Ocean temperature

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ocean-temperature

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is ocean temperature and why does it change?Ocean temperature is the warmth of sea water. It changes with the seasons, sunlight, and ocean currents.
2. How do ocean currents like the Gulf Stream affect the weather?Currents move warm water from the tropics toward the poles, making coastal climates milder and helping to keep the air cooler in winter.

Thermal Inertia: The tendency of a substance to resist changes in temperature due to its large heat capacity.
Albedo: The reflectivity of a surface; lighter surfaces like ice have high albedo, darker surfaces like ocean water have low albedo.
Stratification: The layering of ocean water based on density, primarily influenced by temperature and salinity.