Ocean Currents and Our Weather

How do factors impact our Earth's weather patterns?

Introduction

Task

Process

Resources

Conclusion

Evaluation

Introduction

Ocean water and ocean currents have a major effect on climate. The ocean acts as a heat reservoir, storing and releasing heat.  Ocean currents flow like rivers to move colder or warmer water to different places in the ocean. The Gulf Stream, one of the strongest ocean currents, moves warm water from the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic Ocean. 

Air temperature is affected  by a region's proximity to a large body of water. Suppose you are appointed to become a member of a task force to report the influence of the ocean, ocean currents, and the Gulf Stream on the weather of Charleston, South Carolina.  You will be responsible for reporting your findings to the task force.

Task

Your job is to collect information about ocean currents and the Gulf Stream.  You will analyze your findings and prepare a report.  You and another researcher will work together to gather this information and prepare an oral and visual presentation to the task force.  

Process

1.  Print the worksheet Ocean Currents and the Gulf Stream and use these questions as a  
     guide for your report.

2.  Use the Internet Resources by clicking on each address.

3.  Record the answers to your questions as you find them.

4.  Analyze the information you have gathered with your teammate.

5.  Prepare a report to be presented to the task force (your teacher and classmates). 

6.  Show the flow of warm and cold ocean currents as well as the flow of the Gulf Stream on a
     world map during your presentation. 
     

Resources

http://www.coolclassroom.org/cool_windows/SlideShowText.htm 

http://www.pik-potsdam.de/~stefan/Lectures/ocean_currents.html

http://www.wonderquest.com/GulfStream.htm 

http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/oceanography_currents_4.html 

http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/oceanography_currents_1.html 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/impact/gulf_stream.shtml  

http://coastalguide.com/bearings/gulfstream2.shtml

http://pao.cnmoc.navy.mil/pao/Educate/OceanTalk2/indexrestless.htm

 http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/temperature/temperature_water_bodies_p_1.html

Conclusion

You have gathered information about how ocean currents and the Gulf Stream influence our weather.  Did you learn how ocean currents, the Gulf Stream, and a location's proximity to a large body of water can influence its weather and air temperature?

If you would like to learn more, you may want to look at this web site:  http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/educate/educate.shtml  

If you would like to try an experiment with ocean currents, you may want to look at this web site:
http://www.mos.org/oceans/motion/density.html

Evaluation

Research and Presentation Rubric

Point Value

Points Earned

Research on topic

10

10

Organized oral presentation

10

Clear visual aid presentation 

10