Wind and Waves

Ocean currents are continuous movements of seawater that can transport cool or warm water, as well as Carbon Dioxide. When tectonic plates move they can open and close oceanic gateways that link to major ocean basins, controlling the global circulation of ocean currents, which can cause a shift in the transportation of heat and salt from the equator to polar regions.

Rogue waves are particularly prominent off the southern coast of South Africa in the imaginary boundary between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on the edge of the Agulhas Current where one’s chance of encountering a rogue wave is estimated at about 3.1% per hour (Perkins 328). These waters are not only geographically complicated but also highly dynamic in that the current flows from the northeast while prevailing winds in the area blow from the southwest (Perkins 328). This opposition creates winds striking the faces of tall, current-driven waves, thus increasing their height. However, rogue waves are also prominent in South America despite drastic differences in sea conditions there. Data from the region suggest that rogue waves can also occur in relatively calm seas. Researchers found rogue waves when the significant wave height was 12 meters as well as when it was only 50 centimeters (Perkins 329). In addition to South Africa and South America, scientists have determined that rogue waves are also more likely in Norway and parts of the Pacific Ocean (BBC par. 6).

The ocean is a hypertonic solution, thus causing water to leave the body by crossing the

Spring tide is when the Earth, Moon and Sun are directly aligned. This occurs at new moon and full moon. The gravitational forces caused by the Sun are parallel to those of the moon. This creates a very high tide and a very low tide. This

The warm sun is hitting your body. You can feel the squishy sand between your toes, and the waves are coming ashore. It is going to be a great day, right? Tsunamis and hurricanes are natural phenomena that cause mass destruction in an instant. Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes in the ocean; whereas, hurricanes are large funnels of water and debris originating from the ocean. Tsunamis and hurricanes start in the ocean, and both cause mass destruction when they hit land, but they are still two completely different storms.

Factors that determine how much the winds bend are the latitude and the speed the air is moving at.

The Bay’s salinity varies widely from season to season and from year to year, depending on the amount of fresh water flowing from its rivers. The Bay tends to be fresher in spring, when snow melts and heavy rainstorms frequently fall. During the drier months, the Bay is usually saltier. Salinity also increases with depth. Fresh water remains at the surface because it is less dense than salt water. The water on the Bay’s eastern shore tends to be saltier than the water on the western side. This is due to two factors; most fresh water enters the Bay from its northern and western tributaries, and The Coriolis Force, a phenomenon caused by the earth’s rotation, pushes flowing water in the Northern Hemisphere to the right, causing saltier water to move up the Bay veers toward the eastern shore.

The land is uplifted crust blocks that form parallel ranges but surface water doesn’t run to the ocean. Instead, it evaporates over time leaving a salt flat.

To confirm my assumption, which is ‘each day has different tide cycle,’ I compare our data to Corte Madera tide table. On Wednesday 19th, Corte Madera Creek has first low tide at 3:37 AM and second low tide at 2:57 pm. The first high tide was at 10:05 am and the next high tide was at 9:22 pm. The tidal coefficient was 67 (middle). The maximum high tide recorded in the tide tables for Corte Madera Creek which is of 7.2 ft and a minimum height of -2.0 ft.

waves to larger waves. When the water starts to move it is subject to the Coriolis

Surface temperature differences in turn cause pressure differences. A hot surface heats the air above it and the air expands, lowering the air pressure and its density. The resulting horizontal pressure gradient accelerates the air from high to low pressure, creating wind, and Earth's rotation then causes curvature of the flow via the Coriolis effect. The simple systems thus formed can then display emergent behaviour to produce more complex systems and thus other weather phenomena. Large scale examples include the Hadley cell while a smaller scale example would be coastal breezes.

Once water falls back to Earth as precipitation, it moves all around Earth’s surface. Because of the downward pull of gravity, water always flows downhill. And because Earth’s surface is uneven, water is always moving around. There are four main ways that water moves around Earth.Surface water, and runoff is moving water that flows around Earth’s surface is called runoff. Streams and rivers are examples of runoff. Runoff will always flow downhill pulled by gravity, until it eventually reaches an ocean, lake, or other large body of water. Runoff is the reason that oceans don’t run out of water. Any water that is found on Earth’s surface is called surface water.

Slowly over time, the glaciers began to increase in size and suck up the ocean water and lower the sea levels. As the sea levels lowered, land between

The dense, cooled water becomes part of what is termed the Ocean Conveyor and the water eventually returns to the surface in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. As warm water returns to the Atlantic, the current moves pole wards as the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift, warming northwestern Europe substantially. In addition,

6. What causes ocean tides? Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of both the moon and the sun. The moon being closer has a greater effect on tides. Water on the side of Earth closest to the moon bulges toward the moon. There is also a bulge away from the moon on the opposite side of the Earth.