Currents

Question 1

the terms current refers to

Answer 1

the permanent or seasonal movement of surface water in the seas and oceans

Question 2

longshore (littoral) currents are

Answer 2

where waves approach the shore at an angle and swash and backwash then transport material along the coast in the direction of the prevailing wind and waves

Question 3

rip currents are…………..

they form when…………….

Answer 3

• strong currents moving away from the shoreline
• they form when water is ‘piled up’ on the coastline due to the presence of offshore bars or simply very strong waves pushing water towards the coast. sea water then travels parallel to the coastline where it ‘seeks’ out a ‘gap’ where it can escape out to sea. where this happens in gaps in bars can lead to a concentrated flow of water out to sea

Question 4

rip currents are observed as

Answer 4

waveless streams out to sea

Question 5

upwelling is when

Answer 5

cold water from deep in the ocean is forced towards the surface. the denser cold water replaces the warmer water, and creates nutrient-rich cold ocean currents. these form part of global ocean circulation currents