Deck 7: Ocean Circulation

Question 1

Dynamic topography can be used to determine current direction and velocity.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Match the term or person with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)tropical latitudes
B)cold current, northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
C)northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes, warm current
D)cold current, southern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
E)cold current, polar latitudes, southern hemisphere
Kuroshio Current

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The five subtropical gyres exhibit geostrophic flow, related to pressure gradients, friction, and the Coriolis effect.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Match the term or person with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)tropical latitudes
B)cold current, northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
C)northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes, warm current
D)cold current, southern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
E)cold current, polar latitudes, southern hemisphere
Canary Current

Question 5

The circular movement of surface water currents driven by the major wind belts are called gyres.

Question 6

A Doppler flow meter is a scientific instrument used to measure current flow rates.

Question 7

Surface currents affect about 90% of the world's ocean water.

Question 8

Match the term or person with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)tropical latitudes
B)cold current, northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
C)northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes, warm current
D)cold current, southern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
E)cold current, polar latitudes, southern hemisphere
California Current

Question 9

Match the term or description with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)seasonal wind pattern
B)water mass found in the Sargasso Sea
C)net water movement to the left or right of the direction of the wind
D)movement of water from the bottom to the top of the water column
E)unit of current velocity
F)water flow driven by gravity and modified by the Coriolis force
G)movement of water from the top to the bottom of the water column
geostrophic current

Question 10

Match the term or description with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)seasonal wind pattern
B)water mass found in the Sargasso Sea
C)net water movement to the left or right of the direction of the wind
D)movement of water from the bottom to the top of the water column
E)unit of current velocity
F)water flow driven by gravity and modified by the Coriolis force
G)movement of water from the top to the bottom of the water column
Ekman transport

Question 11

An eastern boundary current is generally narrow and swift.

Question 12

Match the term or person with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)tropical latitudes
B)cold current, northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
C)northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes, warm current
D)cold current, southern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
E)cold current, polar latitudes, southern hemisphere
Benguela Current

Question 13

Match the term or person with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)tropical latitudes
B)cold current, northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
C)northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes, warm current
D)cold current, southern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
E)cold current, polar latitudes, southern hemisphere
Gulf Stream

Question 14

Match the term or description with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)seasonal wind pattern
B)water mass found in the Sargasso Sea
C)net water movement to the left or right of the direction of the wind
D)movement of water from the bottom to the top of the water column
E)unit of current velocity
F)water flow driven by gravity and modified by the Coriolis force
G)movement of water from the top to the bottom of the water column
downwelling

Question 15

In the northern hemisphere, Ekman transport pushes surface water to the right of the wind direction.

Question 16

Western boundary currents such as the Gulf Stream transport warm water from the tropics towards higher latitudes.

Question 17

Match the term or description with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)seasonal wind pattern
B)water mass found in the Sargasso Sea
C)net water movement to the left or right of the direction of the wind
D)movement of water from the bottom to the top of the water column
E)unit of current velocity
F)water flow driven by gravity and modified by the Coriolis force
G)movement of water from the top to the bottom of the water column
upwelling

Question 18

Surface or wind-driven currents move water primarily in a vertical direction in the ocean.

Question 19

Surface ocean currents are vertical currents in the water column that are density-driven.

Question 20

Match the term or person with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or not at all.

A)tropical latitudes
B)cold current, northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
C)northern hemisphere, temperate latitudes, warm current
D)cold current, southern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
E)cold current, polar latitudes, southern hemisphere
West Wind Drift

Question 21

During its time in the deep ocean, deep water can become enriched in oxygen.

Question 22

Deep ocean currents often move cold, dense water away from the poles.

Question 23

Monsoons are seasonal pressure systems that develop at lower latitudes over continents, which cause changes in seasonal winds and precipitation patterns.

Question 24

The main current in Antarctic waters is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, also called the West Wind Drift.

Question 25

Surface ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ and modified by ________.

A)density differences; the Coriolis effect and land
B)density differences; differences in salinity and temperature
C)latitude; differences in salinity and land
D)wind; the Coriolis effect and land
E)wind; gravity and density

Question 26

Which of the following is not an eastern boundary current?

A)California Current
B)Canary Current
C)Gulf Stream
D)Peru Current
E)W) Australian Current

Question 27

Thermohaline circulation is wind-driven.

Question 28

Deep ocean water masses have characteristic temperatures and salinities.

Question 29

Equatorial currents are driven by the:

A)Coriolis force.
B)density.
C)Ekman transport.
D)trade winds.
E)westerlies.

