Ocean Currets: What drives them

[crzykllrghst]

Hey everyone, I'm really into meteorology and oceanograhy, and one question thats pluged me lately was ocean currents. I dont know how they were formed of what keeps them moving. Any input or links would be greatly appreciated

[ecoli]

The wind drives currents. If you take a look at a map of the winds, you'll see there in exactly the spots over ocean currents.

 

What drives the wind...Air pressure differences, as a result of solar insolation.

 

You should check out the National Oceanographic and Atmospherica Administration's website, http://www.noaa.gov for more info.

[crzykllrghst]

The wind drives currents. If you take a look at a map of the winds' date=' you'll see there in exactly the spots over ocean currents.

 

What drives the wind...Air pressure differences, as a result of solar insolation.

 

You should check out the National Oceanographic and Atmospherica Administration's website, http://www.noaa.gov for more info.[/quote']thank you for the input, but what bugs me is i heard that earths rotation had something to do with the currents. is that a myth or is ther some truth there

[ecoli]

Nope, you right. It's called the Coriolis affect. It's reponsible for the deflection of the winds, and currents. read more

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/fw/crls.rxml

[crzykllrghst]

Nope' date=' you right. It's called the Coriolis affect. It's reponsible for the deflection of the winds, and currents. read more

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/fw/crls.rxml[/quote']

wind deflection

[ecoli]

It's becasue the earth is rotating... excellent site, check out the animations, they should help...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect

[ecoli]

The earth rotates, but, the winds are still travelling straight (velocity moves tangent to an object in rotation) The wind has an apperent deflection to the right in the northern hemisphere, to the left in the southern hemisphere

[crzykllrghst]

The earth rotates, but, the winds are still travelling straight (velocity moves tangent to an object in rotation) The wind has an apperent deflection to the right in the northern hemisphere, to the left in the southern hemisphere

That is a good site thank you

[ed84c]

Not always.

 

Salinaty is the reason that we have a gulf stream, and hence the reason why melting non saline ice caps, would cause a problem.

[ecoli]

Oh right, the gulf slipped my mind...

 

The majority of currents are caused by winds, right?

[Aardvark]

Oh right' date=' the gulf slipped my mind...

 

The majority of currents are caused by winds, right?[/quote']

 

Convection cells caused by heat differences drive the deep oceanic currents.

[crzykllrghst]

Convection cells caused by heat differences drive the deep oceanic currents.

Like a boiling pot of water? cooler water from the surface "sinks" and the warmer water rises to the top, the water at the top cools and sinks again, and now you have a convection current. but that wouldn't work can someone explain how convection currents could exsit in the oceans

[crzykllrghst]

Not always.

 

Salinaty is the reason that we have a gulf stream' date=' and hence the reason why melting non saline ice caps, would cause a problem.[/quote']

Can you explain why the gulf stream is different

Salinaty?????

[Dave]

Salinaty measures the concentration of salt that you find in the water. The salinaty of the water affects the density, and due to the fluid dynamics you get faster moving streams of water.

[crzykllrghst]

Salinaty measures the concentration of salt that you find in the water. The salinaty of the water affects the density, and due to the fluid dynamics you get faster moving streams of water.

Much clearer thank you

[Ophiolite]

`Here is a summary of what’s been said, with a couple of extra points thrown in. Ocean currents are driven by two factors:

1. Winds

2. Density contrasts (related to temperature and salinity)

They are modified by the Coriolis force.

 

There are surface currents and deep currents. Lets look at the surface currents first.

 

These are driven primarily by wind. They form five major circulating systems called gyres. There are two in the Atlantic (North and South), the Pacific (North and South) and one in the Indian Ocean. They rotate clockwise in the Northern hemisphere and anti-clockwise in the Southern, driven by the prevailing winds. (The Indian Ocean current is unusual in that it reverses direction from summer to winter under the influence of the monsoon.) They carry warm waters from the equatorial regions towards high latititudes and cold water back towards the equator. They rarely run any deeper than about 100m, so they effect only a small volume of the total ocean.

 

The deep currents replace the waters of the deep oceans over a time scale of hundreds of years. They are driven primarily by density contrasts. The most important of these begins between Scotland and Greenland, where the descending cold waters of the North Atlantic Drift (the extension of the Gulf Stream) begin moving south down the Atlantic. They join the deep Antarctic circumpolar current that runs clockwise around that continent, before turning north in the Pacific and heading for the Aleutians, between Asia and North America. Here they surface and become part of the surface circulation pattern.

[crzykllrghst]

`Here is a summary of what’s been said' date=' with a couple of extra points thrown in. Ocean currents are driven by two factors:

1. Winds

2. Density contrasts (related to temperature and salinity)

They are modified by the Coriolis force.

 

There are surface currents and deep currents. Lets look at the surface currents first.

 

These are driven primarily by wind. They form five major circulating systems called gyres. There are two in the Atlantic (North and South), the Pacific (North and South) and one in the Indian Ocean. They rotate clockwise in the Northern hemisphere and anti-clockwise in the Southern, driven by the prevailing winds. (The Indian Ocean current is unusual in that it reverses direction from summer to winter under the influence of the monsoon.) They carry warm waters from the equatorial regions towards high latititudes and cold water back towards the equator. They rarely run any deeper than about 100m, so they effect only a small volume of the total ocean.

 

The deep currents replace the waters of the deep oceans over a time scale of hundreds of years. They are driven primarily by density contrasts. The most important of these begins between Scotland and Greenland, where the descending cold waters of the North Atlantic Drift (the extension of the Gulf Stream) begin moving south down the Atlantic. They join the deep Antarctic circumpolar current that runs clockwise around that continent, before turning north in the Pacific and heading for the Aleutians, between Asia and North America. Here they surface and become part of the surface circulation pattern.[/quote']My god you are smart you must have a PHd or something