Key Idea.
Section 1
Prevailing Winds Drive Ocean Currents
The ocean surface is constantly pushed by the atmosphere. Prevailing winds, which blow consistently in specific directions, drag the water along with them.
This friction transfers kinetic energy from the wind to the water, creating a surface ocean current. Therefore, the map of global ocean currents looks very similar to the map of global wind patterns.
Section 2
Continents Redirect Ocean Currents
Currents cannot flow in a straight line forever; they are bounded by land. Continents act as massive physical barriers to the flow of water.
When a current hits a coastline, it is forced to turn. This deflection redirects the water, often sending it north or south along the coast. This interaction between moving water and solid land determines the final shape of the current's path.
Section 3
Consistent Winds Form Ocean Gyres
The combination of steady global wind patterns and continental barriers creates large-scale circular flow patterns. These massive, rotating systems are called ocean gyres.
Gyres dominate the world's oceans, circulating water—and the thermal energy it holds—around the globe. They are the stable, predictable result of the atmosphere driving the hydrosphere.
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Section 1
Prevailing Winds Drive Ocean Currents
The ocean surface is constantly pushed by the atmosphere. Prevailing winds, which blow consistently in specific directions, drag the water along with them.
This friction transfers kinetic energy from the wind to the water, creating a surface ocean current. Therefore, the map of global ocean currents looks very similar to the map of global wind patterns.
Section 2
Continents Redirect Ocean Currents
Currents cannot flow in a straight line forever; they are bounded by land. Continents act as massive physical barriers to the flow of water.
When a current hits a coastline, it is forced to turn. This deflection redirects the water, often sending it north or south along the coast. This interaction between moving water and solid land determines the final shape of the current's path.
Section 3
Consistent Winds Form Ocean Gyres
The combination of steady global wind patterns and continental barriers creates large-scale circular flow patterns. These massive, rotating systems are called ocean gyres.
Gyres dominate the world's oceans, circulating water—and the thermal energy it holds—around the globe. They are the stable, predictable result of the atmosphere driving the hydrosphere.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter