Ocean Circulation

Ocean Current Worksheet:

Worksheet Answer Key:

There are two basic types of ocean currents, surface currents and deep water currents. Surface currents are the movement of water on or near the surface of oceans and are mostly often by density. Deep currents are the movement of water below the surface of the ocean and they are the result of temperature differences caused by Winds and salinity. These are the two main types of currents in our oceans.

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Questions to check for students understanding:

  1. What is the circulation of the ocean?

Answer: Ocean circulation is the large scale movement of waters in the ocean basins.

  1. What are the 3 reasons ocean circulation is important?

Answer: storing and transporting heat, carbon, nutrients and freshwater all around the world.

  1. What are the three types of ocean circulation?

Answer: Waves, tides, and currents.

  1. What would happen without ocean circulation?

Answer: Without currents in the ocean, regional temperatures would be more extreme — super hot at the equator and frigid toward the poles — and much less of Earth's land would be habitable.

  1. How does temperature affect ocean circulation?

Answer: Warming temperatures result in weakened currents. If the water at the poles is not as cold and dense, it simply won't be able to circulate as well.