Chapter-14- MOVEMENTS OF OCEAN WATER
The horizontal motion refers to the ocean currents and waves. The vertical motion refers to
tides.
Ocean currents are the continuous flow of huge amount of water in a definite direction while
the waves are the horizontal motion of water.
Water moves ahead from one place to another through ocean currents while the water in the
waves does not move, but the wave trains move ahead.
The vertical motion refers to the rise and fall of water in the oceans and seas. Due to attraction
of the sun and the moon, the ocean water is raised up and falls down twice a day. The upwelling
of cold water from subsurface and the sinking of surface water are also forms of vertical
motion of ocean water.
WAVES
Waves are actually the energy, not the water as such, which moves across the ocean surface.
Water particles only travel in a small circle as a wave passes. Wind provides energy to the
waves. Wind causes waves to travel in the ocean and the energy is released on shorelines.
The motion of the surface water seldom affects the stagnant deep bottom water of the oceans.
As a wave approaches the beach, it slows down. This is due to the friction occurring
between the dynamic water and the sea floor.
And, when the depth of water is less than half thewavelength of the wave, the wave
breaks.
The largest waves are found in the open oceans. Waves continue to grow larger as they move
and absorb energy from the wind.
When a breeze of two knots or less blows over calm water, small ripples form and grow as
the wind speed increases until white caps appear in the breaking waves.
A wave’s size and shape reveal its origin. Steep waves are fairly young ones and are
probably formed by local wind.
Slow and steady waves originate from far away places, possibly from another hemisphere.
The maximum wave height is determined by the strength of the wind, i.e. how long it blows and
the area over which it blows in a single direction. Waves travel because wind pushes the water
body in its course while gravity pulls the crests of the waves downward. The falling water pushes
the former troughs upward, and the wave moves to a new position
Characteristics of Waves
Wave crest and trough : The highest and lowest points of a wave are called the crest and trough respectively.
Wave height : It is the vertical distance from the bottom of a trough to the top of a crest of a wave.
Wave amplitude : It is one-half of the wave height.
Wave period : It is merely the time interval between two successive wave crests or troughs as they pass a fixed
point.
Wavelength : It is the horizontal distance between two successive crests.
Wave speed : It is the rate at which the wave moves through the water, and is measured in knots.
TIDES :-
The periodical rise and fall of the sea level, once or twice a day, mainly due to the attraction of the sun and the
moon, is called a tide.
Movement of water caused by meteorological effects (winds and atmospheric pressure changes)are called surges.
Surges are not regular like tides.
The moon’s gravitational pull to a great extent and to a lesser extent the sun’s gravitational pull, are the major
causes for the occurrence of tides.
Another factor is centrifugal force, which is the force that acts to counter balance the gravity.
Together, the gravitational pull and the centrifugal force are responsible for creating the two major tidal bulges on
the earth. On the side of the earth facing the moon, a tidal bulge occurs while on the opposite side though the
gravitational attraction of the moon is less as it is farther away, the centrifugal force causes tidal bulge on the
other side
The tidal bulges on wide continental shelves, have greater height. When tidal bulges hit the mid-oceanic islands
they become low. The shape of bays and estuaries along a coastline can also magnify the intensity of tides.
Funnel-shaped bays greatly change tidal magnitudes.
When the tide is channelled between islands or into bays and estuaries they are called tidal currents.
Tides of Bay of Fundy, Canada The highest tides in the world occur in the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Canada.
The tidal bulge is 15 - 16 m
Types of Tides:-
Tides based on Frequency
Semi-diurnal tide : The most common tidal pattern, featuring two high tides and two low tides each day. The
successive high or low tides are approximately of the same height.
Diurnal tide : There is only one high tide and one low tide during each day. The successive high and low
tides are approximately of the same height.
Mixed tide : Tides having variations in height are known as mixed tides. These tides generally occur along
the west coast of North America and on many islands of the Pacific Ocean.
Tides based on the Sun, Moon and the Earth Positions
The height of rising water (high tide) varies appreciably depending upon the position of sun and moon with respect to the
earth. Spring tides and neap tides come under this category
Spring tides : The position of both the sun and the moon in relation to the earth has direct bearing on tide height.
When the sun, the moon and the earth are in a straight line, the height of the tide will be higher.
These are called spring tides and they occur twice a month, one on full moon period and another during new
moon period.
Neap tides : Normally, there is a seven day interval between the spring tides and neap tides.
At this time the sun and moon are at right angles to each other and the forces of the sun and moon tend to
counteract one another.
The Moon’s attraction, though more than twice as strong as the sun’s, is diminished by the counteracting force of
the sun’s gravitational pull.
Once in a month, when the moon’s orbit is closest to the earth (perigee), unusually high and low tides occur.
