More specifically, ocean currents influence the temperature of the regions through which they travel. Stronger tropical currents could carry more warm water to higher latitudes, for example. On the other hand, as you go towards the poles, the suns rays are slanted and the temperature gets colder. An ocean current has a well defined path and momentum formed by the combined effect of Earth's rotation, pressure gradient and wind speed. 2. The ocean currents are only carrying out their natural function in the ocean and everything around it. Some of the most important impacts of the Coriolis effect in terms of geography are the deflection of winds and currents in the ocean. Currents influence the climate of the costal regions. They way the ocean currents affect the coastline depends on the … They contribute to the power of the ocean storm that carries the ocean water with them through strong winds. Relative sea level change is a measure of how the ocean height has changed in comparison to a point on land. The movement of this heat through global ocean currents affects the regional weather conditions and stabilizes the global climate patterns. 9. It is the displaced water that affects the air, by warming or cooling it, thereby transferring the same effect to the land surface over which it blows. Their average temperatures are relatively low with narrow diurnal and annual ranges. Direct ocean current measurements are hard to come by, so satellite data is the best way to get a global picture of ocean circulation changes. Well, you might have heard so many names like Kuroshio current, Oyashio current, Peru current etc. Which of the following currents goes all the way around the world without being interrupted by land? Reportedly, the coastline experience a major change of structure for each year. In short, they constitute a large mass of water flowing along a fixed path on the surface of the ocean. Such winds bring down the temperature of the land like the kuroshio (warm) current, which flows along the east coast of Japan. Global warming is speeding up Earth’s massive ocean currents. The melting of the Arctic sea ice therefore has the potential to disrupt or slow down the Global Ocean Conveyor. Such areas have been gazetted as wildlife conservation sites e.g. #IQRADegreeCollegeOfficialBSc-I-Geography || Effects Of Ocean Currents Stronger ocean currents can also enter the mainland and destroy more structures. Water in the Polar Regions is cold and heavy, so it sinks and flows towards the equator. The ocean has a series of moving sea water that are called as ocean currents. The global ocean is a key factor in the storage and transfer of heat energy across our planet. An ocean current flows for great distances and together they create the global conveyor belt, which plays a dominant role in determining the climate of many of Earth ’s regions. Some of the documents below include questions like How Does the Coriolis Effect Affect Ocean Currents, Describe how global winds are produced and explain the Coriolis Effect and the influence it has on global winds, State what phenomenon causes the Coriolis Effect, … Once you find your document(s), you can either click on the pop-out icon or download button to print or download your … Cold ocean currents are large masses of cold water that move towards the equator, from a level of high altitude to lower levels. To understand the effects of winds on ocean currents, one first needs to understand the Coriolis force and the Ekman spiral. Although ice is important to the ocean and the climate of the world, too much of it can be a bad thing too. They have developed into major fishing grounds of the world. Disclaimer What people can do best is to let nature take its course. Warm ocean currents bring rain to coastal areas and even interiors. Names, direction, nature....and what not! Namib Desert. (b) Differences in temperature and salinity are also responsible for the movement of ocean water. The nutrients feed many aquatic creatures. The currents in the ocean affect the climate in the world. Storm surges are when ocean waters rise up above the usual level. The light upper layers of water are forced to move towards the Poles where they get cooled. Currently the ocean currents carry warmth from the tropics up to … Thus, it keeps the climate cooler around the area. The ocean currents can create storms, affect temperature and most importantly affect the coastline all over the world. The Atacama desert in South America is influenced by the cold Peru current. There is fog, but generally, the areas are arid. Altered ocean circulation patterns may affect the transport of eggs and larvae within and among coral reefs and other Great Barrier Reef habitats. Persistently rising temperatures are having a cavalcade of effects on marine life. The water that keeps moving away and into the beach creates the changes. Ocean currents have the following effects: I. This process explains why the ocean is colder on the east coast than the west coast. II. Sea level is measured in two ways: relative and absolute. The currents in the ocean can bring in warm