Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate

What is a circular system of currents in the Earth's major oceans?

• Gyre

• Wave

• Tide

• Current

What primarily causes surface currents in the ocean?

• Wind

• Ocean temperature variations

• Salinity differences

• Earth's rotation

What is the term for the boundary between two different water masses in the ocean?

• Thermocline

• Halocline

• Pycnocline

• Epilimnion

What effect causes moving objects in the ocean to curve?

• Centrifugal Force

• Coriolis Effect

• Gravitational Pull

• Tidal Force

What is the impact of ocean currents on climate?

• They help regulate temperatures and weather patterns around the globe.

• They have no effect on climate.

• They only affect marine life.

• They cause natural disasters like hurricanes.

What is the main driver of ocean surface currents?

• Wind patterns

• Ocean temperature variations

• Salinity differences

• Earth's rotation

What is the relationship between temperature, salinity, and water density?

• Higher temperature and lower salinity increase density, while lower temperature and higher salinity decrease density.

• Higher temperature and lower salinity decrease density, while lower temperature and higher salinity increase density.

• Temperature and salinity have no effect on water density.

• Higher salinity always decreases water density, regardless of temperature.

If a material is less dense than water, what will it do?

• Sink

• Float

• Dissolve

• Evaporate

What is the primary source of energy that drives ocean currents?

• The moon (lunar energy)

• The sun (solar energy)

• Geothermal energy

• Wind energy

What is the process called when cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface?

• Upwelling

• Downwelling

• Thermocline

• Eutrophication