17. Explain three effects of ocean currents
Answers
1. Solar heating
it causes water to expand. The water around the equator is roughly 8cm high than in middle latitudes. It causes a slight slope in the water and it flows down the slopes. Warm water flows towards the cold Polar Regions and cold water flows towards the warmer equatorial regions.
2. Wind
The Wind is responsible for ocean currents as it blows the water on the surface, causing the currents. The wind is responsible for surface currents where ocean water is redistributed based on its density and temperature.
3. Gravity
Gravity tends to pull items towards the surface of the earth. When the wind blows ocean water, the water piles up in the direction of the wind. Gravity, therefore, pulls the water down the ‘hill’ against the pressure gradient.
Answer:
Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus, ocean currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface.