Question 1

Surface winds normally move across most of the tropical Pacific in a(n)  direction.

Accepted Answer

A)   northeast
B)   west to east
C)   east to west
D)   northwestE) B) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 2

Describe how wind can induce upwelling and downwelling near coastal cities? Give an example for each.

Accepted Answer

Wind blowing parallel can cause either c...

Question 3

Antarctic Bottom Waters are the densest in the world, and characterized by temperatures and salinities than surface waters.

Accepted Answer

A)   lower; higher
B)   higher; lower
C)   higher; higher
D)   lower; lowerE) B) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 4

Coastal upwelling is most common in association with in the Northern Hemisphere.

Accepted Answer

A)   western boundary currents
B)   eastern boundary currents
C)   transverse currents
D)   northern boundary currentsE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 5

Summer months in San Francisco, California are cool, foggy, and mild.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 6

Describe how ocean currents affect the global distribution of heat and give an example of how they moderate climate.

Accepted Answer

Surface currents that move quickly acros...

Question 7

How do scientists study currents?

Accepted Answer

Numerous methods exist to study currents...

Question 8

When an ENSO event occurs, warm equatorial waters flow in the equatorial Pacific.

Accepted Answer

A)   east
B)   west
C)   north
D)   southE) A) and C)
F) All of the above

Question 9

The densest water in ocean currents is the .

Accepted Answer

A)   warmest and saltiest
B)   coldest and saltiest
C)   warmest and freshest
D)   coldest and freshestE) A) and D)
F) A) and C) B

Question 10

Currents tend to move in large patterns in the Northern Hemisphere.

Accepted Answer

A)   irregular
B)   counterclockwise
C)   clockwise
D)   randomE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 11

During an ENSO event, in the eastern Pacific.

Accepted Answer

A)   atmospheric pressures increase
B)   water temperatures stay the same
C)   water temperatures decrease
D)   water temperatures increaseE) All of the above
F) B) and C)

Question 12

The largest of the western boundary currents is the .

Accepted Answer

A)   Gulf Stream
B)   California Current
C)   East Pacific Gyre
D)   Canary CurrentE) A) and B)
F) None of the above

Question 13

England's weather is than would be expected at that latitude because of the influence of surface currents.

Accepted Answer

A)   colder
B)   drier
C)   less humid
D)   warmer and wetterE) C) and D)
F) None of the above D

Question 14

Transverse currents can flow eastward or westward.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Surface currents are traced using a(n)  .

Accepted Answer

A)   echo sounder
B)   Argo system
C)   drift bottles
D)   chemical tracerE) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 16

Which ocean surface current transports the greatest volume of water?

Accepted Answer

A)   The Kuroshio (or Japan)  Current
B)   The North Equatorial Current in the Pacific
C)   The South Equatorial Current in the Pacific
D)   The Antarctic Circumpolar CurrentE) None of the above
F) All of the above

Question 17

Which of the following statements is true about an Ekman spiral?

Accepted Answer

A)   The net flow of a wind-driven surface current in the Northern Hemisphere will flow at about a 50 ° angle to the wind.
B)   With increasing depth, each layer will move faster than the overlying layer of water.
C)   Because of Ekman transport, at some frictional depth, water will be moving in the opposite direction from the surface current.
D)   An Ekman spiral is not influenced by the Coriolis effect.E) None of the above
F) A) and C)

Question 18

A sverdrup (sv)  is a measure of .

Accepted Answer

A)   wind speed
B)   current speed and direction
C)   the volume of water transported in an ocean current
D)   the amount of heat transferred to water from the sunE) C) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 19

During a non-El Niño year, trade winds blow from the normally high-pressure area over the eastern Pacific (near Central and South America) to the normally stable low-pressure area over the western Pacific (north of Australia).

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

What two factors contribute to the density of water?

Accepted Answer

A)   temperature and salinity
B)   temperature and pressure
C)   pressure and depth
D)   salinity and pressureE) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Exam 6: Ocean Circulation

Surface winds normally move across most of the tropical Pacific in a(n) direction.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Describe how wind can induce upwelling and downwelling near coastal cities? Give an example for each.

Correct AnswerverifiedWind blowing parallel can cause either c...View AnswerShow Answer

Antarctic Bottom Waters are the densest in the world, and characterized by temperatures and salinities than surface waters.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Coastal upwelling is most common in association with in the Northern Hemisphere.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Summer months in San Francisco, California are cool, foggy, and mild.

Correct AnswerverifiedTrue

Describe how ocean currents affect the global distribution of heat and give an example of how they moderate climate.

Correct AnswerverifiedSurface currents that move quickly acros...View AnswerShow Answer

How do scientists study currents?

Correct AnswerverifiedNumerous methods exist to study currents...View AnswerShow Answer

When an ENSO event occurs, warm equatorial waters flow in the equatorial Pacific.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The densest water in ocean currents is the .

Correct AnswerverifiedB

Currents tend to move in large patterns in the Northern Hemisphere.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

During an ENSO event, in the eastern Pacific.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The largest of the western boundary currents is the .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

England's weather is than would be expected at that latitude because of the influence of surface currents.

Correct AnswerverifiedD

Transverse currents can flow eastward or westward.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Surface currents are traced using a(n) .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which ocean surface current transports the greatest volume of water?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements is true about an Ekman spiral?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A sverdrup (sv) is a measure of .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

During a non-El Niño year, trade winds blow from the normally high-pressure area over the eastern Pacific (near Central and South America) to the normally stable low-pressure area over the western Pacific (north of Australia).

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What two factors contribute to the density of water?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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Wind blowing parallel can cause either c...
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True

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Surface currents that move quickly acros...
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Numerous methods exist to study currents...
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B

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D

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