Ocean Currents and Their Dynamics

Front

What are the two main categories of ocean currents?

Back

Surface currents and deep ocean currents.

Front

How deep can water still be affected by wind?

Back

Water as deep as 400 meters is still affected by the wind at the Earth’s surface.

Front

What drives ocean currents?

Back

Ocean currents are driven by wind, tides, changes in water density, and the rotation of the Earth.

Front

How quickly does the global conveyor belt move?

Back

The global conveyor belt moves at a few centimeters per second.

Front

True or False: Deep-ocean currents mobilize only 10% of the Earth’s water.

Back

False.

Front

What is a surface current?

Back

A surface current is a horizontal flow of water that occurs in the upper layer of the ocean, primarily driven by wind.

Front

What is a deep ocean current?

Back

A deep ocean current is a flow of water that occurs below the surface layer, driven by differences in water density.

Front

What is the Coriolis effect?

Back

The Coriolis effect is the deflection of moving objects, such as ocean currents, caused by the rotation of the Earth.

Front

What role do ocean currents play in climate?

Back

Ocean currents help regulate the Earth's climate by distributing heat from the equator to the poles.

Front

What is thermohaline circulation?

Back

Thermohaline circulation is the global movement of ocean water driven by differences in temperature and salinity.