oce hw chapter 7

In the figure above, which of the labeled ocean currents transport 10-15 Sv of water? Choose all that apply.

- H - N

Which of the following are western boundary currents? Choose all that apply.

- Kuroshio Current - Brazil Current - East Australia Current

Which of the following conditions would you expect to find off the coast of Peru under normal, or neutral, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions? Choose all that apply.

- abundant anchovies - dry, clear conditions - shallow thermocline

Which force(s) drive(s) water circulation in the deep ocean? Choose all that apply.

- differences in water salinity - differences in water density - differences in water temperature

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

North Atlantic Deep Water

In the figure above, which of the following labeled currents is/are part of the South Atlantic Gyre? (https://session.masteringgeology.com/problemAsset/2479839/3/MGEO_2479839_E.jpg) Choose all that apply.

- N - M

In the figure above, which of the labeled ocean currents are western boundary currents (https://session.masteringgeology.com/problemAsset/2479841/4/MGEO_2479841_B.jpg) Choose all that apply.

- O - A - I

Surface ocean currents ___.

- form large rotating gyres in the major ocean basins - are driven by winds - are influenced by Coriolis effect

What factor(s) drive(s) Ekman transport? Choose all that apply.

- wind - Coriolis effect

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

- West Wind Drift

As shown in NASA satellite data, in what years were the two most recent strong El Niño events?

1997-1998 and 2015

In which direction does the surface current move in relation to the wind in the Southern Hemisphere?

45 degrees to the left

Water with which of the following characteristics would be the densest?

Cold water with high salinity would be the densest

Why is Antarctic Bottom Water so dense?

It is cold and salty

Which of the following water masses has the highest average salinity?

Mediterranean Intermediate Water

Warm ocean currents ___.

are warmer than the surrounding water

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

denser

Cool ocean currents ___.

generally flow from high latitudes towards the equator

Refer to the figure above. Which of the labeled currents are cool currents? Choose all that apply.

- C - K - H

Which of the following statements is/are true regarding surface ocean currents? Choose all that apply.

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

Deep-ocean currents are caused by changes in the density of seawater (referred to as thermohaline circulation), caused by changes in temperature or salinity. This causes a conveyor belt-like movement of water throughout the oceans. This conveyor belt of currents is a principal mechanism for the planet to distribute heat from the equator to the poles, which also influences climate patterns. Match the words in the left column to the appropriate blanks in the sentences on the right. Some terms will remain unused.

- Palm trees associated with the subtropics can be found at the northern tip of the British Isles in Scotland. This is due to the transfer of heat from the North Atlantic current - Thermohaline circulation is caused by density changes near the poles and equator. - Waters along the California coast are colder than those along the mid-Atlantic shore of the U.S. because coastal upwelling occurs as surface waters move away from the coast. - Freezing seawater at high latitudes leads to increases in salinity and density.

Recall that global winds impact the direction of surface ocean currents. Examine the following map showing the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa. The direction of the surface current and the prevailing wind do not coincide. What can explain this discrepancy? (https://session.masteringgeology.com/problemAsset/1759802/6/MGEOL_ItemID_001.jpg)

- The Coriolis effect deflects ocean currents in the Southern Hemisphere to the left due to Earth's rotation. - Because the current is located in the Southern Hemisphere, the subtropical gyre pulls the current in a counterclockwise direction.

Which of the following conditions would be expected for the western Pacific during an El Niño event? Choose all that apply.

- high atmospheric pressure - weaker trade winds - wildfires

During La Niña, what happens to the Pacific Warm Pool?

- it gets pushed farther west

Which of the following conditions would be expected for the eastern Pacific during an El Niño event? Choose all that apply.

- reversed Walker circulation - sea level rise - a deeper thermocline - floods

Which factor(s) below drive(s) and shape(s) the pattern of surface ocean currents? Choose all that apply.

- shape of the ocean basins - Coriolis effect - wind

Using the T-S diagram shown above, if a water mass has a density of 1.0280 g/cm3 and a salinity of 35.3 ppt, what is its temperature? (https://session.masteringgeology.com/problemAsset/3007944/5/MGEO_3007944_Intro.jpg)

5 degrees Celsius

In locations where North Atlantic Deep Water, Antarctic Bottom Water, and Antarctic Intermediate Water are all found, how would they be arranged vertically in the water column?

Antarctic Bottom Water would be on the bottom, North Atlantic Deep Water would be in the middle, and Antarctic Intermediate Water would be on the top.

Which current below would be expected to have a width on the order of 300 kilometers (186.4 miles) and a speed on the order of 17 kilometers (10.6 miles) per day?

Benguela Current

Why do the lengths of the arrows in the Ekman spiral get shorter and shorter as you move deeper into the water column?

Deeper water moves at a slower speed due to friction.

In the figure above, which shows a cross section of the Atlantic Ocean extending from Greenland (north) to Antarctica (south). Which labeled layer represents a cold-water mass mixing with warmer water to create a water mass with intermediate density?

E

Why are western boundary currents intensified compared to eastern boundary currents?

Earth rotates from west to east, pushing water more strongly toward the west.

In the figure above, which shows a cross section of the Atlantic Ocean extending from Greenland (north) to Antarctica (south). Which labeled layer has the highest density (https://session.masteringgeology.com/problemAsset/2479827/3/MGEO_2479827_B.jpg)

G

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

east to west; west to east

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

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

gyre

Which process causes downwelling off the coast of Antarctica?

ice formation

The subtropical gyres ___.

play a large role in climate

Deep ocean currents ___.

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

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

temperature; salinity

Refer the figure above. In which direction would the entire surface current underneath the Greenland iceberg be expected to travel?

toward E

In the figure above, depicting a hypothetical wind direction in an ideal world. The iceberg broke off from the Greenland Ice Sheet and floated into the ocean. Under the prevailing wind conditions, in which direction would the iceberg be pushed? (https://session.masteringgeology.com/problemAsset/2479840/6/MGEO_2479840_D.jpg)

toward d