Question 30

Which of the following statements is true of surface ocean currents?

A)Surface currents concentrate warm water in the center of the gyre at mid latitudes.
B)Surface currents form circular patterns in the major ocean basins called "gyres."
C)Surface currents occur within and below the pycnocline.
D)Surface currents transport cold water toward the poles.
E)Surface currents transport warm water toward the equator.

Question 31

Identify the mismatched pair from the choices below.

A)Agulhas Current, West Australia Current
B)Brazil Current, Benguela Current
C)Canary Current, Gulf Stream
D)Kuroshio Current, California Current
E)Labrador Current, Humboldt Current

Question 32

Which of the following is a western boundary current?

A)Benguela Current
B)Brazil Current
C)Canary Current
D)California Current
E)Peru Current

Question 33

Downwelling may be the result of winds blowing parallel to a coastline or the convergence of surface currents.

Question 34

Compared to western boundary currents, eastern boundary currents are:

A)broad and deep.
B)broad and slow.
C)deep and swift.
D)narrow and deep.
E)shallow and swift.

Question 35

The densest ocean water is North Atlantic Deep Water.

Question 36

Compared to an eastern boundary current in a gyre, which of the following statements is true for a western boundary current?

A)deeper current
B)increased current velocity
C)warmer water
D)narrower current
E)All of the above statements are true of western boundary currents.

Question 37

The West Wind Drift occurs at 60°N around the Arctic Circle.

Question 38

Deep ocean water does not travel across the equator.

Question 39

The Gulf Stream moves water away from the equator; the Benguela Current moves some of this same water back toward the equator.

Question 40

Deep ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ and modified by ________.

A)density differences; the Coriolis effect and land
B)density differences; differences in salinity and temperature
C)latitude; differences in salinity and land
D)wind; the Coriolis effect and land
E)wind; gravity and density

Question 41

Sources of deep water in the ocean include all of the following except:

A)southern subpolar latitudes.
B)northern subpolar latitudes.
C)subtropical convergences.
D)Arctic convergence.
E)Antarctic convergence.

Question 42

Surface waters are pushed away from land and replaced by nutrient-rich bottom water through:

A)convergence.
B)downwelling.
C)land breezes.
D)sea breezes.
E)upwelling.

Question 43

Western intensification causes:

A)a steeper slope of surface water in the western section of the gyre as compare to the eastern section of the gyre.
B)equatorial countercurrents.
C)the center of the gyre to be shift to the west.
D)very swift western boundary currents.
E)All of the above statements are the result of westward intensification.

Question 44

Deep-water circulation brings dense, cold, oxygen-rich water from the surface to the deep ocean because of:

A)greater rates of photosynthesis in deep water.
B)greater dissolution of oxygen in colder water than warmer water.
C)increases in pH with depth.
D)decreases in pH with depth.
E)greater volcanic out-gassing at the ocean surface.

Question 45

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A. Agulhas Current
B) Benguela Current
C) California Current
D) Canary Current
E) West Australian Current

Question 46

The worldwide effects of El Niño include all of the following except:

A)coral reef deaths in the Pacific Ocean.
B)crop failure in the Philippines.
C)drought in the U.S. Gulf coastal states.
D)increased Pacific cyclone activity.
E)water shortages in Sri Lanka.

Question 47

When a meander from the Gulf Stream pinches off and isolates a body of water within the North Atlantic gyre, the body of water is called a:

A)cold core ring.
B)cyclonic circulation.
C)geostrophic circulation.
D)Langmuir cell.
E)warm core ring.

Question 48

Geostrophic circulation within a gyre driven by:

A)density and the wind.
B)gravity and the Coriolis effect.
C)temperature and pressure.
D)the wind and pressure.
E)salinity and gravity.

Question 49

The arrangement of water masses in the southern Atlantic Ocean from the surface to the bottom is:

A)Antarctic Bottom Water, Antarctic Intermediate Water, North Atlantic Deep Water.
B)Antarctic Intermediate Water, Antarctic Bottom Water, North Atlantic Deep Water.
C)Antarctic Intermediate Water, North Atlantic Deep Water, Antarctic Bottom Water.
D)North Atlantic Deep Water, Antarctic Bottom Water, Antarctic Intermediate Water.
E)North Atlantic Deep Water, Antarctic Intermediate Water, Antarctic Bottom Water.

