Ocean and Climate: The Odd Couple

By Jamie K

Big Ideas

  1. The Ocean Controls the climate of places by trapping and storing solar heat from the Sun.
  2. Oceans actually do transport the solar energy through the water cycle and atmospheric gases.
  3. The density of the ocean currents control the transportation of solar energy. Meaning the warmer the water, the more energy that flows through and the warmer the atmosphere is and the denser(colder) the water is the colder the climate and atmosphere is.

2 Questions

  1. How does the ocean's density affect the transportation of water if the ocean isn't very deep?
  2. Why does the energy not travel as far in cold water as it does in warm water?
  3. Why does the atmospheric gases affect the oceans and the water cycle?

Relation to Our Daily Lives

The bodies of water around our homes affect the temperature and climate of our area. Thats why when it rains it cools everything down because the water cycle emits gases that become cool with the rain.