or cool temperature to the coastline. There have been some reports about lighthouses being torn down due to ocean currents. The current flow influenced by salinity, wind, topography and earth’s rotation brings cold water from the depths to the surface by pushing away the surface water. The topography and shape of ocean basins and nearby landmasses also influence ocean currents. Therefore, it will experience the temperature effect that ocean currents can cause. The overall climate of the area near the coastline will be affected. The impacts of changes in ocean currents on humanity could be severe, as currents play a major role in maintaining Earth’s climate. Besides gravity, the most important forces that cause and affect ocean currents are horizontal pressure-gradient forces, Coriolis forces, and frictional forces. The Dangers of Polluting The Sea Against Marine... 5 Examples of Hydrological Natural Disasters that You... 6 Factors Affecting Air Temperature and The Explanation, Causes of Typhoon Hagibis and The Impacts of Mitigation Methods, Sand Boil Phenomenon Explanation and How to Overcome, Characteristics of Freshwater Swamp Forests – Functions – Distributions. Cold ocean currents have a direct effect on desert formation in west coast regions of the tropical and subtropical continents. If global warming results in increased rainfall in the North Atlantic, and the melting of glaciers and sea ice, the influx of warm freshwater onto the sea surface could block the formation of sea ice, disrupting the sinking of cold, salty water. Winds cause water to pile up in some places and form low places in others, which in turn affects water movement. Surface ocean currents can occur on local and global scales and are typically wind-driven, resulting in both horizontal and vertical water movement. 3.20). Ships moving against a current lose speed. Winds blowing over a cold and dry. Changes in sea level can be measured in a number of ways. One way that the world’s ocean affects weather and climate is by playing an important role in keeping our planet warm. All the articles you read in this site are contributed by users like you, with a single vision to liberate knowledge. The currents keep eroding away some parts of the sediments, making the foundation of the light house too weak to put it up. 5. Climate change may in part be spurring the acceleration, which could change how heat and nutrients are pushed around the oceans Effects of Ocean Currents. Changes to ocean currents have the potential to affect entire marine food webs, from microscopic organisms, corals and sponges to top predators such as sharks. A ship passing through a current experiences the momentum of that current itself. The ocean currents can create storms, affect temperature and most importantly affect the coastline all over the world. Like the planetary winds, currents too are deflected from their original path due to the rotation of the Earth. These are called ocean currents. TOS Oceans have a tremendous impact on the nation’s economy: Industries include: fishing & boating, tourism & recreation, ocean transport and more! Example: Summer Rainfall in British Type climate. The whole process helps the fishing industries to catch more fish around the region. PreserveArticles.com is a free service that lets you to preserve your original articles for eternity. Since ocean currents are full of moving sea water, they are able to transport many things around the world. There could be more big storms or droughts. See also: Impact of Ocean Currents The economic activities and industries will receive the negative impacts too. Thus, the wind that reaches the land brings down the temperature and causes heavy rainfall. As most cold currents flow along the western coast of continents, some of the major deserts are found in such regions. Coriolis effect shape of the ocean basins wind. Rains Movement from the water takes away sands but it also brings more back to the beaches. There is not a lot that people can do to lessen or eliminate the effects of ocean currents on coastline. Those currents are able to create ocean storms around the world. Cold ocean currents have a direct effect on desert formation in west coast regions of the tropical and subtropical continents. Term of Use | Privacy Policy | Adchoices | Disclaimer | Contacts us, 13 Effects of Ocean Currents on Coastline, Geological Characteristics of Mid Ocean Ridges, Characteristic of Drought Season and Countries Experiencing It. So, the ocean currents continuously cause a change in the shape of the coastline. Due to the increase water level, they move inland and flood everything they come into contact with. Ocean currents move … Such winds are bereft of any moisture and bring little or no rainfall over the coastal regions where they blow. There are many effects of ocean current,some of them are. b) The arid or desert conditions have promoted tourism. Deep ocean currents of fresh water from glacial melt change the salinity and density of sea water in ways that effect the regional thermodynamic fluid flow. 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