ocean 7-9

The salinity range for AABW is ______________________.

34.6 to 34.8

because of Ekman transport, under ideal condition's water moves?

90 to the left southerner or to the right northerner from the direction's of the wind

Deep ocean currents occur in the deep zone below the pycnocline, so they influence about ________ of all ocean water.

90%

which of the following causes baja Cal. to have a temp. climate even though it is at the same latitude as Flo.?

Cal. Currents

Which of the following does not apply to upwelling?

Caused by converging surface currents

The ENSO El Niño is responsible for worldwide climate situations. The economy of Peru has been greatly affected by El Niño. Why?

Cold, nutrient-rich upwelling waters that facilitate the fisheries were covered by the warm, nutrient-poor waters of El Niño.

When two waves with the same wavelength collide in phase, what happens?

Crests and troughs line up. Wave heights are additive. Constructive interference occurs.

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

Deeper currents, increased current velocity, warmer water, and narrower current are all true of western boundary currents

On a west coast in the Northern Hemisphere, what happens to surface waters when winds blow from the south?

Downwelling occurs. Surface waters move onshore.

The California Current is an example of which of the following types of currents?

Eastern Boundary Current

Which of the following move cool water from high latitudes towards the equator and are located on the eastern side of the oceans?

Eastern Boundary Current

The observation that ships and icebergs in the southern hemisphere float to the left of the wind direction is an example of which of the following?

Ekman transport

The map below is color coded for sea surface temperature anomalies. The dark red line running along the equator indicates that ______________ are occurring.

El Niño conditions

The North Atlantic Gyre contains the following currents except which one?

Florida Current

Which of the following is NOT a result of a strong El Niño?

Great fishing off the coast of South America

One of the world's most powerful currents, located off the east coast of the United States, is the __________.

Gulf Stream

The current in the northwestern part of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre that transports warm water toward the North Atlantic is called the __________.

Gulf Stream

Which of the following is NOT an eastern boundary current?

Gulf Stream

Which of the following statements is/are true regarding surface ocean currents?

Gyres in the Southern Hemisphere rotate counterclockwise Cold currents flow at high latitudes or from higher latitudes toward the equator.

Why was the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami so deadly?

Indian Ocean tsunami are relatively rare. People did not immediately evacuate following the offshore earthquake. People did not recognize the signs of an approaching tsunami.

What is the Walker Circulation Cell?

It is the path that air takes as it moves from high to low pressure, and back to high pressure, in the South Pacific under normal conditions.

The dark blue line running along the equator indicates that ______________ are occurring.

La Niña conditions

Which type of landform is particularly prone to mega-tsunami generation?

Large volcanic islands are particularly prone to mega-tsunami generation.

What geological phenomenon creates a mega tsunami?

Mega tsunamis are waves created by landslides.

What causes wave reflection at "The Wedge" in Newport Beach?

Newport Jetty

The Gulf Stream transports warm water into the __________.

North Atlantic

A deep and powerful southward subsurface current that flows under the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic is the __________.

North Atlantic Deep Water

Where do some scientists believe the next major volcanic island mega-tsunami-generating landslide will likely occur?

Some scientists believe the next major volcanic island mega-tsunami-generating landslide will occur in the Canary Islands.

The Brazil Current is associated with which Gyre?

South Atlantic Gyre

Which of the following contributes to the formation of La Niña conditions?

Stronger than normal tradewinds and equatorial currents.

On a west coast in the Northern Hemisphere, what happens to surface waters when winds blow from the north?

Surface waters move offshore. Upwelling occurs

The Southern Ocean is dominated by what single large current?

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (West Wind Drift)

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

The current moves all the way around the continent of Antarctica- the only current to completely circle the Earth.

What is the relationship between wave base and wavelength?

The depth of the wave base is one-half the wavelength of the waves.

What would you expect weather to be like on the eastern coast of Australia if the western coast of South America were experiencing unusually warm, wet weather?

The eastern coast of Australia would be experiencing unusually dry weather.

Why does wave height increase as waves enter shallow water?

The energy of the wave must be contained within a smaller water column in shallow water.

What causes wave refraction?

The part of a wave in shallow water slows down, causing the wave to bend and line up nearly parallel to the shore.

What triggers a wave traveling across the ocean to finally release its energy?

The wave begins to interact with the sea floor as it moves into shallower water.

Why do ocean waves bend around headlands?

The waves are moving more slowly just in front of the headland, causing the waves to bend.

True or False: La Niña conditions are like normal conditions, but more pronounced.

True

How does water move as waves pass?

Water moves in a circle in the same direction as wave movement.

How does wave amplitude change with depth in water?

Wave amplitude decreases as depth increases.

How does wave refraction at headlands affect deposition and erosion?

Wave refraction at the headland increases erosion at the headland and causes deposition in adjacent bays.

Which of the following currents goes all the way around the world without being interrupted by land?

West Wind Drift

Which of the following currents move warm water from equatorial regions towards the poles and are located on the western sides of the oceans?

Western Boundary Current

Mega tsunamis are waves created by landslides.

