A drift bottle is tossed into the ocean off the coast of Peru. Three years later the bottle is recovered on a beach in northern California. Describe the most likely path of the bottle from Peru to California, assuming it to have been transported solely by ocean surface currents.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Peru Current flows north along the coast of South America, then turns west and becomes the South Equatorial Current. The South Equatorial Current flows west across the Pacific Ocean, then turns north and becomes the North Equatorial Current. The North Equatorial Current flows west across the Pacific Ocean, then turns north and becomes the Kuroshio Current. The Kuroshio Current flows north along the coast of Japan, then turns east and becomes the North Pacific Current. The North Pacific Current flows east across the Pacific Ocean, then turns south and becomes the California Current. The California Current flows south along the coast of North America.

A Drift Bottle Is Tossed into the Ocean Off the Coast