Name______Date______Period______

World Ocean Currents

Name of Current / Ocean Basin / Location In Ocean Basin / General Temperature / Flow Direction Relative to the Equator
Gulf Stream
California
Canary
Peru
Brazil
Kuroshio
W. Australia
E. Australia
Benguela
Agulhas

Part A-Current Properties:

  1. Based on your data, what is the relationship between the temperature of the ocean current and the direction of current flow relative to the equator? Explain why this relationship occurs
  1. What is the relatinoship between current temperature and the side of the ocean on which that current flows?

Part B-Northern Hemisphere

  1. Lay a sheet of tracing paper ove rthe surface ocean currents map so that it completely covers the western half of the map. With a sharp penicl trace as much of the map border and equator as possible. Using a colored pencil trace the four arrows showing the flow direction of the North Equatorial current in the Pacific Ocean.

In what compass direction do the arrows point?______

  1. Move the tracing paper to the Prevailing World Winds map and align the map border and the equator. With a different colored pencil trace the 3 arros representing the Northeast Trades in the Pacific Ocean. In what compass direction do these arrows point?( Note that winds are named for the direction from which they blow, not the direction to which they blow)______
  1. Turn your tracing paper so that the arrows for the Northeast Trades are, in general, pointing away from you. Do the arrows for the North Equatorial current point to your left or to your right?______
  1. Based upon your previous answer, what is the general relationship between the ocean current direction and the winds that cause them in the Northern Hemisphere?

Part C-Southern Hemisphere

  1. Once again, align your tracing paper with the surface ocean currents map and trace the two South Equatorial arrows in the Pacific Ocean. In what compass direction do the arrows point?______
  1. Move the tracing paper to the Prevailing World Winds map and trace the four Southeast Trades arrows in the Pacific Ocean. In what compass direction do the arrows point?______
  1. Turn your tracing paper so that the arrows for the Southeast Trades are, in general pointing away from you. Do the arrows for the South Equatorial current point to your left or to your right?______
  1. Based upon your previous answer, what is the general relationship between ocean current direction and the winds that cause them in the Southern Hemisphere?

Analysis and Conclusions

  1. Compare the directions (clockwise or counterclockwise) of the major circulations patterns in the oceans of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
  1. What is the general relationship between current temperature and direction of flow along the east coast of the continents? Along the west coast of the continents?
  1. An ocean fog will occur when moist air blowing from a warm ocean current meets cold air over a cold ocean current. Which Australian coast is most likely to experience such fogs? Explain your answer.
  1. Which current flows around Earth without interruption by land? Where does it flow?