Question 1

Equatorial upwelling occurs in westward-flowing equatorial surface currents.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Oceanographers name water masses according to their relative position. In temperate and tropical latitudes, there are common water masses.

Accepted Answer

A)   three
B)   four
C)   five
D)   sixE) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 3

The mass flow of ocean water that is driven by wind or gravity is referred to as ocean .

Accepted Answer

A)   waves
B)   ENSO events
C)   currents
D)   tidesE) A) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 4

Which occurrence will produce upwelling near coasts?

Accepted Answer

A)   wind blowing toward the north along the West Coast of North America
B)   wind blowing toward the south along the West Coast of North America
C)   wind blowing toward the south along the East Coast of North America
D)   wind blowing toward the north along the East Coast of South AmericaE) A) and D)
F) C) and D)

Question 5

The is a vast sampling network of nearly 4,000 independently drifting sensors.

Accepted Answer

A)   Argo system
B)   chemical tracer
C)   drift bottles
D)   echo soundersE) None of the above
F) B) and D)

Question 6

Earth's rotation influences currents by a "force" known as .

Accepted Answer

A)   an Ekman spiral
B)   geostrophism
C)   the gyre counter rotation
D)   the Coriolis effectE) A) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 7

Gyres move in a clockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere delivering surface currents along the East Coast and surface currents along the West Coast of continents.

Accepted Answer

A)   warm; cool
B)   cool; warm
C)   warm; warm
D)   cool; coolE) B) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 8

The main force driving thermohaline circulation is .

Accepted Answer

A)   wind
B)   the Coriolis effect
C)   density
D)   electromagnetic attractionE) None of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 9

Scotland, Ireland has a maritime climate, warmed in part by the energy of tropical sunlight transported to high latitudes by the .

Accepted Answer

A)   California Current
B)   Canary Current
C)   North Equatorial Current
D)   Gulf StreamE) All of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 10

If surface winds are blowing from the south toward the north in the Northern Hemisphere, which way will surface currents travel? Describe the Ekman spiral to answer the net movement of water.

Accepted Answer

When driven by the wind, the topmost lay...

Question 11

A transverse current is a .

Accepted Answer

A)   bottom current flowing in the same direction as an overlying surface current
B)   surface current that connects eastern-boundary and western-boundary currents
C)   cold surface current that flows from the poles toward the equator
D)   theoretical current not yet discoveredE) All of the above
F) B) and C)

Question 12

Drift bottles are useful in determining coastal circulation by tracking the path of surface currents.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

The primary force responsible for surface currents is .

Accepted Answer

A)   precipitation
B)   wind
C)   heat
D)   gravityE) C) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 14

Surface water extends to a depth of about .

Accepted Answer

A)   1,000 meters
B)   600 meters
C)   200 meters
D)   50 metersE) None of the above
F) B) and C)

Question 15

Thermohaline circulation is a phenomenon.

Accepted Answer

A)   small-scale
B)   global
C)   local
D)   coastalE) B) and D)
F) C) and D)

Question 16

An ENSO will deliver warm equatorial waters to the western Pacific around Christmastime.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Thermohaline circulation is responsible for large-scale movements of ocean water and depends on both the salinity and the temperature of water.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

The only ocean current that continues in an uninterrupted circle around the circumference of Earth without encountering land is the .

Accepted Answer

A)   Gulf Stream
B)   Kuroshio, or Japan, Current
C)   Antarctic Circumpolar Current
D)   Canary CurrentE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 19

Water masses have distinct and often unique characteristics. What are the five common water masses in temperate and tropical latitudes?

Accepted Answer

The ocean is density stratified, with th...

Question 20

During a non- El Niño  year, along the west coast of Central and South America.

Accepted Answer

A)   upwelling of cold water occurs
B)   the air and surface water flow eastward
C)   the thermocline lowers
D)   higher-than-normal rainfallE) A) and B)
F) None of the above

Exam 6: Ocean Circulation

If surface winds are blowing from the south toward the north in the Northern Hemisphere, which way will surface currents travel? Describe the Ekman spiral to answer the net movement of water.

Correct AnswerverifiedWhen driven by the wind, the topmost lay...View AnswerShow Answer

Scotland, Ireland has a maritime climate, warmed in part by the energy of tropical sunlight transported to high latitudes by the .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Oceanographers name water masses according to their relative position. In temperate and tropical latitudes, there are common water masses.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Thermohaline circulation is a phenomenon.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Equatorial upwelling occurs in westward-flowing equatorial surface currents.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Surface water extends to a depth of about .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

During a non- El Niño year, along the west coast of Central and South America.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

An ENSO will deliver warm equatorial waters to the western Pacific around Christmastime.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Water masses have distinct and often unique characteristics. What are the five common water masses in temperate and tropical latitudes?

Correct AnswerverifiedThe ocean is density stratified, with th...View AnswerShow Answer

Drift bottles are useful in determining coastal circulation by tracking the path of surface currents.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The primary force responsible for surface currents is .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The main force driving thermohaline circulation is .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The is a vast sampling network of nearly 4,000 independently drifting sensors.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The only ocean current that continues in an uninterrupted circle around the circumference of Earth without encountering land is the .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A transverse current is a .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Earth's rotation influences currents by a "force" known as .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The mass flow of ocean water that is driven by wind or gravity is referred to as ocean .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Thermohaline circulation is responsible for large-scale movements of ocean water and depends on both the salinity and the temperature of water.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Gyres move in a clockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere delivering surface currents along the East Coast and surface currents along the West Coast of continents.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which occurrence will produce upwelling near coasts?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct Answer
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When driven by the wind, the topmost lay...
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The ocean is density stratified, with th...
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Correct Answer
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