Water temperature

In this activity, students look at what happens when hot and cold water meet.

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

• discuss how temperature affects the density of water

• discuss how temperature and density affect ocean currents

• discuss how wind can mix up the layers of warm and cold water.

Sea surface temperature

See more

This image clearly shows warmer surface water near the equator and cooler surface water near the poles. The image was made from satellite data collected in August 2025.

Rights: Climate Central

Referencing Hub media

Download the Word file for:

• introduction/background notes

• what you need

• what to do

• student handout

• idea.