Question 50

The El Niño Southern Oscillation can best be described as:

A)relative changes between two different atmospheric pressure systems at high altitude.
B)the relationship between sea surface temperature and changing atmospheric pressure.
C)tidal differences between coastal Peru and Darwin, Australia.
D)variation in wind speed over the Pacific Ocean.
E)wind speed and wind direction differences along the equator.

Question 51

Strong upwelling occurs in all of the following except:

A)between the North and South Equatorial Currents.
B)in areas of surface current divergence
C)in the area surrounding the Galapagos Islands.
D)where deep ocean water currents are formed.
E)where water is constantly pushed away from a coastline.

Question 52

In the southern hemisphere, the direction of Ekman transport is always:

A)at a 45° angle from the wind direction.
B)perpendicular to the wind direction.
C)to the east of the wind direction.
D)to the left of the wind direction.
E)to the right of the wind direction.

Question 53

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A. Gulf of Alaska
B) Indian
C) North Atlantic
D) South Atlantic
E) South Pacific

Question 54

Compared to Antarctic Bottom Water, North Atlantic Deep Water is:

A)colder.
B)denser.
C)higher in nutrients.
D)higher in salinity.
E)lower in oxygen.

Question 55

Which of the following is true of surface water circulation near Antarctica?

A)A gyre is formed here.
B)Two circumpolar currents dominate it, one current that moves water to the east and one current that moves water to the west.
C)It is dominated by water flow directly away from the polar region toward the north.
D)The surface ocean has no strong currents.
E)The circulation of water around the Antarctic continent is driven by density differences.

Question 56

The Ekman spiral is caused by:

A)density differences in the water column.
B)the wind and gravity.
C)the wind and the Coriolis effect.
D)the pycnocline.
E)pressure gradients.

Question 57

Thermohaline circulation is driven by:

A)density differences.
B)the Coriolis effect.
C)latitude.
D)longitude.
E)wind.

Question 58

Which type of current flow moves in a circular path around a subtropical convergence, reflecting Ekman transport, gravity, and the Coriolis effect?

A)counter-current circulation
B)density-driven circulation
C)geostrophic circulation
D)Langmuir circulation
E)thermohaline circulation

Question 59

All are true of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current except:

A)the Antarctic Circumpolar Current contributes to the development of Antarctic bottom water in the Weddell Sea.
B)the Antarctic Circumpolar Current contributes to upwelling off the Antarctic coast producing an area of high primary productivity in Antarctic summer.
C)the Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows in a counterclockwise direction around the southern hemisphere at 60°S latitude.
D)the Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows in the opposite direction to the East Wind Drift, a current the flows close to the Antarctic continent.
E)the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is created by the prevailing winds at that latitude.

Question 60

During winter months, monsoon winds over the Indian Ocean:

A)flow from land to sea and are dry.
B)flow from land to sea and are wet.
C)flow from sea to land and are dry.
D)flow from sea to land and are wet.
E)the direction of airflow is unchanged but precipitation increases.

Question 61

Discuss the relationship between Ekman transport and geostrophic flow within a gyre. How does this relationship contribute to western intensification?

Question 62

Distinguish between upwelling and downwelling.

Question 63

Compare and contrast western boundary currents and eastern boundary currents.

Question 64

Discuss and compare the forces that are responsible for creating surface and thermohaline circulation in the oceans. Include in your answer the ultimate source of energy that drives both circulation systems.

Question 65

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A. Gulf Stream
B) Kuroshio Current
C) North Equatorial Current
D) Peru Current
E) Somali Current

Question 66

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A. Australian drought
B) decreased fish stock in coastal Peru
C) flooding rains in southeastern U.S.
D) Peruvian upwelling stops
E) strong trade winds

Question 67

Discuss the biological impact of upwelling and downwelling on marine ecosystems. Provide examples of marine systems that are impacted by these processes in your answer.

Question 68

Describe the location of the western boundary and eastern boundary current within a gyre. How is the direction of these currents related to heat distribution of the Earth's oceans?

Question 69

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A. thermohaline circulation
B) density-driven circulation
C) Antarctic Bottom Water
D) Kuroshio Current
E) North Atlantic Deep Water

Question 70

Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A. California Current
B) Canary Current
C) Gulf Stream
D) North Atlantic Current
E) North Equatorial Current

Question 71

Describe the El Niño Southern Oscillation. What global environmental effects characterize an El Niño event? What global environmental effects characterize a La Niña event?

Question 72

Briefly describe the effects of severe El Niño events.

Question 73

Describe the circulation of deep ocean water.

Question 74

Briefly describe the different ways that ocean currents are measured.