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The Oceans

Basics

Worksheet: Oceans and Climate

Sheet 2: Ocean Circulation

Answer the following questions on ocean circulation.

1. What controls ocean circulation?

a) Volcanism and the continental drift of Earth plates

b) the coriolis force and storms.

c) heat and salt coming from desert storms
.

d) Variations in the density of the water in different parts of the ocean and wind driven currents.

2. What does "thermo" stand for?

a) Hot drink.

b) Cold.

c) Warm weather.

d) Temperature.

3) What does “haline” mean?

a) Salty.

b) Halo shaped.

c) Hail.

d) Sweet.

4. What does “thermohaline circulation” mean?

a) Movement of water due to its high temperature and its salt content.

b) Movement of water due to its temperature and its low salt content.

c) Movement of water due to its temperature and its salt content.

d) Movement of water due to its low temperature and its high salt content.

Exercise:
Have a look at the graphic and then answer the following questions.
(use your atlas)

Streams, image by Lucinda Spokes

Explanation of the picture:

1. Gulf Stream
2. North Atlantic Deep Water
3. Antarctic Bottom Water
4. Agulhas Current
5. Kuroshio Current

Now the questions.

Click the blue button for cold and the red one for warm.

1. Is Antarctic Bottom Water cold or warm?

2. Is Gulf Stream water cold or warm?

3. Is North Atlantic Deep Water cold or warm?

4. Is the Agulhas Current cold or warm?

Exercise:

Where can you find these currents?
Click "P" for Pacific, "A" for Atlantic and "I" for Indian Ocean.

In which ocean is Gulf Stream water?

In which ocean is the Kuroshio Current?

In which ocean is the Agulhas Current?

Answer the following questions.

1) How long does it take for water to travel around the world?

a) About 1000 years.
b) About 1000 days.
c) Exactly 100 years.
d) There is no flow of water from one ocean basin to another.

2) What best describes the situation at number 1 on the map?

a) The Gulf Stream carries heat from the Tropics to Great Britain and Scandinavia.
b) The Gulf Stream carries cold water to Great Britain and Scandinavia.
c) The Gulf Stream carries heat from the Tropics to the Mediterranean Sea.
d) The Gulf Stream carries cold water from the Tropics to Greenland.

3) What best describes the situation at number 2 on the map?

a) Deep seawater warms in the North Atlantic, releasing heat. This makes the water dense and it stays at the bottom of the ocean.
b) Deep seawater cools in the North Atlantic, releasing heat. This makes the water dense and it stays at the bottom of the ocean.
c) Surface seawater warms in the North Atlantic, releasing heat. This makes the water dense and it sinks to the bottom of the ocean.
d) Surface seawater cools in the North Atlantic, releasing heat. This makes the water dense and it sinks to the bottom of the ocean.

4) Where does new deep water formation occur in the Northern Hemisphere?

a) The Labrador Sea and the Iceland Sea.
b) The Greenland Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
c) The Labrador Sea and the Greenland Sea.
d) The Barents Sea and Hudson Bay.

5) What best describes the situation at number 3 on the map?

a) Deep water formation around Antarctica.
b) Deep water formation in the Arctic region.
c) Warming of the water around Antarctica.
d) Warming of the water in the Arctic region.

6) What happens around Antarctica?

a) As ice melts, the surrounding waters become saltier and more dense and sink to the bottom of the ocean.
b) As ice forms, the surrounding waters become saltier and more dense and drift upwards through the ocean.
c) As ice forms, the surrounding waters become saltier and more dense and sink to the bottom of the ocean.
d) As ice forms, the surrounding waters become less salty and less dense and sink to the bottom of the ocean.

7) What causes deep water to move up to the surface of the ocean?

a) Submarine ocean ridges and the Coriolis effect.
b) Submarine oceans ridges and the wind.
c) The wind and the Jet Stream.
d) The wind and the West Wind Drift.

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About this page:

- Author: - Prof. Dr. Schrettenbrunner - University of Nürnberg - Germany
- scientific reviewing: Lucinda Spokes
- educational reviewing: Dr. Schleicher / J. Heres
- last update: 16.12.03