OCE 1001 Chapter 7 Questions with Correct Answers (Grade A+)
Question 1: 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?
Answer: -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.
Question 2: 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 ____________________
Answer: North Atlantic current
Question 3: ___________________ is caused by density changes near the poles and equator.
Answer: Thermohaline circulation
Question 4: 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.
Answer: coastal upwelling
Question 5: Freezing seawater at ________________ leads to increases in salinity and density.
Answer: high latitudes
Question 6: Which method would be most appropriate for directly measuring the flow rate of the Gulf
Stream?
Answer: drift bottles
Question 7: Deep ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ .
Answer: density differences
Question 8: Which of the following is a direct method for measuring surface currents?
Answer: propeller flow meter
Question 9: What depth does Argo floats collect data?
Answer: Upper 2000 meters
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, Question 10: Ocean surface currents transfer about ________ of the total amount of heat from the
tropics to the poles.
Answer: one-third
Question 11: Which of the following methods are used to measure ocean surface currents directly?
Answer: Radio-transmitting float bottles
Question 12: Of the following methods, which are indirect methods for measuring currents?
Answer: -Pressure gradients -Dynamic topography -Doppler flow meter
Question 13: Which swift-flowing surface current in a major subtropical gyre transports a large
volume of warm water from the equator toward the mid-latitudes?
Answer: Kuroshio Current
Question 14: Surface ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ and modified by ________.
Answer: wind; the Coriolis effect and land
Question 15: Equatorial currents are driven by the:
Answer: trade winds
Question 16: The Ekman spiral is caused by:
Answer: the wind and the Coriolis effect.
Question 17: Which type of current flow moves in a circular path around a subtropical convergence,
reflecting Ekman transport, gravity, and the Coriolis effect?
Answer: geostrophic circulation
Question 18: Western intensification causes:
Answer: All the above effects are the result of western intensification.
Question 19: Deep-water currents move ________ volumes of water and are much ________ than
surface currents.
Answer: larger; slower
Page 2
Question 1: 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?
Answer: -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.
Question 2: 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 ____________________
Answer: North Atlantic current
Question 3: ___________________ is caused by density changes near the poles and equator.
Answer: Thermohaline circulation
Question 4: 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.
Answer: coastal upwelling
Question 5: Freezing seawater at ________________ leads to increases in salinity and density.
Answer: high latitudes
Question 6: Which method would be most appropriate for directly measuring the flow rate of the Gulf
Stream?
Answer: drift bottles
Question 7: Deep ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ .
Answer: density differences
Question 8: Which of the following is a direct method for measuring surface currents?
Answer: propeller flow meter
Question 9: What depth does Argo floats collect data?
Answer: Upper 2000 meters
Page 1
, Question 10: Ocean surface currents transfer about ________ of the total amount of heat from the
tropics to the poles.
Answer: one-third
Question 11: Which of the following methods are used to measure ocean surface currents directly?
Answer: Radio-transmitting float bottles
Question 12: Of the following methods, which are indirect methods for measuring currents?
Answer: -Pressure gradients -Dynamic topography -Doppler flow meter
Question 13: Which swift-flowing surface current in a major subtropical gyre transports a large
volume of warm water from the equator toward the mid-latitudes?
Answer: Kuroshio Current
Question 14: Surface ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ and modified by ________.
Answer: wind; the Coriolis effect and land
Question 15: Equatorial currents are driven by the:
Answer: trade winds
Question 16: The Ekman spiral is caused by:
Answer: the wind and the Coriolis effect.
Question 17: Which type of current flow moves in a circular path around a subtropical convergence,
reflecting Ekman transport, gravity, and the Coriolis effect?
Answer: geostrophic circulation
Question 18: Western intensification causes:
Answer: All the above effects are the result of western intensification.
Question 19: Deep-water currents move ________ volumes of water and are much ________ than
surface currents.
Answer: larger; slower
Page 2
