Deck 8: Ocean Circulation

Question 1

England's weather is ____ than would be expected at that latitude because of the influence of surface currents.

A)colder
B)drier
C)less humid
D)warmer and wetter

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Currents tend to move in large ____ patterns in the Northern Hemisphere.

A)irregular
B)counterclockwise
C)clockwise
D)random

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The only ocean current that continues in an uninterrupted circle around the circumference of Earth without encountering land is the ____.

A)Gulf Stream
B)Kuroshio, or Japan, Current
C)Antarctic Circumpolar Current
D)Canary Current

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which ocean surface current transports the greatest volume of water?

A)The Kuroshio (or Japan)Current
B)The North Equatorial Current in the Pacific
C)The South Equatorial Current in the Pacific
D)The Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Question 5

A system of ocean currents that circulate around the periphery of an ocean basin due to the forces of surface winds, the sun's heat, the Coriolis effect, and gravity is called ____.

A)a cell
B)a gyre
C)a microscale current
D)convection cells

Question 6

The Canary Current is an example of a ____.

A)shallow, cold water current
B)deep, cold water current
C)warm, southerly current
D)mesopelagic current

Question 7

A transverse current is a ____.

A)bottom current flowing in the same direction as an overlying surface current
B)surface current that connects eastern-boundary and western-boundary currents
C)cold surface current that flows from the poles towards the equator
D)theoretical current not yet discovered

Question 8

The primary force responsible for surface currents is ____.

A)weather
B)wind
C)the sun
D)the tides

Question 9

Earth's rotation influences currents by a "force" known as ____.

A)an Ekman spiral
B)geostrophism
C)the gyre counter rotation
D)the Coriolis effect

Question 10

Which of these is commonly an effect of El Niño?

A)A decline in the exotic species of fish and other forms of marine life in the affected waters
B)A decrease in ocean surface temperature in the eastern Pacific
C)A decrease in rainfall in west coastal countries or states of the American continents
D)An often catastrophic decrease in the commercial fisheries of the affected countries

Question 11

Which of the following is an eastern boundary current?

A)Canary Current
B)Kuroship Current
C)Gulf Stream
D)North Equatorial Current

Question 12

Coastal upwelling is most common in association with ____.

A)western boundary currents
B)eastern boundary currents
C)transverse currents
D)northern boundary currents

Question 13

Which statement about geostrophic gyres is true?

A)One of the six gyres is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
B)Gyres are influenced by the Coriolis effect and the position of continental land masses.
C)Gyres are formed by deep water currents that flow in a continuous circuit around the five major basins.
D)Sea level is lower in the middle of the gyre.

Question 14

A sverdrup (sv)is a measure of ____.

A)wind speed
B)current speed and direction
C)the volume of water transported in an ocean current
D)the amount of heat transferred to water from the sun

Question 15

The mass flow of ocean water that is driven by wind or gravity is referred to as a(n)____.

A)wave
B)ENSO event
C)current
D)tide

Question 16

San Francisco's characteristic cold and foggy weather is caused by a ____.

A)cold eastern boundary current
B)warm eastern boundary current
C)cold western boundary current
D)warm western boundary current

Question 17

Which of the following statements is true about an Ekman spiral?

A)The net flow of a wind-driven surface current in the Northern Hemisphere will flow at about a 50 ° angle to the wind.
B)With increasing depth, each layer will move faster than the overlying layer of water.
C)Because of Ekman transport, at some friction depth, water will be moving in the opposite direction from the surface current.
D)An Ekman spiral is not influenced by the Coriolis effect.

Question 18

Generally the fastest and deepest ocean currents are ____.

A)northern boundary currents
B)eastern boundary currents
C)western boundary currents
D)southern boundary currents

Question 19

One source of dissolved gases and nutrients to deep waters is ____.

A)downwelling
B)upwelling
C)conduction
D)Langmuir Circulation

Question 20

The largest of the western boundary currents is the ____.

A)Gulf Stream
B)California Current
C)East Pacific Gyre
D)Canary Current

Question 21

Upwelling areas are ____.

A)only found near the equator
B)usually nutrient poor
C)sometimes depleted of nutrients during El Niño years
D)not affected by Ekman transport

Question 22

One example of horizontal water movement is called downwelling.

Question 23

The Gulf Stream is a current that runs south along the eastern coast of the United States.

Question 24

El Niño results due to an interruption of flow of the ____ Current in the Pacific.

A)Kuroshio
B)Equatorial
C)Canary
D)Antarctic Circumpolar

Question 25

The densest water in ocean currents is the ____.

A)warmest and saltiest
B)coldest and saltiest
C)warmest and freshest
D)coldest and freshest

Question 26

The Kuroshio Current is an example of an eastern boundary current.

Question 27

Antarctic Bottom Water flows ____ water in surface currents.

A)about the same speed as
B)slightly faster than
C)much faster than
D)much slower than

Question 28

Surface water extends to a depth of about ____.

A)600 meters
B)1,000 meters
C)50 meters
D)200 meters

Question 29

Ocean gyres are asymmetrical because of the Coriolis effect.

Question 30

The main force driving thermohaline circulation is ____.

A)wind
B)the Coriolis effect
C)density
D)electromagnetic attraction

Question 31

Which statement is true with regard to thermohaline circulation?

A)Thermohaline circulation is caused by even and steady global heating of the ocean.
B)Thermohaline circulation is the result of heating of the ocean at high latitudes and cooling at low latitudes.
C)Thermohaline circulation is driven by density gradients.
D)Thermohaline circulation is primarily driven by wind.

Question 32

Thermohaline circulation is a ____ phenomenon.

A)small-scale
B)global
C)local
D)coastal

Question 33

The North Atlantic gyre is composed of the Gulf Stream, the North Atlantic Current, the Canary Current and the North Equatorial Current.

Question 34

Equatorial upwelling occurs in westward-flowing equatorial surface currents.

Question 35

Thermohaline circulation is responsible for large-scale movements of ocean water and depends on both the salinity and the temperature of water.

Question 36

Transverse currents can flow eastward or westward.

Question 37

Upwelling has no influence on weather.

Question 38

Oceanographers name water masses according to their relative position. In temperate and tropical latitudes, there are ____common water masses.

A)three
B)four
C)five
D)six

Question 39

Surface winds normally move across most of the tropical Pacific in a(n)____ direction.

A)northeast
B)west to east
C)east to west
D)northwest

Question 40

Geostrophic currents are primarily wind driven.

Question 41

What is upwelling and why is it important for biological productivity?

Question 42

How do scientists study currents?

Question 43

Describe how ocean currents affect the global distribution of heat and give an example of how they moderate climate.

Question 44

What is ENSO?

Question 45

Describe the two primary forces that set ocean water in motion and how they drive both surface and thermohaline currents.