What is the difference between surface ocean currents and subsurface currents?

The world’s oceans also have significant currents that flow beneath the surface (Figure 8q-2). Subsurface currents generally travel at a much slower speed when compared to surface flows. The subsurface currents are driven by differences in the density of sea water.

Where are subsurface currents located?

Subsurface currents have a large effect on life on earth. They flow beneath the surface of the water, allowing them to be relatively free of external influence.

What are the 2 types of ocean currents?

Ocean circulation derives its energy at the sea surface from two sources that define two circulation types: (1) wind-driven circulation forced by wind stress on the sea surface, inducing a momentum exchange, and (2) thermohaline circulation driven by the variations in water density imposed at the sea surface by …

What is a subsurface ocean?

Posted by. Artist’s illustration of an ocean world, where the ocean is hidden beneath a crust of ice and rock. New research suggests such worlds are common in our galaxy and some of them may even be better suited for life than Earth’s oceans.

What does a subsurface ocean mean?

Lying below the surface, esp. of the earth, the oceans, etc. adjective. A subsurface part. noun.

Which current in the Indian ocean does flow as a subsurface current?

The Winter Monsoon Current extends from the Bay of Bengal, around India and Sri Lanka, and across the Arabian Sea at a latitude of approximately 8 degrees North. Currents flow to the southwest along the coast of Somalia to the equator.

What is Surface current?

Surface currents are driven by global wind systems that are fueled by energy from the sun. These currents bring heat from the tropics to the polar regions; the Gulf Stream, for instance, brings warm water along the eastern coast of the US up to Northern Europe.

What are the 5 major ocean current?

There are five major ocean-wide gyres—the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, and Indian Ocean gyres. Each is flanked by a strong and narrow “western boundary current,” and a weak and broad “eastern boundary current” (Ross, 1995).

What is the difference between a current and a surface current?

A current is a stream of moving water that flows through the ocean. Surface currents are caused mainly by winds but not daily winds. Surface currents are caused by the major wind belts. These winds blow in the same direction all the time.

What is the surface of Callisto?

Callisto has an icy surface covered by craters of various shapes and sizes, including bowl-shaped craters and craters with multiple rings. Data gathered by the Galileo spacecraft indicate Callisto may have a subsurface ocean and scientists estimate it may be 155 miles (250 kilometers) below the surface.

What moons have subsurface oceans?

Subsurface oceans or seas occur on the other Galilean moons of Jupiter, Saturn’s moons Titan and Enceladus, and are suspected to exist on the some of Saturn’s other moons, the asteroid Ceres, the larger trans-Neptunian objects, and ice planets in planetary systems.

Where are the ocean currents located?

These currents are on the ocean’s surface and in its depths, flowing both locally and globally. Map of temperature of the North Atlantic Ocean shows the warm Gulf Stream current along the East Coast of the United States transporting heat northward towards the cooler high latitudes.

What is the 8q-1 of the ocean current map?

(q). Surface and Subsurface Ocean Currents: Ocean Current Map Figure 8q-1: Major ocean currents of the world. On this illustration red arrows indicate warm currents, while cold currents are displayed in blue. Citation: Pidwirny, M. (2006). “Surface and Subsurface Ocean Currents: Ocean Current Map”.

What is the difference between surface and subsurface ocean currents?

The world’s oceans also have significant currents that flow beneath the surface (Figure 8q-2). Subsurface currents generally travel at a much slower speed when compared to surface flows. The subsurface currents are driven by differences in the density of sea water.

What drives the path of a sub surface current?

The subsurface currents are driven by differences in the density of sea water. The density of sea water deviates in the oceans because of variations in temperature and salinity. Near surface sea water begins its travel deep into the ocean in the North Atlantic.