During this time the tidal range is greater than normal. Two weeks later, when the moon is farthest from earth
(apogee), the moon’s gravitational force is limited and the tidal ranges are less than their avg hight.
The time between the high tide and low tide, when the water level is falling, is called the ebb. The time between
the low tide and high tide, when the tide is rising, is called the flow or flood
Importance of Tides
Since tides are caused by the earth-moon-sun positions which are known accurately, the tides can be predicted
well in advance. T
his helps the navigators and fishermen plan their activities. Tidal flows are of great importance in navigation.
Tidal heights are very important, especially harbours near rivers and within estuaries having shallow ‘bars’ at the
entrance, which prevent ships and boats from entering into the harbour.
Tides are also helpful indesilting the sediments and in removing polluted water from river estuaries. T
ides are used to generate electrical power (in Canada, France, Russia, and China).
A 3 MW tidal power project at Durgaduani in Sunderbans of West Bengal is under way
OCEAN CURRENTS:
Ocean currents are like river flow in oceans. They represent a regular volume of water in a definite path and
direction.
Ocean currents are influenced by two types of forces namely : (i) primary forces that initiate the movement of
water; (ii) secondary forces that influence the currents to flow.
The primary forces that influence the currents are: (i) heating by solar energy; (ii) wind; (iii) gravity; (iv) coriolis
force.
Heating by solar energy causes the water to expand. That is why, near the equator the ocean water is about 8 cm
higher in level than in the middle latitudes. This causes a very slight gradient and water tends to flow down the
slope.
Wind blowing on the surface of the ocean pushes the water to move. Friction between the wind and the water
surface affects the movement of the water body in its course.
Gravity tends to pull the water down the pile and create gradient variation.
The Coriolis force intervenes and causes the water to move to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left
in the southern hemisphere.
These large accumulations of water and the flow around them are called Gyres.
Differences in water density affect vertical mobility of ocean currents
Characteristics of Ocean Currents
Currents are referred to by their “drift”.
Usually, the currents are strongest near the surface and may attain speeds over five knots. At depths, currents are
generally slow with speeds less than 0.5 knots.
We refer to the speed of a current as its “drift.” Drift is measured in terms of knots. The strength of a current
refers to the speed of the current.
Types of Ocean Currents - The ocean currents may be classified based on their depth as surface currents and deep
water currents :
surface currents constitute about 10 per cent of all the water in the ocean, these waters are the upper 400 m of the
ocean;
deep water currents make up the other 90 per cent of the ocean water.
These waters move around the ocean basins due to variations in the density and gravity.
Ocean currents can also be classified based on temperature : as cold currents and warm currents:
cold currents bring cold water into warm water areas. These currents are usually found on the west coast of the
continents in the low and middle latitudes (true in both hemispheres) and on the east coast in the higher latitudes
in the Northern Hemisphere;
(ii) warm currents bring warm water into cold water areas and are usually observed on the east coast of
continents in the low and middle latitudes (true in both hemispheres). In the northern hemisphere they are found
on the west coasts of continents in high latitudes.
Major Ocean Currents -Major ocean currents are greatly influenced by the stresses exerted by the prevailing
winds and coriolis force.
The oceanic circulation pattern roughly corresponds to the earth’s atmospheric circulation pattern. The air
circulation over the oceans in the middle latitudes is mainly anticyclonic (more pronounced in the southern
hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere).
The oceanic circulation pattern also corresponds with the same At higher latitudes.
where the wind flow is mostly cyclonic, the oceanic circulation follows this pattern. In regions of pronounced
monsoonal flow, the monsoon winds influence the current movements.
Due to the coriolis force, the warm currents from low latitudes tend to move to the right in the northern
hemisphere and to their left in the southern hemisphere.
The oceanic circulation transports heat from one latitude belt to another in a manner similar to the heat
transported by the general circulation of the atmosphere.
The cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctic circles move towards warmer water in tropical and equatorial
regions, while the warm waters of the lower latitudes move polewards.
Effects of Ocean Currents –
West coasts of the continents in tropical and subtropical latitudes (except close to the equator) are bordered by
cool waters.
Their average temperatures are relatively low with a narrow diurnal and annual ranges.
There is fog, but generally the areas are arid.
West coasts of the continents in the middle and higher latitudes are bordered by warm waters which cause a
distinct marine climate.
They are characterised by cool summers and relatively mild winters with a narrow annual range of temperatures.
Warm currents flow parallel to the east coasts of the continents in tropical and subtropical latitudes. This results
in warm and rainy climates.
These areas lie in the western margins of the subtropical anti-cyclones. The mixing of warm and cold currents
help to replenish the oxygen and favour the growth of planktons, the primary food for fish population. The best
fishing grounds of the world exist mainly in these mixing zones.
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