The Ocean’s Effect on Weather

1. Where does weather come from?

Weather ultimately

begins with theocean. In fact, even a small change in ocean temperature can affect weather patternsaround the world.

When the sun’s rayswarm the surface of the earth, the atmosphere is warmed as well. The warm air produced moves over warm water and evaporation occurs.

Saturated with watervapor, the warm air rises Into higher, colder altitudes and over highlands. When the warm, moist air mass cools, the water vapor inside condenses and falls as rain.

3

Click the cloud!

1. Ocean currents happen because of the special properties of water. Cold water is denser and sinks; warm is lighter and rinses.

2. Warmer water from the oceans around the equator rises to the top, while colder water from the oceans around the poles sinks to the bottom.

3. The water from the poles travels to the equator, and the water from the equator travels to the poles.

Ocean Currents

The Gulf Stream

The Gulf Stream is a powerful current that originates from the tip of Florida. It affects weather in my home state, New Jersey, bringing warm temperatures and high humidity from its origin in the tropics.

The movement and temperature of ocean currents influence the movement and

temperature of marine air masses.

Ocean Currents and Air Masses

Ocean Currents Air Masses

Air Masses

When two air masses collide, the differences in temperature, humidity and pressure create various kinds of weather.The line at which two air masses collide is called a front. Along the front, the collision of two air masses can produce rain, hail, wind, lightning and thunderstorms, including hurricanes and tornados.

Polar Weather

Since Antarctica is a landmass, it doesn’t receive much heat from the ocean. On the other hand, the Arctic, because it is just an icy covering, has the ocean under it to warm it.

Antarctica The Arctic

Average temperature Average temperature

Winter -76°F; Summer -18°F Winter -40°F; Summer 32°F

The Ocean’s Effect

The Intertropical Convergence Zone is the line at which north winds meet south winds. The result is heavy precipitation, as seen by the chart below.

Tropical Weather

And this completes the water cycle.

Sourceshttp://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/atmospheric/weather7.htmhttp://okfirst.mesonet.org/train/meteorology/AirMasses.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Streamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intertropical_Convergence_Zonehttp://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/EnvirGeolNotes/HowEarthWorks.HTMhttp://www.und.edu/instruct/eng/fkarner/pages/cycle.htm