Ocean Density and Mixing Dynamics

What is the primary reason why different ocean bodies often do not mix?

• They are separated by large landmasses

• They have different densities

• They are made of different chemical compounds

• Strong currents push them apart

What causes a thermocline to form between two bodies of water?

• Differences in salinity

• Differences in temperature

• Differences in chemical makeup

• Differences in biological characteristics

How does increasing the temperature of water affect its density?

• Density increases

• Density decreases

• Density remains the same

• Density fluctuates unpredictably

What type of ocean cline is most apparent where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet?

• Thermocline

• Chemocline

• Halocline

• Pycnocline

What happens to the density of water when salt is added to it?

• Density increases

• Density decreases

• Density remains the same

• Density becomes unpredictable

What causes an egg to float in salt water but sink in fresh water?

• The egg's size changes in different waters.

• Salt water has a higher density than fresh water.

• Fresh water is colder than salt water.

• The egg absorbs more water in fresh water.

Which force influences the movement of objects on Earth, causing them to deviate from a straight path, and is responsible for keeping large water bodies from mixing horizontally?

• Gravitational force

• Centripetal force

• Coriolis force

• Magnetic force

Besides density differences and the Coriolis force, what other factor makes it difficult for different water bodies to mix?

• The temperature of the water.

• The strength of the molecular connection between water molecules.

• The depth of the water bodies.

• The presence of marine life.

When the Fraser River's freshwater, full of silt, meets the saltwater of the Strait of Georgia, what happens to the silt particles?

• They dissolve completely into the saltwater.

• They float to the surface, forming a layer.

• They bond with salt, become heavier, and sink to the bottom.

• They are carried away by ocean currents without changing.

What is the primary reason the Rio Negro and Solimões Rivers do not mix for several miles after they meet?

• They have different colors.

• They have different temperatures and flow speeds.

• They have different levels of pollution.

• They are separated by an underwater ridge.