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The coriolis effect. The spinning of the Earth on it's axis necessarily produces a rotation in wind and water currents on the Earth's surface due to the fact that the equator moves at a faster rate of speed than any points approaching the poles. This creates a counterclockwise rotation of currents in the northern hemisphere and clockwise rotation south of the equator. It also creates a deflection of currents to the right north of the equator and a deflection to the left south of the equator, essentially causing the currents to deflect in a clockwise direction north of the equator and counterclockwise south of the equator (opposite their localized spin).
Thus the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic currents around the Atlantic Ocean move clockwise around the ocean, yet hurricanes in the North Atlantic spin counterclockwise locally.
Other factors such as change in surface heat (sea/land breezes) and gravity (sun and moon creating tidal currents) also exist.
What else can I help you with?
What type of current is caused by wind on the oceans surface?
Surface ocean currents are caused by winds. As wind blows across the surface, the wind pulls the water and causes waves.
What causes ocean surface currents?
A surface current is a current caused by wind direction
An increase in wind causes this current to increase What type of current is it?
Convection is the process that causes warm air to rise and cold air to sink. As such, the winds caused by this process are called convection currents.
What force between the ocean and wind causes surface currents?
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What primarily drives the surface ocean currents?
The driving force behind surface currents is the wind. The wind happens naturally due to the constant rotating of the Earth.
A force between the ocean and the wind causes what type surface currents?
friction
Are wind and ocean currents formed by convection?
Yes, insolation, which is the amount of energy a surface receives from the sun in kilowatts, at is less at the poles than the equator. This causes convection and in turn causes wind and ocean currents, but other influences, such as Earth's rotation and topography are also responsible.
What are Currents powered by wind called?
Currents powered by wind are called wind-driven currents or wind-driven circulation. These currents are created by the friction between the wind and the surface of the water, causing the water to move in the direction of the wind.
Which spheres of the earth system interact to form a surface current?
The spheres that interact to form a surface current are the hydrosphere (oceans) and the atmosphere (wind). Surface currents are driven by the wind patterns on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the movement of water at the surface, creating ocean currents.
What factor causes surface currents north and south of the equator to move in different locations?
Surface currents are created by air currents, earth's rotation, and positions of the continents.
What is the primary source of energy for ocean currents and waves?
Ocean currents at the SURFACE -- their primary cause is SOLAR ENERGY. Due to solar energy, much of the wind pattern originates and this wind pattern in turn causes ocean currents on the surface.
What force between the ocean the wind causes surface currents?
Ocean currents are dure to a cobination of wind, the Corilis effect, and temperature differences.
