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What are two primary forces behind ocean currents?

Asked by: Darshan Vardasca

asked in category: General Last Updated: 10th March, 2020

What are two primary forces behind ocean currents?

Besides gravity, the most important forces that cause and affect ocean currents are horizontal pressure-gradient forces, Coriolis forces, and frictional forces.

Also to know is, what are the 2 types of ocean currents?

There are two type of Ocean Currents:

  • Surface Currents–Surface Circulation.
  • Deep Water Currents–Thermohaline Circulation.
  • Primary Forces–start the water moving.
  • The primary forces are:
  • Secondary Forces–influence where the currents flow.
  • Solar heating cause water to expand.

what is the primary reason for the circulation of deep ocean currents? These deep ocean currents are mostly driven by the differences in the density of the water which is caused by the temperature and salinity of the water. This process due to thermal (temperature) and haline (salinity) is known as thermohaline circulation.

Subsequently, question is, what is the primary driver of ocean currents?

Wind is the primary driving force of surface currents. The Coriolis effect deflects the currents to the right (Northern Hemisphere) or left (Southern Hemisphere) of their path of motion (the prevailing wind direction).

What are the three main factors driving ocean currents?

Oceanic currents are driven by three main factors:

  • The rise and fall of the tides. Tides create a current in the oceans, which are strongest near the shore, and in bays and estuaries along the coast.
  • Wind. Winds drive currents that are at or near the ocean’s surface.
  • Thermohaline circulation.
36 Related Question Answers Found

What is the ocean currents called?

Thermohaline circulation is also known as the ocean’s conveyor belt (which refers to deep ocean density-driven ocean basin currents). These currents, called submarine rivers, flow under the surface of the ocean and are hidden from immediate detection.

How fast do ocean currents move?

The velocity of the current is fastest near the surface, with the maximum speed typically about 5.6 miles per hour (nine kilometers per hour). The average speed of the Gulf Stream, however, is four miles per hour (6.4 kilometers per hour).

What causes upwelling?

Upwelling occurs when winds blowing across the ocean surface push water away from an area and subsurface water rises up to replace the diverging surface water. Major upwelling areas along the world’s coasts are highlighted in red.

Is upwelling good or bad?

Explanation: Deep ocean water is more nutrient-rich than surface water simply because things (nutrients, plankton carcasses, fish carcasses) in the ocean sink. Upwelling brings those lost/sunk nutrients back to the surface, which creates “blooms” of algae and zooplankton, which feed on those nutrients.

Are deep ocean currents cold or warm?

Deep ocean currents (also known as Thermohaline Circulation) are caused by: The density of sea water varies globally due to differences in temperature and salinity. Surface water is heated by the sun, and warm water is less dense than cold water. Similarly, fresh water is less dense than salty water.

How do currents work?

Ocean currents are driven by a range of sources: the wind, tides, changes in water density, and the rotation of the Earth. The topography of the ocean floor and the shoreline modifies those motions, causing currents to speed up, slow down, or change direction.

What is Ekman flow?

Ekman transport is the net motion of fluid as the result of a balance between Coriolis and turbulent drag forces. In the picture above, the wind blowing North creates a surface stress and a resulting Ekman spiral is found below it in the water column.

How deep do ocean currents go?

Ocean currents are located at the ocean surface and in deep water below 300 meters (984 feet). They can move water horizontally and vertically and occur on both local and global scales.

What are the 5 major ocean currents?

There are five major ocean-wide gyres—the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, and Indian Ocean gyres. Each is flanked by a strong and narrow “western boundary current,” and a weak and broad “eastern boundary current” (Ross, 1995).

How do ocean currents form?

Ocean currents can be caused by wind, density differences in water masses caused by temperature and salinity variations, gravity, and events such as earthquakes or storms. These currents move water masses through the deep ocean—taking nutrients, oxygen, and heat with them.

How do currents change?

The density of water can easily be altered by changing its temperature (cold water is more dense) or by changing the amount of dissolved substances such as salt in the water (salt water is more dense). Ocean water that is denser will sink, setting up the motion that drives deep ocean currents.

What are warm ocean currents?

Ocean currents are divided on the basis of temperature into warm currents and cold currents. Those currents that flow from the Equator towards the poles are warmer than the surrounding water and so they are called warm currents.

How many types of ocean currents are there?

There are two types of currents, surface currents and deep water currents, that dictate how and where water will move.

What are the effects of ocean currents?

Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus, ocean currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface.

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