Ocean Currents Quiz

What is a surface current?

• A current that flows deep in the ocean

• An ocean current in the top 100 m of water driven by global winds

• A current that flows along the ocean floor

• A current that only occurs near the shore

What is the Gulf Stream?

• A cold-water current in the Pacific Ocean

• A warm-water surface current that flows northeast in the North Atlantic Ocean

• A river in the United States

• A type of ocean wave

What is the California current?

• A warm-water current in the Atlantic Ocean

• A cold-water surface current that flows south along the west coast of North America

• A current that flows east in the Indian Ocean

• A warm-water current in the Pacific Ocean

What is the global ocean convection cycle also known as?

• Thermohaline circulation

• Tidal wave cycle

• Oceanic drift

• Marine vortex

What is El Nino?

• A type of fish

• A part of a climate pattern with warmer ocean surface temperatures near the equator

• A type of ocean wave

• A cold-water current

Why does pool water stay warm overnight?

• It absorbs energy from the moon

• It stores energy from the sun and cools slower than the surrounding air

• It is heated by underwater currents

• It is insulated by the pool cover

What is needed to change the temperature of water?

• Less energy

• More energy

• No energy

• Constant energy

What happens when the ocean is cooler than the atmosphere?

• It releases energy to the air

• It absorbs energy from the air

• It remains unchanged

• It evaporates quickly

Where does energy in the ocean come from?

• The poles to the equator

• The equator to the poles

• The ocean floor

• The atmosphere

What is friction?

• A force that opposes motion between two surfaces that are touching

• A type of ocean current

• A type of wave

• A type of wind