Patterns of Circulation in the Ocean

Ocean currents, water temperature, and wind affect daily life by influencing:

• Weather patterns and climate

• The taste of seafood

• The color of the ocean

• The height of mountains

What is the meaning of the vocabulary word 'El Niño'?

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What is the meaning of the vocabulary word 'La Niña'?

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What is the term for a continuous, directed movement of ocean water generated by forces such as wind, temperature, and salinity differences?

• A) Tide

• B) Wave

• C) Current

• D) Swell

What is the phenomenon characterized by the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean?

• La Niña

• El Niño

• Monsoon

• Cyclone

What is the term for the cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, often following El Niño?

• La Niña

• El Niño

• Monsoon

• Cyclone

Fill in the blank: Ocean currents can move water ______ across the ocean surface.

• gradually

• quickly

• randomly

• slowly

The study of ocean currents is important for understanding ______ patterns in the five major ocean basins.

• weather

• geological

• biological

• cultural

Suppose you are on the coast of Florida and you drop a bottle into the Atlantic Ocean. Which ocean currents would most likely move the bottle?

• Gulf Stream

• Canary Current

• North Atlantic Drift

• Labrador Current

Reflect: Along which surface current in Figure 2 would a person find the water to be the warmest?

• North Equatorial Current

• Gulf Stream

• California Current

• Antarctic Circumpolar Current