Ocean water is constantly on the move to make currents. Ocean currents are water circulation patterns that influence climate, living conditions for plants and animals, as well as the routes taken by ships across the seas. Currents flow in complex patterns, affected by wind, heat content, salinity, the earth's rotation, and the topography of the land. To help understand how currents work and which currents would have affected the travel of Timothy and Philip, use the web sites to navigate your way and help you answer any questions. Sailors benefit from knowing which way and how fast the ocean currents flow.

Understanding Currents:

http://www.whoi.edu/science/briefs/public_html/Coastal-Brief-94-05.html

Questions to think about:

1. What are some properties of seawater that affect currents?

2. How do oceanographers measure current speed?

http://njnie.dl.stevens-tech.edu/curriculum/oceans/currents.html

http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/oceanography_currents_3.html

http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/tutorial2.html

Drifter Buoys:

Drifter buoys are often released by many countries to study ocean currents. The buoys float with the currents and take measurements with built-in instruments. Buoys float and travel with the currents similar to how the raft that Timothy and Philip floated on. To understand how drifter buoys are tracked and how they help understand the ocean currents, read through the information and participate in the activity given.

http://www.athena.ivv.nasa.gov/curric/oceans/drifters/index.html

http://www.athena.ivv.nasa.gov/curric/oceans/drifters/drifters.html

Questions to think about:

1. How do buoys help oceanographers?

2. How do buoys help study currents, which can then help sailors.

3. Using the information given about currents and buoys, can you predict where Timothy and Philip will end up?

Buoy activity:

http://www.athena.ivv.nasa.gov/curric/oceans/drifters/fdrift.html

Images of Current Movement:

http://www1.etl.noaa.gov/othr/index.html

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