OCE ch 7

North Atlantic current

. 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 ______.

two

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

decrease, increase

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

Mediterranean Intermediate Water (MIW)

Based on the graph, which of the following has the highest salinity?

North Atlantic Central Surface Water (NACSW)

Based on the graph, which of the following has the lowest density?

Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW)

Based on the graph, which of the following has the lowest temperature? Graph of Temperature on the x-axis versus Salinity on the y-axis. Temperature ranges from _2 to 20 degrees Celsius. Salinity ranges from 33.5 to 36.5 parts per thousand. Lines of constant density are marked. Based on the graph, which of the following has the lowest temperature?

somali current

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

south, left

Coastal upwelling along the coast of Chile is a result of winds from the ________ turning towards the ________ due to Ekman transport.

ekman transport

Coastal winds can cause upwelling or downwelling due to which of the following?

All the above statements are true of western boundary currents.

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

downwelling, low

Converging surface waters are areas of ________ and ________ productivity.

generally flow from high latitudes towards the equator

Cool ocean currents ___.

thermohaline flow

Deep ocean current movement is also known as __________.

converging surface currents

Downwelling can result from __________.

flow from land to sea and are dry.

During winter months, monsoon winds over the Indian Ocean:

trade winds

Equatorial currents are driven by the:

east to west; west to east

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

meanders

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

high latitudes

Freezing seawater at _______ leads to increases in salinity and density.

to the left of wind directions

In the southern hemisphere, the direction of Ekman transport is always:

The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason is valid.

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: India's Southwest Monsoon provides abundant precipitation BECAUSE the air brought in from the Indian Ocean is warm and full of moisture.

The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason is valid.

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: The Equatorial Countercurrent is much better developed in the Pacific Ocean than in the Atlantic BECAUSE the Pacific Ocean basin is larger and more unobstructed than the Atlantic Ocean.

The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason is valid.

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: The temperatures across the Atlantic at different latitudes are much higher in Europe than in North America BECAUSE of the effects of heat transfer from the Gulf Stream.

eddies

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

one-third

Ocean surface currents transfer about ________ of the total amount of heat from the tropics to the poles.

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

Of the following gyres, which one(s) flow in a counterclockwise direction? Choose all that apply.

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

Of the following locations, where would upwelling be expected to occur? Choose all that apply.

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

Of the following statements about the Ekman spiral and Ekman transport, which is/are true? Choose all that apply.

-Kuroshio Current -the Gulf Stream -Brazil Current

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

-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.

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?

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

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

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

Surface ocean currents ___.

upwelling

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

eastern boundary current

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

western boundary current

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

eastern boundary current

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

the wind and Coriolis effect

The Ekman spiral is caused by:

the relationship between sea surface temperature and changing atmospheric pressure.

The El Niño Southern Oscillation can best be described as:

north atalantic

The Gulf Stream transports warm water into the __________.

western boundary current

The Kuroshio (Japan) Current is an example of which of the following types of currents?

El Nino conditions

The false-color map of sea surface temperatures shown below is an example of which of the following features?

Subtropical convergence

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

ekman transport

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?

play a large role in climate

The subtropical gyres ___.

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

The thermocline is _________________.

density differences

Thermohaline circulation is driven by:

80

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

under el niño conditions

Under which conditions are droughts and wildfires common in Australia?

western boundary currents

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

are warmer than the surrounding water

Warm ocean currents ___.

coastal upwelling

Waters along the California coast are colder than those along the mid-Atlantic shore of the U.S. because __________ occurs as surface waters move away from the coast.

All the above effects are the result of western intensification.

Western intensification causes:

-wind -Coriolis effect

What factor(s) drive(s) Ekman transport?

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

What is the Southern Oscillation?

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 Walker Circulation Cell?

lowering of the South Pacific ocean temperature from normal conditions

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

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

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?

cold core Eddie or ring

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

Equatorial Countercurrent in the Pacific Ocean

Which current that flows along the equator is driven by a difference in sea level caused by ocean circulation patterns?

eastward

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

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

Which force(s) drive(s) water circulation in the deep ocean?

Gulf Stream

Which ocean current is the strongest and fastest ocean current in the world?

South Equatorial Current

Which of the following Atlantic Subtropical gyre boundary currents is split into two by a large landmass?

Gulf Stream

Which of the following currents contributes to the South Eastern United States being humid?

Humboldt Current

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

Antarctic circumpolar

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

free drifting argo floats

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

Radio-transmitting float bottles

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

accidental spills from container ships

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

pressure gradients

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

Surface currents form circular patterns in the major ocean basins called "gyres."

Which of the following statements is true of surface ocean currents?

gravity and the Coriolis effect

Which of the following two factors cause geostrophic circulation within a gyre?

ice formation

Which process causes downwelling off the coast of Antarctica?

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

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

it is cold and salty

Why is Antarctic Bottom Water so dense?

thermohaline circulation

_______ is caused by density changes near the poles and equator.

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

deep ocean currents ______.