Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulation

Objects or particles moving over the surface of the Earth tend to deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

• Convection cell

• Coriolis effect

• Ekman spiral

• Upwelling

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

The Coriolis effect influences the atmospheric circulation and surface ocean currents.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

The layers of the atmosphere starting closest to the surface of the Earth:

• troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermospere, exosphere

• thermosphere, stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere, exosphere

• stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

• troposphere, thermosphere, mesophere, stratosphere, exosphere

Surface currents are influenced in large part by ____________, and deep ocean currents are influenced in large part by ______________. (choose the option that lists the answers in the correct order)

• heat, wind

• density, gravity

• wind, density

• seismic activity, wind

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Deeper water moves more slowly, and each layer deflects to the right or left due to the Coriolis effect. When observing the effect of wind on the water column, the deeper layers move in slightly different directions. This phenomenon is called:

• Ekman spiral

• gyres

• thermohaline circulation

• downwelling

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Ekman transport can cause wind moving along the coastline to push water out to sea (away from the coast). This results in:

• downwelling

• upwelling

• equatorial upwelling

• circumpolar currents

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Thermohaline circulation is directly influenced (powered) by:

• density of the water

• wind direction

• gravity of the sun and moon

• movement of tectonic plates

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

The density of water is directly dependent on:

• wind and gravity

• nutrients and pH

• temperature and salinity

• rotation of the earth and the moon's gravity

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-5

If winds are moving water towards the coastline, this will lead to:

• upwelling

• downwelling

• equatorial upwelling

• circumpolar currents

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Where is the largest ocean gyre?

• Northern Pacific

• Northern Atlantic

• Southern Ocean

• Indian Ocean