Ocean Currents

Solar energy

Coriolis effect

Waves move in a circular oscilating motion. When they gain momentum and water with increasing friction from the seabed, this becomes ovular, with them no longer being able to hold (a 1:7 ratio of wavelength to waveheight). When this happens, the wave breaks. Current is affected by Fetch, wind energy transfer and wind strength/duration

Caused by waves breaking perpendicular to the shore, generating oscilations by the differing wave heights parallel to the shore. Water from the top of breaking waves with a large height travells upshore and returns to the area adjacent, where lower height waves have already broken. Once these currents form, they modify the profile of the shore, creating cusps which perpetrate the rip current, channelling water flow through a narrow neck.

Humboldt current - cold ocean currents change climate by blocking evaporation, turning areas in deserts.

Cooling water sinks (downwelling) just north of Iceland. It starts slow and then gains momentum. It becomes colder than the surrounding water and runs through the Atlantic with the flow of 100 Amazon rivers by the time it reaches the Circumpolar current. This starts to move north due to the repeat of the fresh cold water, pushing the old cold water back to the surface. Starts to warm up as it reaches the equator (purely because it's equatorial - heat doesn't matter) and becomes the Gulf Stream. Takes ~1000 years overall.

Forces and physical characteristics affect the size, shape, speed and direction of ocean currents.

Salinity increases density and thereby increases downwelling

Interconnected current powered by wind, tides, the Earth's roatation, the sun, density differences and topograhy

At the ocean surface, and in deep water below 300 meters.