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Ocean Currents LAB #7

Ocean Currents LAB #7. Science 6 Oceans. What is a Current?. A current is a continuous flow of water in a given direction A current is like a river in the ocean. Causes of Surface Currents. Three things cause surface currents: Wind 2. Continents

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Ocean Currents LAB #7

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  1. Ocean CurrentsLAB #7 Science 6 Oceans

  2. What is a Current? A current is a continuous flow of water in a given direction A current is like a river in the ocean

  3. Causes of Surface Currents Three things cause surface currents: • Wind 2. Continents 3. Rotation of the Earth, also known as the Coriolis Effect

  4. Heating of the Earth’s Surface Explain how this causes winds.

  5. Prevailing Winds Fig. 16.14, p.407

  6. Lab #7 Surface Currents • Jobs • Materials – get bins from supply tables • Recorder (straw)– be certain everyone in the group is recording the information • Encourager (cinnamon)– be certain everyone participates and understands the information • Time Keeper (sand)– keep group focused on task and on time

  7. Surface Ocean Currents • We know that surface ocean currents are caused by _____________________. • The plate of water you have represents the ocean. • The “cinnamon” person sprinkles a small amount of cinnamon (4 or 5 shakes) on the water. • What happens to the cinnamon?

  8. Surface Ocean Currents - Wind • The “straw” person blows very gently through the straw onto the water surface. • Place straw on edge of plate at low angle • What do you observe? • What did your winds cause? • Did direction of the wind have an effect?

  9. Depth of Surface Ocean Currents • The “sand” person sprinkles the sand over the water. • The “straw” person needs to blow gently over the surface of the water. • What happens to the cinnamon and the sand? • What does this suggest to you about the depth of surface currents?

  10. Clean Your Plate • Watch the demonstration, then… • Carefully pour water into the tub and dry off plates.

  11. Is there only water on Earth? Fig. 16-1, p.378

  12. Land Masses Create Currents • What happens to ocean currents when they run into continents? • Listen for directions….

  13. Land Masses Create Currents • With the clay make landforms such as islands, reefs, and small continents and place them on your plate. • On LAB #7 Part A, draw the landforms you created in your ocean.

  14. Land Masses Create Currents • Sprinkle the surface of the water with cinnamon. • One person blows gently. Watch the direction the cinnamon flows. • Place an X on your activity sheet from where the wind originated and use arrows to draw the direction of the currents.

  15. Share your results!

  16. Clean Up • Pour water in tub and dry off plate. • Materials: return bins to supply table • All: wipe up table • Return to seats and put LAB #7 in binder • Next: • Cause - Effect Chart for Currents

  17. LAB #7: The Coriolis Effect • Observe the currents on the next slide. • What do you see occurring? • Look at the direction of the gyres in each hemisphere.

  18. Ocean Currents of the World Fig. 16-12, p.384

  19. The Coriolis Effect • Locate the North Pole and the Equator on the Northern Hemisphere diagram. • You are looking down onto the Earth from above the North Pole. • On the arrows label west W and east E

  20. The Coriolis Effect • One student holds plate • Another student turns the plate in a counterclockwise motion. • A third student draws a line from the North Pole to the Equator. • A fourth student draws a line from the Equator to the North Pole

  21. The Coriolis Effect • Are the lines straight? • Why not? • If this line was an ocean current, which direction would it flow in the Northern Hemisphere? • clockwise

  22. The Coriolis Effect • Locate the South Pole and the Equator on the Southern Hemisphere diagram. • You are looking down onto the Earth from above the South Pole. • On each end of the arrows label west W and east E

  23. The Coriolis Effect • One student holds plate • Another student turns the plate in a clockwise motion. • A third student draws a line from the South Pole to the Equator. • A fourth student draws a line from the Equator to the South Pole

  24. The Coriolis Effect • Are the lines straight? • Why not? • If this line was an ocean current, which direction would it flow in the Southern Hemisphere? • counterclockwise

  25. The water of the ocean surface moves in a regular pattern called surface ocean currents. The currents are named. In this map, warm currents are shown in red and cold currents are shown in blue.

  26. Clean Up • Materials - return bins • All - clean off tables • Return to seats

  27. Fig. 16-12, p.384

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