When a tsunami reaches the shoreline, the front of the wave slows down, but the back of the wave is still traveling fast and pushes up against the front of the wave.

Why does upwelling occur along the west coast of South America under normal conditions?

Winds moving westward in the South Pacific drive ocean currents toward the west; deep water rises to replace water driven westward.

What caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004?

a 9.2-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia in the Java Trench

What common household item is used in this video to demonstrate the Ekman spiral?

a deck of playing cards

What is a tsunami?

a seismic sea wave a shallow-water wave caused by displacement of the water column

The thermocline is _________________.

a steep temperature gradient in the ocean that separates deeper cold water from warmer upper water

To what depth in the ocean does the Ekman spiral extend?

about 100 meters (330 feet)

What can cause a tsunami?

an undersea land slidean undersea volcanic eruptiona meteor impact on the oceanan undersea earthquake

Surface ocean currents ___.

are influenced by Coriolis effect are driven by windsform large rotating gyres in the major ocean basins

Warm ocean currents ___.

are warmer than the surrounding water

In the Northern Hemisphere, subtropical ocean gyres rotate

clockwise.

La Niña conditions

cold water temperature, very

When a meander from the Gulf Stream pinches off into the warm water south of the current, the eddy is called a __________.

cold-core eddy or ring

What causes the waves to be unusually high at "The Wedge" in Newport Beach?

constructive interference between reflected waves and incoming waves

Normal conditions

cool water temperature, high

In the Southern Hemisphere, subtropical ocean gyres rotate

counterclockwise.

The loss of heat from the ocean surface, resulting in a lowered temperature, causes ocean water to become __________.

denser

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

density differences; differences in salinity and temperature

When two waves with the same wavelength collide out of phase, what happens?

destructive interference Crests and troughs cancel each other out.

Equatorial currents that are part of the subtropical gyres flow ___. Equatorial counter currents between the gyres flow ___ .

east to west; west to east

Which direction do ocean currents in the South Pacific move under El Niño conditions?

eastward

Ocean frontal systems that spin off from currents such as the Gulf Stream, akin to atmospheric storms, are known as __________.

eddies

Which of the following best describes a plunging breaker?

forms on moderately sloped shorelines to create curling crests

Cool ocean currents ___.

generally flow from high latitudes towards the equator

A large system of rotating ocean currents, usually driven by the major wind belts, is called a(n) __________.

gyre

Why does the west coast of South Africa have high biological productivity?

high concentrations of nutrients in the surface water lots of coastal upwelling

When a wave reflects off a barrier, at what angle will it bounce off the barrier?

it will bounce off at an angle that is equal to the original angle

Which of the following would cause wave reflection?

jetty sea wall

Deep-water currents move ________ volumes of water and are much ________ than surface currents.

larger; slower

What is the overall effect of the stronger than normal trade winds typical of La Niña conditions?

lowering of the South Pacific ocean temperature from normal conditions

Fluctuations in the flow of the Gulf Stream current result in curving loops of water known as __________.

meanders

One wave has a wavelength of 2 meters (6.6 feet) and a wave height of 0.5 meters (1.6 feet). A second wave has a wavelength of 6 meters (20 feet) and a wave height of 1 meter (3.3 feet). What is likely to happen if the two waves collide?

mixed interference

What is a typical tsunami wavelength?

more than 200 kilometers (124.3 miles)

Most of the year, and most of the time, the movement of sediment and water (longshore current) along the California coast is from __________.

north to south

The subtropical gyres ___.

play a large role in climate

Deep ocean currents ___.

result from changes in water density (due to temperature and salt content)

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Ekman spiral moves layers of water to the _____ of the wind direction and Ekman transport (the overall direction of water movement) is to the _____.

right; right

What disturbing force is responsible for most ocean waves that eventually break on shore?

storm-generated winds that blow across the surface

What type of breaker would pose the most danger to people playing or swimming in the surf zone?

surging breakers

Thermohaline circulation in the ocean is driven primarily by differences in __________ and __________ among water masses.

temperature; salinity

Wave refraction is __________.

the bending of waves

What is refraction?

the bending of waves due to a change in wave velocity

What is the wave base?

the lower limit of wave-induced motion in the water

What causes the three different types of breakers?

the steepness of the beach slope

What is the Southern Oscillation?

the swapping of high and low pressure zones in the South Pacific under El Niño conditions

The Ekman spiral is caused by ________.

the wind and the Coriolis effect

In the southern hemisphere, the direction of Ekman transport is always ________.

to the left of the wind direction

In the northern hemisphere, the direction of Ekman transport is always ________

to the right of the wind direction

In the northern hemisphere, the direction of Ekman transport is always ________.

to the right of the wind direction

Under which conditions are droughts and wildfires common in Australia?

under El Niño conditions

El Niño conditions

warm water temperature, low

What are swells?

waves that travel faster than the wind that created them waves that can travel hundreds of miles from the area where they originated

the time it takes for one wavelength to pass a fixed point is known as

weave period

When does constructive interference occur?

when waves with the same wavelength collide in phase

Which factor(s) below drive(s) and shape(s) the pattern of surface ocean currents?

wind shape of the ocean basins Coriolis effect