3.2 CURRENTS AND CLIMATE

OBJECTIVE:

Explain how currents affect climate.

Describe the effects of El Niño.

Explain how scientists study and predict the pattern of El Niño.

SURFACE CURRENTS & CLIMATE

Surface currents greatly affect the climates around the world.

Changes in the circulation patterns cause changes in the atmosphere

WARM-WATER CURRENTS & CLIMATE

Warm-water currents create warmer climates in coastal areas that would otherwise be much cooler.

COLD-WATER CURRENTS AND CLIMATE

Cold-water currents keep climates along a coast cooler than the inland climate year-round.Look at pg 87 fig. 2

UPWELLING

Upwelling is a process in which cold, nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean rises to the surface and replaces warm surface water.The nutrients support the growth of phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Upwelling

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

EL NINO

•The periodic change in the location of warm and cool surface waters in the Pacific Ocean is called El Niño.•This change in warm and cool surface waters affects the weather patterns.

EFFECTS OF EL NINO

El Niño alters weather patterns enough to cause disasters.The disasters (mudslides & flash floods) are happening to areas that usually don’t get a lot of rain.Other areas that get a lot of rain are experiencing droughts.

STUDYING AND PREDICTING EL NINO

Occurs every 2 to 12 yearsIt is important for scientists to learn as much as possible about El Niño because of its effects on organisms and land.

Buoys are tools that scientists use to predict El Ninos