Question 1

The circular pattern of surface water currents is called a gyre.

Accepted Answer

The circular pattern of surface water currents is indeed called a gyre.

Question 2

Deep ocean water masses have characteristic temperatures and salinities.

Accepted Answer

Deep ocean water masses have characteristic temperatures and salinities determined by their source regions and mixing patterns. These characteristics can be used to identify different water masses and track their movements throughout the ocean.

Question 3

An eastern boundary current is narrow and swift.

Accepted Answer

Eastern boundary currents are typically broad and slow, in contrast to western boundary currents which are narrow and swift.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

This is known as the Ekman spiral, where the movement of water is deflected to the right due to the Coriolis effect.

Question 5

Thermohaline circulation is wind-driven.

Accepted Answer

Thermohaline circulation is not wind-driven, it is driven by differences in temperature and salinity which affect the density of ocean water. This density difference causes water to move in a circular pattern, which is known as thermohaline circulation. Wind-driven ocean currents are called surface currents.

Question 6

Deep ocean water does not travel across the equator.

Accepted Answer

Deep ocean currents, part of the thermohaline circulation, can and do travel across the equator, connecting the world's oceans in a global conveyor belt of water movement.

Question 7

The source of some deep ocean water masses can be identified by the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water mass.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Deep ocean water masses that are formed in regions with high oxygen levels will typically have a higher dissolved oxygen content than those formed in regions with lower oxygen levels. Therefore, by measuring the amount of dissolved oxygen in a water mass, scientists can identify its source region.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Surface ocean currents are horizontal movements of water caused by wind, while vertical ocean currents are caused by differences in water density.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

The West Wind Drift, also known as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, occurs in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. It does not occur around the Arctic Circle.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

The Doppler flow meter uses ultrasound technology to measure the velocity of fluids, such as blood flow in the body or water in pipes, to determine flow rates.

Question 11

All deep water in ocean basins originates in the Atlantic Ocean.

Accepted Answer

The answer of All deep water in ocean basins originates...

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

The Gulf Stream moves water from the tropics toward the higher latitudes in the North Atlantic, while the Benguela Current moves water from the higher latitudes in the South Atlantic back toward the equator. There is no direct connection between the Gulf Stream and the Benguela Current.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Dynamic topography, which is the variation in sea level from the geoid, can be used to determine ocean currents by calculating the direction and speed of the water movement.

Question 14

Downwelling may be the result of winds blowing parallel to a coastline.

Accepted Answer

When winds blow parallel to a coastline, they create a surface current that travels along the coastline, which can lead to a buildup of water and downwelling. This is known as coastal upwelling/downwelling.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

This is true. Deep ocean currents commonly take cold, dense water from the poles to other areas of the ocean.

Question 16

The largest current by volume in the oceans is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

Accepted Answer

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, also known as the ACC or the West Wind Drift, is the largest ocean current by volume. It flows continuously eastward around the continent of Antarctica and connects the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.

Question 17

The most dense ocean water is North Atlantic Deep Water.

Accepted Answer

North Atlantic Deep Water is dense, but Antarctic Bottom Water is the densest ocean water, formed in the Southern Ocean.

Question 18

The Mediterranean Sea has little influence on the water of the Atlantic Ocean.

Accepted Answer

The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, and the exchange of water between the two bodies of water has a significant influence on the Atlantic Ocean (e.g. formation of deep water currents and changes in salinity and temperature). Therefore, the statement is false.

Question 19

Monsoons are seasonal low pressure systems that develop at the lower latitudes over continents that cause a change in seasonal winds and precipitation patterns.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Monsoons are seasonal low pressure systems that...

Question 20

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.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Strong upwelling occurs in all of the...

Quiz 7: Ocean Circulation