Air and Water Currents

The image shows part of an ocean current in the Atlantic Ocean. The blue line represents the motion of deep, cool water. The red line represents the motion of warm surface water. One factor that affects ocean currents is the concentration of salt in the water. How can the saltiness of the water cause the surface water to sink, as shown above?

• When ice melts, it makes the surface water more salty.

• When cold water rises to the surface, it loses salt.

• When some of the surface water freezes, the remaining water becomes saltier.

• When the surface water is heated by the Sun, it dissolves more salt.

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What most likely causes the current to behave as shown in the image?

• When the water is heated, it becomes less dense and rises.

• When the surface water is heated by the Sun, it becomes denser.

• When the deep water is cooled, it loses energy and becomes denser.

• When the cold water evaporates, less dense water rises to take its place.

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The Earth's oceans are generally warmer near the equator and cooler near the poles. Currents in the water near the surface circulate the water. Some of these currents are shown in the image below. Warm currents are shown in red. Cool currents are shown in blue. Which of the following best describes what the pictured currents do?

• carry warm water away from the poles

• carry cool water toward the poles

• carry warm water toward the equator

• carry warm water away from the equator

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Warm air and water both tend to rise while cooler air and water sink. When different parts of the oceans are heated unevenly, this causes the water to

• mix together in the water cycle.

• move in convection currents.

• stay in the same place.

• form a tsunami.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

What type of currents are potentially dangerous to swimmers, because they rapidly carry water offshore quickly?

• Surface Currents

• Longshore Currents

• Deep Currents

• Rip Currents

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What is this current's name?

• North Pacific

• Gulf Stream

• South Pacific

• Antarctic

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What is the EAC, that Crush uses in Finding Nemo?

• a Tsunami

• Waves of water in the Pacific

• Flow of water from Antarctica

• Current of water that flows along Australia

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

A large rotating ocean current is called a:

• tsunami

• gyre

• wave

• swell

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Which of the following describes the movement of water between the poles and the equator?

• ocean currents

• gravity

• evaporation

• tides

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A process known as upwelling often occurs along ocean coasts. In this process, warm water at the surface is driven out to sea by blowing winds. As the warm water moves out to sea, what most likely happens to the cold water beneath it?

• It condenses into ice.

• It sinks closer to the ocean floor.

• It rises to the surface to replace the warm water.

• It is driven out to sea by the warm water.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6