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Simulation of Ocean Surface Currents

Simulation of Ocean Surface Currents. Focus Questions. What causes ocean surface currents? What factors other than winds influence ocean surface currents? What do ocean circulation patterns effect?. Bellringer.

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Simulation of Ocean Surface Currents

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  1. Simulation of Ocean Surface Currents

  2. Focus Questions • What causes ocean surface currents? • What factors other than winds influence ocean surface currents? • What do ocean circulation patterns effect?

  3. Bellringer Do you think the water from one ocean, such as the Atlantic, flows into another ocean, such as the Indian Ocean? Why or why not?

  4. Procedures • Fill the pan about half full of water. • Sprinkle pepper or glitter on the water. • From opposite corners of the pan, use the straws to gently blow across the water’s surface. • Sketch the path of the pepper/glitter during the “blowing” of the wind. • STOP

  5. Procedures Cont. • Place a rock or similar object in the water so that it is only partially submerged. • Make a prediction about what effect this “landmass” will have on the current. Write your prediction down. • Blow through the straws from the same direction as before, and observe the moving pepper/glitter. • Sketch the path.

  6. Procedures Cont. • Add another partially submerged object and repeat the steps you just did (predict, blow, sketch) • Reflect on the lab: Write down your thoughts in your journal. What did you learn? How did you learn it? What did you conclude?

  7. PREDICT Use the map to predict the direction of flow for major ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean. Write your prediction in your journal.

  8. COMPARE Using the map of actual ocean surface currents, compare your expectation with the actual ocean surface current. Write your thoughts in your journal.

  9. Wrap-Up • What force did blowing through the straw imitate? • What causes wind? • What did objects placed in the water represent? • Why was pepper/glitter needed in this simulation? • Did the pepper/glitter move in the path you expected?

  10. Wrap-Up Cont. • When you compared the global wind patterns with the ocean surface currents, was it a perfect match? Explain. • What factors other than winds influence ocean surface currents? • Did the simulated surface current affect the particles on the bottom?

  11. Websites • http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/nino/global.html • http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/oceanography_currents_1.html

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