Ch. 7; Understanding the Concepts

Of the following conditions, which is/are related to strong El Niño events?

A) increased abundance of hurricanes in the eastern Pacific Ocean B) increase in sea surface temperatures and destruction of coral reefs in the eastern Pacific Ocean C) higher sea levels in the eastern Pacific Ocean associated with warmer water

Of the following surface currents, which one(s) flow from south to north?

A) the Gulf Stream B) Peru Current C) Kuroshio Current

Of the following currents, which ones are part of the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre?

A) Benguela Current B) Brazil Current C) West Wind Drift D) South Equatorial Current

Of the following statements about Ekman spiral and Ekman transport, which is/are true?

A) Connecting the arrows of water movement from the surface into deeper waters shows the spiral pattern. B) Within the Ekman spiral, deeper water can move in a direction exactly opposite of the wind direction. C) The two factors that affect the Ekman spiral are the wind direction and the Coriolis effect. D) Because of the Coriolis effect, surface waters move at an angle to the wind direction.

Of the following statements about deep-ocean currents, which is/are true?

A) Deep-ocean currents contain water that is high in oxygen. B) Deep-ocean circulation is often referred to as thermohaline flow. C) The volume of water involved in the downward movement of deep-ocean currents is equal to the flow of 100 Amazon-sized rivers. D) Deep-ocean currents are important regulators of global climate. E) Deep-ocean currents are initiated by downwelling of cold, dense water near Antarctica and in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The West Wind Drift (Antarctic Circumpolar Current) is a part of which of the following subtropical gyres?

A) Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre B) South Pacific Subtropical Gyre C) South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre

Of the following gyres, which one(s) flow in a counterclockwise direction?

A) Northern Hemisphere Subpolar Gyres B) South Pacific Subtropical Gyre C) South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre D)Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre

Of the following statements about subtropical gyres, which is/are true?

A) The western boundary current of all subtropical gyres is intensified (it is fast, narrow, and deep). B) The centers of all subtropical gyres are associated with high atmospheric pressure. C) The rotation of each subtropical gyre causes a "hill" of water to pile up within it. D) Globally, there are five subtropical gyres. E) There are four main surface currents in each subtropical gyre.

Of the following surface currents, which one(s) flow generally from west to east?

A) West Wind Drift B) North Pacific Current C) Equatorial Counter Current

Of the following locations, where would upwelling be expected to occur?

A) where there is a sharp bend in a coastline B) where there is a shallowly submerged sea floor obstruction, such as a tablemount C) in areas of offshore winds D) in areas of diverging surface currents, such as along the equator