OCEAN CURRENTS

SEA LEVEL

Average level of the surface of the ocean measured along a shoreline.

CORIOLIS EFFECT

Causes moving air and water to turn left in the southern hemisphere and turn right in the northern hemisphere due to Earth's rotation.

CALIFORNIA CURRENT

Cool current in the Pacific Ocean near North America

ANTARCTIC CIRCUMPOLAR CURRENT

Current driven by powerful westerly winds north of Antarctica. The largest of all ocean currents, it continues permanently eastward without changing direction

EBB TIDE

Currents that flow away from shore

THERMOHALINE CURRENT

Deep ocean current caused by difference in temperature and salinity between large masses of ocean water.

GYRE

Large, circular surface-current pattern found in each ocean

NORTH ATLANTIC GYRE

Large, clock-wise-flowing subtropical Gyre that exists in the North Atlantic Ocean

NORTH PACIFIC GYRE

Large, clockwise rotating south tropical Gyre of the North Pacific Ocean

SOUTH ATLANTIC GYRE

Large, counterclockwise rotating subtropical Gyre that dominates the South Atlantic Ocean

SOUTH PACIFIC GYRE

Large, counterclockwise subtropical Gyre found below the equator dominating the South Pacific Ocean

OCEAN CURRENT

Masses of ocean water that flow from one place to another.

SALINITY

Measure of the amount of salts dissolved in seawater ( water's saltiness )

FIVE GYRES

North Atlantic Gyre, South Atlantic Gyre, North Pacific Gyre, South Pacific Gyre, Indian Ocean Gyre

ANTARCTIC CURRENT

Ocean current driven by powerful Westerly winds North of Antarctica. Largest of all ocean currents, it continues permanently eastward without changing direction.

SURFACE CURRENTS

Ocean currents on the top of the water that are driven by wind

INDIAN OCEAN GYRE

One of five major oceanic Gyres moving in a counter-clockwise motion within Indian Ocean

TIDES

Regular rise and fall of the ocean's surface influenced by moon's gravity pulling on earth

TIDAL CURRENTS

Rise and fall of tide accompanied by horizontal movement of water

UNDERTOW

Subsurface current that is near shore and that pulls objects out to sea

GLOBAL CONVEYOR BELT

Thermohaline circulation that carries cold saline water from the Arctic Ocean through the deep Atlantic towards the Pacific

CAUSE OF CURRENTS

Tides, Winds, Thermohaline circulation

GULF STREAM

Warm ocean current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico northward through the Atlantic Ocean

ANTARCTIC BOTTOM WATER

Water mass that forms in the Weddell Sea, sinks to the ocean floor, and spreads across the bottom of all oceans

DRIFT CURRENT

Wide and slow moving ocean current caused by winds