Save. The Gulf Stream which moves northward up the western side of the Atlantic Ocean basin is responsible for moderating and warming the climate of Ireland, England, and northern Europe. Time Needed Two class periods Introduction Climate can be defined as the long-term behavior of weather over time, including the average and extreme conditions for a region. A hotter planet will inevitably raise temperatures in the sea, which will cause higher sea levels, stronger winds, fiercer and more frequent hurricanes and typhoons, and greater or lesser quantities of rainfall in particular areas that may be profoundly affected by such changes. While heavy machinery keeps spraying #monocrops with #pesticides and #fertilizers, millions of #family #farmers are applying agroecological approaches to redress those impacts and revive #rural areas. My Opinion It heats up the atmosphere and melts ice caps and cause violent weather patterns. Prevailing winds, ocean surface currents, and the associated mixing influence the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the ocean, as well as global climate. The Gulf Stream, for example, moves warm air from the Gulf of Mexico along the eastern coast of the U.S., and eventually to the British Isles. Surface currents affect climate by moving cold and warm water around the globe. The oceans influence climate over long and short time-scales. Played 731 times. The hydrosphere, along with the atmosphere, keep us in a fairly comfortable environment around the globe. Winds that gust over cold currents will drop the temperatures of the region when they reach the land. How does climate change affect the biodiversity of marine ecosystems? been measured for more than a century. How do ocean currents affect the climate See answer shabnamshabshabby is waiting for your help. Heatwaves might get common and there would be drastic change in the temperature invarious parts of the world. The warm Gulf Stream originating in the tropical Caribbean, for instance, carries about 150 times more water than the Amazon River. For example, the climate of coastal areas of Western Europe is a lot milder than would be expected for this altitude. On the other han… The current cooling events being experienced in Western Europe is attributed to the Gulf Stream slowing down as a result of the global warming which has caused the polar ice cap to melt and slowing down the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt. In a pair of papers published Wednesday in Nature , two sets of independent researchers used very different techniques to reach the same startling conclusion. Study: Ocean Currents Change with Seasons. The ocean currents can also be influenced by the shape of the ocean basin, topography, and the land masses bordering the Ocean. This current system incorporates warm water surface currents and deep-water cold currents, and some models are predicting a 50 percent or more slowdown by the turn of the next century if greenhouse gas emissions continue at current levels [10]. The impacts associated with sea level rise and stronger storms are especially relevant to coastal … “It is the key component” in global circulation, says Ellen Martin, a paleoclimate and ocean current researcher at the University … As the oceans and atmosphere get warmer, we are seeing some very distinct changes and effects, as the ocean’s ability to absorb CO2 and heat are taxed to the limit. It can affect their behaviour and breed patterns as well as how they grow and develop. How does climate change affect the ocean? As they traverse open expanses of ocean, currents generally move fast and straight. They absorb the heat they receive in the tropics, thereby cooling the air above them. Ocean current is a directed permanent or continuous movement of ocean’s water. 1 See answer allieegna is waiting for your help. You can see that currents on the west side of the continents are cooler and currents on the east side are warmer. Surface currents, which are defined as those that extend to a depth of 100 meters, are driven by the prevailing winds and the Earth’s rotation. How does this affect wildlife? How does a surface current influence the climate? Click the magnifying glass icon on the map for an example of this interaction off the coast of Africa. But a failure to take those actions will lead us into unchartered territory, and if that causes ocean currents to slow or shut down it could set off a chain reaction of climate change that will turn hundreds of millions of people (at least) into refugees, fleeing their homes in a desperate search for more habitable regions. Warm currents are formed when the cold saline water becomes dense and sinks allowing the light warm water to flow in the opposite direction, usually far from the equator. Another way the ocean helps control climate is through its capacity to absorb carbon dioxide, which is stored by algae, coral and sea vegetation [5]. Ocean on-pagers: Do we know enough of Oceans? Their strength and variability play a role in weather and climate, impact environments for all life on Earth. Cold ocean currents are large masses of cold water that move towards the equator, from a level of high altitude to lower levels. Horizontal currents moving northward or southward may carry warmed or cooled water for very long distance. The ocean and … Horizontal currents moving northward or southward may carry warmed or cooled water for very long distance. These are known as gyres. The Atlantic serves as the engine for the planet’s conveyor belt of ocean currents: The massive amount of cooler water that sinks in the North Atlantic stirs up that entire ocean and drives currents in the Southern and Pacific oceans, too. Ocean currents, which help regulate the climate and influence weather systems, have been speeding up over the past two decades as … • Students will describe how ocean surface currents affect climate on land. As mentioned earlier, many marine species’ migratory patterns can change as the currents they follow are altered. Thus, currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface. This would cause the climate of much of Western Europe to change, and would impact billions of people worldwide. Surface ocean currents are primarily affected by wind patterns. Winds, 4. The sinking water is replaced by warm water near the surface that moves to the north. Warm and cool ocean currents. Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. Warm currents are masses of warm water with higher temperatures moving away from the equator. Climate of any region owes itself to 5 major factors: 1. The mild climate raises the temperatures of the region higher than the regions across the Atlantic but on the same latitude. Ocean currents in the Northern Hemisphere circulate in clockwise patterns around the basins. As the horizontal currents are moving south or northwards, they carry with them cool or warm water over an extended distance. Surface currents carry warm air to the polar regions, where the water eventually becomes cold enough to freeze. The currents can also move either horizontally or vertically depending on the cause. We rely on the ocean currents to survive, and if we disrupt them we do so at our own peril. And many species that depend on ocean currents for reproduction and nutrients will be affected. With an understanding of this interconnection, it is important to realize the influences that our choices might make on these systems, such as humanity’s choice to continue to burn fossil fuels or the transition to a clean energy future that will safeguard our planet’s climate for future generations. Thus, ocean currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface. Cold ocean currents are masses of cold water moving from high latitude towards the equator absorbing the heat received in the tropics thus cooling the air above. Horizontal currents moving northward or southward may carry warmed or cooled water for very long distance. The ocean currents can flow for thousands of kilometers and create a global conveyer belt which is important in determining the climate of different regions of the earth. 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