Chapter 7 Oceanography- Ocean Circulation

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

Deep-ocean circulation is referred to as thermohaline flow, Deep-ocean currents are important regulators of global climate, Deep-ocean currents are initiated near Antarctica and in the North Atlantic Ocean where cold dense water sinks, Deep-ocean currents contain water with high oxygen concentrations, Deep-ocean currents transport a volume of water equal to that of 100 Amazon-size rivers.

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

Ekman transport is to the right of the wind direction in the Northern Hemisphere, In the deeper layers of the Ekman spiral water can move in a direction opposite of the wind direction, Ekman transport can result in both upwelling and downwelling, The Coriolis effect causes surface waters to move at an angle relative to the wind direction.

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

Increase in sea surface temperatures and destruction of coral reefs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Higher sea levels in the eastern Pacific Ocean associated with warmer water, Increased abundance of hurricanes in the eastern Pacific Ocean

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

Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre, Northern Hemisphere Subpolar Gyres, South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, South Pacific Subtropical Gyre

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

North Pacific Current, Equatorial Counter Current, West Wind Drift

El Nino is

One part of the Southern Oscillation cycle

The Ekman Spiral

Results in Ekman transport

Indian Ocean currents that are generated by seasonal changes in weather patterns are the __________ and __________ Currents.

Somali/Southwest Monsoon

The West Wind Drift is a part of which of the following subtropical gyres? ​

South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, South Pacific Subtropical Gyre, Indian Ocean Subtropical

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

South Equatorial Current, Brazil Current, Benguela Current, West Wind Drift

Which of these will always flow in the counterclockwise direction?

Southern Hemisphere major subtropical gyres

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

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

The largest of the great ocean surface currents is the __________

West Wind Drift

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

Where there is a sharp bend in a coastline, Where seamounts or tablemounts are present, In areas of diverging surface currents

During a strong El Nino event, the news media might be expected to cover __________.

a tropical cyclone in Hawaii or Tahiti

Downwelling can result from __________.

converging surface currents

The direction of flow in a cold-core ring will be

counterclockwise

A feature of Western Boundary Currents is that they are

deep, narrow, fast

Thermohaline circulation

describes the movement of ocean currents due to differences in temperature and salinity in different regions of water.

The Indian Ocean summer monsoon

is associated with winds from the southwest

An ​indirect​ method of measuring ocean currents is the use of

radar altimeters

Upwelling

refers to water that is flowing upward

Ocean gyres form as a result of "hills" of water forming in the centers of the oceans

resulting in clockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere, up to 2 meters high, that are piled up by Ekman transport of water

Records indicate that the ocean is warming faster in the Arctic polar regions than elsewhere. If that continues, a possible consequence could be __________.

slowing of deep ocean circulation, resulting in lower oxygen levels in deep water

Of the following surface currents, which one(s) transport large volumes of warm water to higher latitudes?

the Gulf Stream, Brazil Current, Kuroshio Current

Warm core rings and cold core rings are associated with __________.

western boundary currents

The major gyre circulation of the oceans is driven by

wind and Coriolis

To produce a surface current of 1.6 knots in the open ocean, a steady wind of _____ knots would be required.

80

The theoretical movement of surface water due to Ekman transport in the Northern Hemisphere is about

90 degrees to the right of wind direction

Deep ocean current movement is also known as __________.

thermohaline flow