OCE1001 FSU CH 7
In which direction does the surface current move in relation to the wind in the Southern Hemisphere?
45 degrees to the left
Of the following locations, where would upwelling be expected to occur?
??? frick
2. Wind blowing parallel to the coast and toward the top of the diagram
A
Which ocean current is the strongest and fastest ocean current in the world?
Gulf stream
What is the Southern Oscillation?
The swapping of high and low pressure zones in the South Pacific under El Nino conditions
Under which conditions are droughts and wildfires common in Australia?
Under El Nino conditions
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
Why is Antarctic Botton Water so dense?
bc it is cold and salty
Ocean frontal systems that spin off from currents such as the Gulf Stream, akin to atmospheric storms, are known as
eddies
The Gulf Stream transports warm water into the
north atlantic
_____ is caused by density changes near the poles and equator.
thermohaline circulation
Refer the figure above. In which direction would the entire surface current underneath the Greenland iceberg be expected to travel?
towards E
What factor(s) drive(s) Ekman transport?
wind, Coriolis effect
Which force(s) drive(s) water circulation in the deep ocean?
-Differences in water density -Differences in water temperature -Differences in water salinity
Using this image of the waters adjacent to the East Coast of the United States, match the correct letter to each of the following.
1. A: Color for cold water 2. C: Color for warm water 3. B: Cold core ring(s) 4. D: Warm core ring(s)
1. Wind blowing parallel to the coast and toward the bottom of the diagram
B
In the figure above, which of the labeled currents are warm water currents?
B,F,E
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?
Because the current is located in the Southern Hemisphere, the subtropical gyre pulls the current in a counterclockwise direction. The Coriolis effect deflects ocean currents in the Southern Hemisphere to the left due to Earth's rotation.
3. 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.
Coastal upwelling
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
One of the world's most powerful currents, located off the east coast of the United States, is the
Gulf Stream
The thermocline is
a steep temperature gradient in the ocean that separates deeper cold water from warmer upper water
Downwelling can result from
converging surface currents
Why do the lengths of the arrows in the Edman spiral get shorter and shorter as you move deeper into the water column?
deeper water moves at a slower speed due to friction
Which direction do ocean currents in the South Pacific move under El Niño conditions?
eastward
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
Use the map of Pacific and Atlantic Ocean currents shown below to correctly identify the following ocean currents and gyres.
1. G: Peru Current 2. E: California Current 3. D: Benguela Current 4. H: Antarctic Circumpolar Current (West Wind Drift) 5. B: Subtropical gyre 6. C: Gulf Stream Current 7. I: Brazil Current 8. A: Subpolar gyre 9. F: Canary Current
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
In the figure above, which of the labeled currents are shallow, weak, and slow currents?
N,H
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
Freezing seawater at _______ leads to increases in salinity and density.
high latitudes
Which process causes downwelling off the coast of Antarctica?
ice formation
The diagram below shows a generalized cross-sectional view across the Atlantic Ocean. Correctly match the letters with the corresponding water masses and associated features.
1. E: Antarctic Intermediate Water 2. C: Seasonally warm water 3. B: Warmest water 4. D: Antarctic Bottom Water 5. F: North Atlantic Deep Water 6. G: Upwelling 7. A: Thermocline and pycnocline
In the figure above, which of the labeled currents are eastern boundary currents?
C,N,H
Which current that flows along the equator is driven by a difference in sea level cause by ocean circulation patterns?
Equatorial Countercurrent in the Pacific Ocean
In the figure above, which shows a cross section of the Atlantic Ocean extending fro Greenland (north) to Antarctica (south). Which labeled layer has the highest density?
G
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
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?
Toward D
When a meander from the Gulf Stream pinches off into the warm water south of the current, the eddy is called a __________.
cold-core eddie or ring
