Ocean Currents and Coriolis Effect

The video tutorial explains how winds drag the ocean, creating currents influenced by the Coriolis effect, which causes them to tilt. The Coriolis effect was discovered in 1835, but its oceanic impact was recognized later. Fridtjof Nansen's observations led to Alfred Ekman's research, resulting in the Ekman spiral concept, which describes how ocean currents are set up and transported. The video differentiates between ocean currents and transport, emphasizing the Ekman spiral's theoretical and practical aspects, and highlights the importance of Ekman transport in oceanography.

What is the primary force that initiates ocean currents?

• Gravity

• Earthquakes

• Wind

• Tides

In which year was the Coriolis effect discovered?

• 1835

• 1905

• 1920

• 1850

Who was the scientist that noticed icebergs moving at an angle to the wind?

• Alfred Ekman

• Isaac Newton

• Fridtjof Nansen

• Gustave-Gaspard Coriolis

What is the main difference between ocean currents and transport?

• Transport is a type of current

• Currents are faster than transport

• Currents refer to speed, transport refers to volume

• Transport is only in the southern hemisphere

What is the Ekman spiral?

• A type of wind pattern

• A method to measure ocean depth

• A spiral pattern of ocean currents

• A type of ocean wave

How does the Coriolis effect influence ocean currents in the northern hemisphere?

• Tilts them to the left

• Speeds them up

• Stops them completely

• Tilts them to the right

What happens to the direction of water movement as you go deeper in the ocean?

• It reverses direction

• It spirals in a different direction

• It speeds up

• It remains the same

What angle does the integrated transport make with the wind direction?

• 180 degrees

• 0 degrees

• 90 degrees

• 45 degrees

What is the significance of Ekman transport in oceanography?

• It measures ocean salinity

• It predicts weather patterns

• It causes tsunamis

• It explains the movement of ocean currents

How quickly can wind-driven currents be set up?

• Not at all

• Instantly

• Very slowly

• Very quickly