Real-World Temperature Data From the Gulf of Mexico: Seasonality and Effect of the Loop Current With an Accessible Hands-On Activity
North Atlantic Ocean currents transport warm water from the tropics to higher latitudes, where its warmth impacts weather and climate in North America and Europe. Some of this warm water passes through the Gulf of Mexico via the circuitous Loop Current before joining the Gulf Stream near Florida. Be...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ubiquity Press
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Current: The Journal of Marine Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://account.current-journal.com/index.php/up-j-ctjme/article/view/107 |
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| author | Andrée L. Ramsey Mary Carla Curran Amy S. Bower |
| author_facet | Andrée L. Ramsey Mary Carla Curran Amy S. Bower |
| author_sort | Andrée L. Ramsey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | North Atlantic Ocean currents transport warm water from the tropics to higher latitudes, where its warmth impacts weather and climate in North America and Europe. Some of this warm water passes through the Gulf of Mexico via the circuitous Loop Current before joining the Gulf Stream near Florida. Because ocean temperature influences both the frequency and intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes over the ocean in general, and in the Gulf of Mexico specifically, tracking the position of the meandering Loop Current and its deep-reaching cargo of warm water improves weather prediction, and thus preparation for these extreme storms. In this classroom activity geared for the middle school grade level, students will examine vertical temperature profiles from the Loop Current and surrounding Gulf water collected with autonomous drifting floats to learn about spatial (vertical and horizontal) and seasonal temperature differences in the Gulf. To quantify the differences, students will construct a table of ocean temperature data by depth, location, and season and will interpret the results to learn about the factors that determine the distribution of ocean temperature in the Gulf of Mexico. This activity has modifications for blind and low vision students. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d22b89d37e0d4e7d875bc6048a409bab |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2632-850X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current: The Journal of Marine Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-d22b89d37e0d4e7d875bc6048a409bab2025-01-08T07:54:07ZengUbiquity PressCurrent: The Journal of Marine Education2632-850X2024-12-0139215–2315–2310.5334/cjme.107107Real-World Temperature Data From the Gulf of Mexico: Seasonality and Effect of the Loop Current With an Accessible Hands-On ActivityAndrée L. Ramsey0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7801-6246Mary Carla Curran1https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0423-0785Amy S. Bower2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0902-4984Physical Oceanography Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 02543Professor Emerita, Marine Sciences Program, Savannah State University, Savannah, GAPhysical Oceanography Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 02543North Atlantic Ocean currents transport warm water from the tropics to higher latitudes, where its warmth impacts weather and climate in North America and Europe. Some of this warm water passes through the Gulf of Mexico via the circuitous Loop Current before joining the Gulf Stream near Florida. Because ocean temperature influences both the frequency and intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes over the ocean in general, and in the Gulf of Mexico specifically, tracking the position of the meandering Loop Current and its deep-reaching cargo of warm water improves weather prediction, and thus preparation for these extreme storms. In this classroom activity geared for the middle school grade level, students will examine vertical temperature profiles from the Loop Current and surrounding Gulf water collected with autonomous drifting floats to learn about spatial (vertical and horizontal) and seasonal temperature differences in the Gulf. To quantify the differences, students will construct a table of ocean temperature data by depth, location, and season and will interpret the results to learn about the factors that determine the distribution of ocean temperature in the Gulf of Mexico. This activity has modifications for blind and low vision students.https://account.current-journal.com/index.php/up-j-ctjme/article/view/107gulf of mexicodensitymixed layerocean currentsocean temperaturethermocline |
| spellingShingle | Andrée L. Ramsey Mary Carla Curran Amy S. Bower Real-World Temperature Data From the Gulf of Mexico: Seasonality and Effect of the Loop Current With an Accessible Hands-On Activity Current: The Journal of Marine Education gulf of mexico density mixed layer ocean currents ocean temperature thermocline |
| title | Real-World Temperature Data From the Gulf of Mexico: Seasonality and Effect of the Loop Current With an Accessible Hands-On Activity |
| title_full | Real-World Temperature Data From the Gulf of Mexico: Seasonality and Effect of the Loop Current With an Accessible Hands-On Activity |
| title_fullStr | Real-World Temperature Data From the Gulf of Mexico: Seasonality and Effect of the Loop Current With an Accessible Hands-On Activity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Real-World Temperature Data From the Gulf of Mexico: Seasonality and Effect of the Loop Current With an Accessible Hands-On Activity |
| title_short | Real-World Temperature Data From the Gulf of Mexico: Seasonality and Effect of the Loop Current With an Accessible Hands-On Activity |
| title_sort | real world temperature data from the gulf of mexico seasonality and effect of the loop current with an accessible hands on activity |
| topic | gulf of mexico density mixed layer ocean currents ocean temperature thermocline |
| url | https://account.current-journal.com/index.php/up-j-ctjme/article/view/107 |
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