OCE 1001 Ch. 7

about what percent of the wind's energy is transferred to the ocean surface?

2

Which of the following is the only current that completely circumscribes Earth?

Antarctic Circumpolar

Which of the following are western boundary currents?

Brazil Current Kuroshio Current East Australia Current

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

Brazil Current Kuroshio Current the Gulf Stream

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

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

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.

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

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

Which of the following currents is responsible for Peru becoming the largest producer of fish, from the sea, in the world?

Humboldt Current

In the figure above, which of the following labeled currents is/are part of the South Atlantic Gyre?

M N

The Gulf Stream transports warm water into the

North Atlantic

Between summer and winter, which of the following currents reverses its flow direction?

Somali Current

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

Surface waters move onshore. Downwelling occurs.

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.

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. There are four main surface currents in each subtropical gyre. Globally, there are five subtropical gyres. The centers of all subtropical gyres are associated with high atmospheric pressure. The western boundary current of all subtropical gyres is intensified (it is fast, narrow, and deep).

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

Two circumpolar currents dominate it, one current that moves water to the east and one current that moves water to the west.

The largest of the great ocean surface currents is the __________.

West Wind Drift

In the figure above, if this is a western-facing coast of the Northern Hemisphere, which wind pattern would cause coastal downwelling?

Wind C

In the figure above, if this is a western-facing coast of the Southern Hemisphere, which wind pattern would cause coastal upwelling?

Wind C

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.

Which of the following methods are used to measure ocean surface currents directly?

accidental spills from container ships

Compared to western boundary currents, eastern boundary currents are

broad and slow

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

Downwelling can result from __________.

converging surface current

An increase in seawater density can be caused by a ________ in temperature or a/an ________ in salinity.

decrease; increase

Deep ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ .

density differences

Thermohaline circulation is driven by:

density differences

Which of the following methods are used to measure ocean surface currents indirectly?

doppler flow meters

Converging surface waters are areas of ________ and ________ productivity.

downwelling; low

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 two factors cause geostrophic circulation within a gyre?

gravity and the Coriolis effect.

Deep-water circulation brings oxygen from the surface to the deep ocean because of:

greater dissolution of oxygen in colder water than warmer water.

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

larger; slower

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

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

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

Warm currents flowing ________ on the ________ sides of continents produce warm, humid conditions.

poleward; eastern

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

The deepest and densest water mass in the world ocean is formed in the

southern ocean

The observation of a hill of water within all subtropical gyres is an example of which of the following?

subtropical convergence

Sources of deep water in the ocean include all of the following except:

subtropical convergences

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

the Southern Oscillation

In comparison to wind energy, ocean currents can generate more clean, renewable energy because __________.

the density of water is greater than that of air

The El Niño Southern Oscillation can best be described as:

the relationship between sea surface temperature and changing atmospheric pressure.

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

thermocline

Cold currents flowing ________ on the ________ sides of continents produce arid conditions.

toward the equator; western

Equatorial currents are driven by the:

trade winds

Under which conditions are droughts and wildfires common in Australia?

under El Nino conditions

Surface waters are pushed away from land and replaced by nutrient-rich bottom water through:

upwelling

Diverging surface waters are areas of ________ and ________ productivity.

upwelling; high

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.

walker circulation cell

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

west wind drift

The observation that one subtropical boundary current is faster, narrower, and deeper than its counterparts is an example of which of the following?

western intensification

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

wind Coriolis effect shape of the ocean basins

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

wind; the Coriolis effect and land