CH. 9

Question 1

What is meant by Geostrophic Flow?

Answer 1

A current in the atmosphere in which Coriolis force and the pressure gradient are in balance.

Question 2

What is meant by Ekman Spiral and Ekman Transport?

Answer 2

Ekamn spiral: circular motion caused by geostrophic flow. Hill pushes mixed layer deeper.

Ekman transport: net water transport, the sum of layer movement due to the ekman spiral. Coriolis effects felt increasingly smaller below sea level. Net effect= 90 degree motion of winds

Question 3

Know the process behind coastal upwelling and downwelling. In particular, if given a wind direction along a coast, know how the surface ocean currents will flow.

Answer 3

Downwelling: circulation patter in which surface water moves vertically downward

Upwelling:winds blowing parallel to shore or offshore

Question 4

Know how upwelled waters differ from downwelled waters with regards to nutrient content.

Answer 4

Upwelled waters: cold, nutrient rich waters brought from below.

Downwelled: warm, nutrient poor waters forced down.

Question 5

Know the differences between eddies and gyres. Know the general differences between eastern and western boundary currents (strength, salinity, temperatures)

Answer 5

Gyres: surface currents circulating around ocean basins. 2 northern: North Pacific gyre, North Atlantic gyre. 4 southern: South Pacific gyre, south Atlantic gyre, Indian Ocean gyre, circum-Antarctic gyre.

Eddies: small circulations from main flow.

• warm core eddy: warm water dominates.
• cold core eddy: cold water dominates.

Question 6

Be able to identify and describe all 7 continents

Answer 6

North America
South America
Australia
Antarctica
Europe
Asia
Africa

Question 7

From a global map be able to identify the following bodies of water.

Answer 7

Pacific Ocean. Red Sea. Persian gulf
Atlantic Ocean. Yellow Sea. North Sea
Indian Ocean. Hudson Bay. Weddell sea
Arctic Ocean. Black Sea. Arabian Sea
Gulf of Mexico. Caspian Sea. Baltic Sea
Bering sea. Caribbean Sea. Bay of Bengal
Mediterranean Sea. Japan sea

Question 8

Identify and describe: California and Kuroshio Current

Answer 8

6

Question 9

Gulf Stream and canary currents

Answer 9

7

Question 10

Peru and eastern Australia currents

Answer 10

8

Question 11

Brazil and Benguela Current

Answer 11

9

Question 12

Algulhas and Western Australia currents

Answer 12

1

Question 13

North and south equatorial current

Answer 13

2

Question 14

West wind drift

Answer 14

3

Question 15

With regards to El Niño: What ocean currents are interrupted?

Answer 15

El Niño: when trade winds slow, upwelling stops.

Question 16

What happens to the trade winds to cause this effect?

Answer 16

1

Question 17

What happens to the eastern pacific temperatures during an El Niño?

Answer 17

2

Question 18

What is La Niña?

Answer 18

Excess trade winds create excess upwelling.

Question 19

What atmospheric signal identifies an El Niño or La Niña?

Answer 19

Southern oscillation: atmospheric signal that identifies El Niño or La Niña.

ENSO: El Niño southern oscillation

Question 20

Regarding salinity and temperature of the ocean:

How does salinity and temperature affect density of seawater?

Answer 20

4

Question 21

What is Caballing?

Answer 21

2 oceans if combined, density of 2 similar water masses is raised.

Question 22

What is the thermohaline circulation and what is causing it?

Answer 22

(Temperature and salinity) influence sub-surface circulations.
Distributes excess heat.

Question 23

Regarding general ocean circulations:

How and where are Deep bottom waters formed?

Answer 23

6

Question 24

What are the countercurrents and undercurrents?

Answer 24

7

Question 25

Where would you find the Cromwell current?

Answer 25

Counter flow below surface found at equator

Question 26

What are Langmuir circulations?

Answer 26

Swirling eddies caused by surface winds.

Question 27

What unit is ocean flow usually measured in?

Answer 27

1