The Movement of

Ocean Water
Chapter 20
Sections
•Currents
•Waves
•Tides
 Currents
•Ocean currents are streamlike
movements of water.

•When these movements occur at

or near the surface of the ocean,
they are called surface currents.
 Currents
•Winds blowing across the Earth’s
surface create surface currents in
the ocean.

•Near the equator, they flow east

to west. But near the poles,
they flow west to east.
 Currents
•Earth’s rotation causes surface
currents to move along curved
paths in stead of straight lines.

•This is known as the Coriolis

effect.
 Currents

•Continents also cause the

surface currents to deflect, or
change direction.
 Currents
•Surface currents are also
affected by the temperature of
the water in which they form.
•Warm-water currents carry
warm water to other parts of
the ocean … and cool-water
currents carry cool water.
 Currents
•The temperature of surface
currents affect the climate of
land near the area where they
flow.
 Currents
• Upwelling is when cold, nutrient-
rich water from the deep ocean
rises to the surface and replaces
warm surface water.
• The change in location of warm
and cool water in the Pacific is
known as El Nino.
 Currents
•Deep currents are streamlike
movements of ocean water far
below the surface.
•These currents form in parts of
the ocean where water density
increases.
 Currents
• Lower temperatures and higher
Lower temperatures and higher
salinity cause ocean water to
become more dense.

•Formation of ice and

evaporation raise the salinity of
water.
 Waves
•Most waves form as the wind
blows across the water’s
surface and transfers energy to
the water.
•As the energy moves through
the water – so do the waves.
 Waves
• Crest is the highest point.
• Trough is the lowest point.
• Wavelength is the distance
between two crests or troughs.
• Wave height is the vertical
distance between crest and
trough.
 Waves
• Wave period is the time between
the passage of two wave crests
(or troughs) at a fixed point.

wavelength (m)
wave speed (m/s)
wave period (s) =
 Waves
• As waves approach the shore, they
increase in height and eventually crash as
breakers.
• Water moves back to the ocean under the
waves in a current called an undertow.
• Waves hitting the shore at an angle cause
a current along the shoreline called a
longshore current.
 Waves
• There are two types of waves in
the open ocean:
• Whitecaps break in the open
ocean before they get close to
shore.
• Swells are rolling waves that move
steadily across the ocean.
 Waves
• Tsunamis are waves that form when a
large volume of ocean water is
suddenly moved up or down.
• They can be caused by earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, landslides,
underwater explosions, or the impact
of a meteor or comet.
• The highest recorded was 64m high!
 Waves
• A storm surge is a local rise in sea
level near the shore that is caused
mainly by strong winds from a storm,
such as a hurricane.
 Tides
• Tides are daily changes in the level of
ocean water.
• The moon’s pull is strongest on the
part of the Earth directly facing the
moon.
• Water on the opposite side of Earth
bulges because of the rotation of the
Earth.
 Tides
• When the ocean bulges – it is called a
high tide.
• Water is drawn away from the area
between the high tides – causing a low
tide.
• The moon revolves around the Earth more
slowly than the Earth turns – so high tide
is at a different time every day.
 Tides
• Lunar phases or the changes in the
moon’s appearance, are connected to the
tides.
• The lunar cycle of these changes lasts
about 28 days.
• The sun also affects tides, but is less
powerful than the moon because of its
distance from Earth.
 Tides
• Tides with the largest range are called
spring tides and happen when the sun,
Earth, and moon line up with one another.
• Spring tides occur with every new and full
moon, about every 14 days.
• Tides with the smallest range are called
neap tides and happen when the sun,
Earth, and moon for a 90° angle.