Coastal areas normally see cooler temperatures in the summer and warmer temperatures in the winter than areas further inland. This is due to the moderating temperature effect of ocean currents. Here are the surprising facts about how ocean currents impact many aspects of weather around the globe. Ocean currents refer to water masses that are moving in a continuous flow and are created by:. These currents normally move in circular patterns and flow clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere.
They form when salty cold water becomes heavy and sinks, which forces warmer, lighter water to rise. Ocean currents help move heat around the globe while absorbing and retaining the heat from the sun to keep the Earth warm and more evenly distribute the warmth from the sun. Ocean currents that form near the equator are normally warm and transfer this heat to the poles, and vice versa for currents that begin near the poles.
These currents help regulate overall temperature and without them, we would see much more extreme heat or cold near the equator and the poles. The UK and Western Europe, for example, have a moderate climate —— mild winters and summers —— due to the effect of the Gulf Stream ocean current, which moves warm water from the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic. Ocean currents can have an impact on other types of local weather, including precipitation and fog. When currents move around land masses, clashing air temperatures can lead to the formation of clouds, fog, and cause precipitation.
Ocean currents, and ocean water in general, can lead to atmospheric instability. Ocean currents act as conveyer belts of warm and cold water, sending heat toward the polar regions and helping tropical areas cool off, thus influencing both weather and climate. Download image jpg, KB. The majority of radiation from the sun is absorbed by the ocean, particularly in tropical waters around the equator, where the ocean acts like a massive, heat-retaining solar panel.
Land areas also absorb some sunlight, and the atmosphere helps to retain heat that would otherwise quickly radiate into space after sunset.
The ocean doesn't just store solar radiation; it also helps to distribute heat around the globe. The ocean currents can also be influenced by the shape of the ocean basin, topography, and the land masses bordering the Ocean. Cold ocean currents are masses of cold water moving from high latitude towards the equator absorbing the heat received in the tropics thus cooling the air above.
Cold currents are formed when the air circulating the eastern side of the subtropical high is blown over cold water mass and are then dragged toward the equator. Warm currents are masses of warm water with higher temperatures moving away from the equator.
Warm currents are formed when the cold saline water becomes dense and sinks allowing the light warm water to flow in the opposite direction, usually far from the equator. Horizontal currents moving northward or southward may carry warmed or cooled water for very long distance. The displaced warm water raises the temperature of the air while the cold water cools the air, and the land surface where the blows.
The mild climate raises the temperatures of the region higher than the regions across the Atlantic but on the same latitude. The Gulf Stream explains why Canada 's east coast is locked in ice while England is not especially during winter.
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