Question

Can ya tell me how do ocean currents influence coastal areas??????

#Kimberly

Answer 1

Heya!!

Ocean currents influence the temperature of the region they travel through. Warm currents increase the temperature of the coasts along which they move. Sea breezes that blow over warm currents get warmed in turn and absorb moisture. Then they carry the warmth and moisture to neighboring coastal areas. For example, the North Atlantic Drift, carrying warm equatorial waters northwards, increases temperatures along the coast of north-western Europe and helps to keep ports along these coasts open (i.e., not frozen) throughout the year. On the other hand, winds that blow over cold currents become cold and dry. Along the western coasts of most land masses, these dry, cold winds have led to the development of deserts like the Atacama (South America) and the Namib (Africa) deserts.

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Hope it helps!!

Answer 2

Just as the heating of air close to the ground causes convection that is the source of virtually all meteorological phenomena, the heating of equatorial waters is the cause of virtually all ocean currents. As water heats, it expands and this expansion causes it to push outward into cooler areas. As it cools, it contracts, and this contraction causes it to flow toward the area vacated by warm water.

EFFECTS

When land borders the ocean, the currents of the ocean warm or cool it, depending on the nature of the particular current that flows by that land. In cases where a warm current flows along a particular coast, that coastal area will generally be warmer than it would otherwise be if it were landlocked. Similarly, cool currents cause coastal lands to remain cooler than they would be if they were landlocked.

Hope it helps..............