Important Ocean Stuff

Question 1

West Wind drift flows which direction, along which continent?

Answer 1

East; Antarctica

Question 2

Gulf Stream is fed by which current(s)?

Answer 2

Florida, and North Equatorial Currents

Question 3

Which direction does the North Atlantic Gyre rotate?

Answer 3

clockwise

Question 4

The Sargasso Sea is bordered by what on the North, South, East, West?

Answer 4

NORTH: North atlantic current
SOUTH: North Equatorial Current
EAST: Mid-Atlantic Ridge rising up from the sea floor
WEST: Gulf stream

Question 5

Define Sargassum

Answer 5

a brown seaweed collected by the water motion and held within the gyre

Question 6

The Benguela Current moves which direction

Answer 6

Northward up the African coast, completing the south atlantic gyre that rotates counterclockwise

Question 7

Which way does the South Atlantic gyre rotate?

Answer 7

counterclockwise

Question 8

The northeast trade winds push the water in which direction? What is this current called?

Answer 8

west, and northeast; North Equatorial Current

Question 9

The North Pacific Current, and Drift is created by what?

Answer 9

The westerlies

Question 10

What does CTD stand for?

Answer 10

Conductivity Temperature-Depth

Question 11

What do CTDs do?

Answer 11

record salinity by directly measuring the electrical conductivity and temp. of the seawater

Question 12

What is a SLOCUM glider?

Answer 12

an independent, long range instrument, designed to monitor water properties independently for up to 5 years

Question 13

What do satellites monitor?

Answer 13

surface water properties such as temp, salinity, elevation, waves, currents, and some marine life

Question 14

Why does the air above earth move?

Answer 14

less-dense air rises away from earth and more dense air sinks toward earth

Question 15

Define tradewinds

Answer 15

the surface winds between 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south are deflected relative to Earth, BLOWING FROM NORTH AND EAST IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE AND DROM THE SOUTH TO EAST IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

Question 16

whats another name for the westerlies

Answer 16

prevailing winds

Question 17

what are the westerlies?

Answer 17

the deflected surface flow produces winds that blow from the south to the west, while between 30 degrees south and 60 degrees south, they blow from the north to the west

Question 18

what are the polar easterlies?

Answer 18

between 60 degrees north and the north pole. The wind that blow from the north and east, while between 60 degrees south and south pole, they blow from the south and the east

Question 19

the area of rising air at the equator is called what?

Answer 19

The Doldrums, or inter tropical convergence zone (ITCZ)

Question 20

what are the high pressure areas at 30 degrees north and south known as?

Answer 20

horse latitudes

Question 21

an onshore breeze occurs at what time of day?

Answer 21

during the day

Question 22

on offshore breeze occurs at what time of day?

Answer 22

at night

Question 23

define gyre

Answer 23

large, circular, wind-driven, oceanic flows

Question 24

in the north atlantic and north pacific the currents flowing from low to high latitudes on the western sides of the gyres tend to be narrower and stronger than those on the eastern side. What is this known as?

Answer 24

the Western Intensification

Question 25

the ocean is mainly in what hemisphere?

Answer 25

Southern

Question 26

the south east trade winds push the water west, creating what current?

Answer 26

South Equatorial Current

Question 27

what are the 3 major oceanic divergence zones?

Answer 27

2 tropical divergences (on either side of the equator), and the Antarctic divergence

Question 28

what do surface convergence zones produce?

Answer 28

downwellings that transports oxygen-rich surface water to depth

Question 29

what is the most common force that creates water waves?

Answer 29

wind

Question 30

explain how waves are formed.

Answer 30

as the wind blows across a smooth water surface the friction between air and water stretches the surface, resulting in small wrinkles or ripples.

Question 31

what is the restoring source for small waves?

Answer 31

surface tension

Question 32

what is the restoring force for larger waves?

Answer 32

gravity

Question 33

what is the highest part of the wave?

Answer 33

the crest

Question 34

what is the lowest part of the wave?

Answer 34

the trough

Question 35

what is the distance between 2 successive crests or 2 successive troughs called?

Answer 35

wave length