• Question: What is one of your "tanks which show ocean currents" explain how it works please.

    Asked by roryrory to Dave on 15 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Dave Sproson

      Dave Sproson answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Hello!

      There are a few different demonstrations you can do to show processes that happen in the ocean (or in the atmosphere – the physics of the two are both quite similar).

      My favourite is where you get a circular tank, put a load of ice in a small section in the middle, and then start it rotating on a turntable. The change in temperature from the middle to the edge of the tank then simulates the change in temperature between the equator and poles of the earth, and the spinning of the tank simulates the rotation of the Earth. If you then put some dye in the water you can see tiny little weather systems like you get in the ocean or atmosphere.

      Did you know the ocean has weather? The systems are very similar to the weather you get in the atmosphere, but maybe about 50x smaller, and they can last for months!

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