earth's surface.

local winds

Winds that blow over short distances caused by unequal heating of Earth's surface within a small area

High

______ ​pressure​=warm air=less dense air=rises above surface of the Earth

Low

_______ ​pressure​=cool air=dense air=sinks to the surface of the Earth

Trade Winds

blow from east to west in the tropical region (near the equator)

Prevailing Westerlies

blow from west to east in the temperate region

ocean currents

circulate warm and cold water and influence the weather and climates of the landmasses nearby

Land and Sea breezes

local convection currents that occur in areas near water because of the unequal heating of Earth materials

Polar Easterlies

move cold polar air in the polar region zone from the poles toward the west

Coriolis effect

the influence of the Earth's rotations on ocean currents Currents flow clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

convection

the process by which heat energy is transferred between two parts of a liquid or gas of different temperatures warm air/water rises cold air/water sinks

global winds

winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances