Ocean Currents and Their Effects

What is an ocean current?

• A small stream of water in a river

• A pattern of movement of water in a large region of the ocean

• A type of weather pattern

• A type of fish migration

How do ocean currents contribute to Earth's climate?

• By creating new landforms

• By moving thermal energy from warm to cold regions

• By increasing the Earth's rotation speed

• By causing earthquakes

What do ocean currents partially balance on Earth's surface?

• The amount of sunlight

• The extremes of temperature

• The levels of ocean salinity

• The number of marine species

What is the effect of ocean currents on climate?

• They have no effect

• They influence long-term weather conditions

• They only affect the equator

• They cause volcanic eruptions

Which areas are affected by ocean currents according to the text?

• Only the equator

• Only the Arctic

• Canada's western, eastern, and northern coasts

• Only the Antarctic

What factors influence the flow of ocean currents?

• Only the wind

• Only the minerals in the water

• Wind, minerals, ocean floor shape, heat from the Sun, Moon's gravity, Earth's rotation

• Only the Earth's rotation

What is the pattern of movement of an ocean current compared to?

• A straight line

• A river of warm or cold water

• A mountain range

• A desert

What role does the Sun play in ocean currents?

• It has no role

• It provides heat that influences currents

• It stops the currents

• It changes the color of the water

What is the significance of Figure 11.14 in the text?

• It shows the locations of all volcanoes

• It shows major ocean currents

• It shows the distribution of marine life

• It shows the Earth's tectonic plates

What is the effect of the Moon's gravity on ocean currents?

• It has no effect

• It influences the flow of currents

• It stops the currents

• It changes the water temperature