The Thermohaline Circulation - The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt
Provided by: NASA|Published on: March 20, 2021
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: NASA
Region: Global
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video and article explain thermohaline circulation, or the movement of cold surface water into the deeper parts of the ocean, which occurs near polar regions.
- Students will also learn about the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, a current that flows around the Earth without encountering any land masses, allowing for thermohaline circulation.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The article does a good job of explaining thermohaline circulation.
- The video presents a simple animation of the ocean currents that will help students to visualize thermohaline circulation.
Additional Prerequisites
- Teachers may want to read the article with students before viewing the video because the video does not have any audio or text to describe the phenomenon.
- Teachers may want to pause the animation at intervals to discuss what is happening in the visualization.
Differentiation
- In advanced earth science classes, teachers could show the video to students without any context and ask them to form a hypothesis about what is happening.
- Classes could discuss why the thermohaline circulation is likened to an ocean conveyor belt and the effect that the circulation has on ocean ecosystems.
- Other resources on this topic include this TED-Ed video on ocean currents, this video on the ways that climate change impacts ocean currents, and this video on how oceans circulate.
This resource consists of a silent (non-narrated) video of the ocean thermohaline circulation that focuses especially on the northern Atlantic and the Antarctic Circumpolar Circulation, as well as textual descriptions. There is sufficient detail for teachers as to the science being shown in the video and the appropriate ages and standards, as well as a link to the original NASA source. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
