Ocean Currents Affect Coastal Climates - 889 Words

Wind powered surface currents and waves, along with moon and sun powered tides, greatly impact Earth’s coastlines. As warm or cold water ocean currents affect coastal climates, waves release energy, shifting sand and sediments, eroding and replenishing coastline shores; all while tides raise and lower sea level. Florida’s east coast, encompassed by barrier islands, is affected by subtropical ocean waters provided by the Gulf Stream, facilitating warm and humid climates, as well as hurricanes. As these warm ocean waters interact with Florida’s barrier islands, through wave action and tides, its coastline continuously transforms. The ocean current that flows north alongside Florida’s east coast, the Gulf Stream, is one of the most important factors in determining Florida’s climate. Beginning near the equator, the warm waters of the North Equatorial Current eventually feed into the Gulf Stream, which begins at the southern tip of Florida. This Equatorial transfer of heat through ocean currents is what facilitates Florida’s warm and humid climate. To illustrate the influence ocean currents have on coastal climates, we can compare the climate of Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur with the climate of Miami, Florida, because they reside on North America’s west and east coasts respectively, around the 25’N Latitude line. Puerto San Carlos has a desert climate, averaging under 3 inches of precipitation per year, with 70 degree average temperatures; while Miami has aShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Ocean And How It Moderates Climate868 Words   |  4 PagesTHE EFFECTS OF OCEA N AND HOW IT MODERATES CLIMATE The ocean has existed for around 4.6 billion years after the Earth was created. It plays an essential part in order to maintain life on Earth by maintaining the habitable climate. Due to the ocean, the Earth is able to sustain moderate weather and temperature, in contrast to the moon, which has extreme temperatures. 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