Ocean+Weather

Ocean Climate ﻿ The water at the surface of the ocean is moved my winds that blow in certain patterns because of the way the Earth rotates. The wind blowing creates the ocean currents. The currents from circular patterns called gyres, which flow clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. At the poles, the gyres flow in the opposite directions. Currents flow in normal patterns but are not all the same. Ocean currents carry heat from place to place, which affects regional climates. The sun does not heat the water at the high latitudes as much as it does at the equator; the heat travels through the currents. Surface ocean currents can create eddies as they flow. Eddies are swirling loops of water. Tides are caused by slight variations in gravitational attraction between the earth and the moon and the sun in the geometric relationship with locations on the Earth's surface. Tides are periodic primarily because of the Earth's rotation.