SME
Grade 12 Science · Problem type
Surface currents and the deep conveyor
Use this for “Why is the current on the west side of an ocean basin warm?” and “What drives the deep conveyor?”
Explore
Trade winds and westerlies push the surface water.
The Coriolis effect turns the flow into gyres, clockwise in the north and counterclockwise in the south.
Assumptions
•
Winds drive the surface currents; differences in density drive the deep ones.
•
Currents carry heat from the tropics toward the poles.
Topic check
See what you know: 5 questions on this topic
New questions each time. Pass to mark it complete.
Refresh
Related lessons
The ocean: seafloor, currents and ocean–atmosphere interaction
Main lesson
Spring and neap tides
Use this for “Is the tide a spring or a neap tide at the first-quarter Moon, and how big is the range?”
Sinks or rises?
Use this for “Why does warm air rise at the equator?” and “Why does water sink near Greenland?”