Ocean Chapter 7 HW

Which body of water is shown to have the greatest amount of coastal pollution?

Baltic Sea

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

Gyre

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.

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

Lowering of the South Pacific ocean temperature form normal conditions

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

Meanders

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

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.

The thermocline is _________________.

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

What is the Southern Oscillation?

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

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

Denser

Which of the following statements is most accurate about tsunami hazards and the number of people at risk?

A low tsunami hazard and a high number of people at risk are present along the coast of the eastern United States.

Which of the following statements about earthquakes and tsunami hazards is most accurate?

A relatively high number of earthquakes and the greatest tsunami hazard occur along the western coast of South America.

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

The coastlines with the greatest tsunami hazard are most commonly associated with what type of plate boundary?

Convergent plate boundaries

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

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

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

Temperature; salinity

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.

Under which conditions are droughts and wildfires common in Australia?

Under El Nino conditions