Understanding+Ocean+Currents+++A+Nike+Case+Study

Background Information:
On May 27, 1990, the cargo vessel //Hansa Carrier//, en route from Korea to Los Angeles, hit a severe, sudden storm. Unfortunately, the storm's waves washed over the deck and took twenty-one large containers. Five of these 40 ft containers contained various types of Nike shoes (i.e., men, women, children, work boots, athletic, etc...)

Six months after the incident, the shoes began washing up from Japan to California. It was your job as the "Honorary Chief Shoe Scout" to log the time, date, and plot whereabouts of any shoes reported to gain a better understanding of ocean surface currents.

Here is the latitude and longitude for each incident:


 * Shoe spill, May 27, 1990 48°N, 161°W
 * 250 recovered, March 26, 1991 59°N, 139°W
 * 200 recovered, May 18, 1991 55°N, 130°W
 * 100 recovered, February, 1991 53°N, 131°W
 * 200 recovered, November, 1990 49°N, 126°W
 * 200 recovered, February, 1991 47°N, 125°W
 * 150 recovered, April 4, 1991 44°N, 124°W
 * 200 recovered, May 9-10, 1991 40°N, 124°W
 * Several recovered, January, 1993 19°N, 155.5°W
 * Several recovered, January, 1994 32°N, 132°E
 * Several recovered, April, 1996 54°N, 133°W'

PROCEDURES (Complete on the Map):



 * 1) In your interactive notebook, number each of the data points to reflect the true chronological order (i.e., #1. 48N, 161W)
 * 2) Plot the location of each point, in chronological order.
 * 3) Draw small, neat arrows between the points.



MATERIALS:

 * [|Map of the North Pacific]
 * [|Pacific Currents & Gyers]
 * Pen/Pencil

Task 1: ANALYSIS OF DATA (Interactive Notebook):

 * 1) Define these terms: (a) gyre (b) current (c) eddy
 * 2) By looking at the data you plotted on your map, write a sentence or two describing the general shape of the route or pathway taken by the drifting shoes.
 * 3) Write 3-5 sentences explaining this pathway using appropriate terms from #1 above.
 * 4) Using an atlas or other reference showing the major surface currents in the Pacific Ocean, (a) List the names for each of the currents that affected the distribution of the shoes, and (b) write them on you map showing their correct location.

media type="custom" key="21988714"

Task 2: GEOGRAPHIC AND MATH EXTENSIONS (Interactive Notebook):

 * 1) Using a Google map and the distance scale, calculate approximately how far the shoes traveled between the point where they spilled and their first landfall. You might have to get a bit creative (i.e., copying the scale onto a sticky note).
 * 2) Considering the distance you figured in #1, and the time it took for the shoes to make their first landfall, (a) What was the speed of the current moving those shoes in kilometers per day? (b) miles per day? (c) kilometers per hour? (d) miles per hour?
 * 3) Calculate approximately how far the shoes traveled between California and Hawaii.
 * 4) Considering the distance you figured in #3, and the time it took for the shoes to move from California to Hawaii (a) What was the speed of the current moving those shoes in kilometers per day? (b) miles per day? (c) kilometers per hour? (d) miles per hour?
 * 5) Name the two surface currents you have been studying in the above questions.
 * 6) Based on your calculations, rank the two surface currents according to their speed.
 * 7) Based on the average speed of the two currents, how long would it take for plankton drifting off the coast of San Francisco to reach Santa Monica Bay?


 * If there is not a day mentioned, use the 15th of the month to calculate**

Credits: This lesson was adapted from http://www.msc.ucla.edu/oceanglobe/pdf/nike_invest.pdf