All About Gyres

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STUDENT SHEET 1b All about gyres 1. Think about how ocean currents are formed and how they can then create gyres. Join the beginnings of the sentences in the table below to the correct end of the sentence. Beginnings... Endings. are primarily driven by The ocean is... wind. Both at the surface and at an ocean gyre forms. depth the ocean currents... the position of land Ocean currents... masses. When wind blows across the in constant motion. surface of the water... A second factor impacting the it creates friction, causing ocean currents is... the water to move. They are also affected by and accumulate in gyres. differences in... When the wind and land create water density and the a large circular motion... Earth’s rotation. Plastics entering the sea can be move vast volumes of carried by ocean currents... water every day. Ocean Plastics 11-14 Geography 17 Copyright 2019 Encounter Edu and Common Seas This resource may be reproduced for educational purposes only STUDENT SHEET 1b 2. The development of the North Pacific Gyre Either: Read and complete the following sentences to describe the formation of the North Pacific Gyre. Or: Using the map, describe how the North Pacific Gyre is formed. The Coriolis effect means that the trade winds cause the tropical water to move westwards as the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Current. Debris usually stays in the gyre but may wash up on coasts when there are storms. Westerly winds change the direction of the current towards the east as the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Current. Again, blocked by land the ocean current is forced south towards the Equator as the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Current. When the North Equatorial current reaches the Asian land mass it is forced to move north as the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Current. The circular movement of the water sweeps any plastic debris with it. One circulation may take ten years. Map: The North Pacific Gyre or Convergence Zone Ocean Plastics 11-14 Geography 18 Copyright 2019 Encounter Edu and Common Seas This resource may be reproduced for educational purposes only.

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