The REAL Role of Ocean Currents in Climate

What percentage of Earth's surface is covered by oceans?

• 50%

• 60%

• 70%

• 80%

What role do ocean surface currents play in Earth's climate?

• They decrease Earth's overall temperature

• They help to drive and maintain many of Earth's climate zones

• They contribute to the desertification of land

• They have no significant impact

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

How do oceans contribute to the climate system?

• By storing cold energy only

• By emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases

• By absorbing about twice as much of the sun's radiation as the atmosphere or the land surface

• By reflecting all the sun's radiation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

What does the bright red color near the equator represent in the data-based visual representation?

• 95 degrees Celsius

• 50 degrees Fahrenheit

• 28 degrees Fahrenheit

• 95 degrees Fahrenheit

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

How do ocean surface currents affect Northwest Europe's climate?

• They transport warm water north to those areas, preventing it from being a frozen land

• They have no effect on its climate

• They transport cold water south, making it colder

• They make it a frozen land

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

In which direction do the currents move in the Northern Hemisphere?

• Directly north

• Directly south

• Clockwise

• Counterclockwise

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

What effect does the California Current have on the climate of the Hawaiian Islands?

• It has no significant effect

• It causes heavy rainfall throughout the year

• It makes the climate hotter than usual for a tropical latitude

• It makes the climate cooler than usual for a tropical latitude

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

What is the primary function of ocean surface currents in the global climate system?

• To support marine life migration only

• To increase salinity levels in the ocean

• To produce electricity for coastal cities

• To move large amounts of heat across the planet

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6