Currents test – Flashcards
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Solar radiation provides more heat near the equator than near the poles on Earth. The greatest amount of heat is moved away from the equator by____________.
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currents
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The oceans most influence global climate by ___________.
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releasing heat into the atmosphere
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The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt shows the flow pattern of deep-sea density currents. What effect is caused by these currents?
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cold places become warmer and wetter and warm places become cooler
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The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current in the North Atlantic that flows from the Gulf of Mexico, northeast along the U.S coast, and from there to the British Isles. The Gulf Stream has a strong effect on the climate pattern in the British Isles. Which climate pattern can be attributed to the Gulf Stream Current?
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warmer and wetter than surrounding areas.
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Ocean currents affect climates around the world. Which areas most likely have a warmer climate than expected?
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British Isles
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What is most likely the mechanism that drives the current to continue to circulate?
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wind, density (temperature and salinity) can change density
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What has the greatest capacity for storing thermal energy from the Sun?
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the ocean
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What is the primary source of stored thermal energy in oceans?
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the sun
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Because water can hold a large amount of heat, which effect do oceans have on nearby land areas?
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changes in air temperature
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The mixing of cold Arctic Ocean water with warm surface Atlantic currents off the northwestern coast of Europe causes what effect?
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an ocean current (cold water will sink under warm water)
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If the Gulf Stream stopped flowing, which environmental change would most likely occur?
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The British Isles would cool down and other areas along the Gulf Stream
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Variation in which property between water at different temperatures contributes most to the formation of horizontal ocean layers having distinct temperatures?
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The density of the water
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The Great Ocean Conveyer ocean current system runs north through the Atlantic from the equatorial region. If this current got disrupted, North American and European climates would become __________.
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It would cause it to be cooler
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Which statement best explains the role of evaporation in ocean currents?
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Makes ocean saltier, changes density and causes ocean currents
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If a northern coastline such as the Norway coast is located near a warm ocean current, how would this affect the climate?
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become warmer
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What is the relationship between the ocean and atmosphere?
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The wind in the atmosphere moves the surface layers of the ocean. The ocean holds heat better than the land.
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The rotation of currents in the Northern Hemisphere affects the _________.
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East Coast (climates of the land masses)
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Ocean currents, like the Gulf Stream, affect world climate by ________.
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heating air up
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What is the primary energy source driving circulation of ocean currents on Earth?
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sun
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A scientist wants to track contaminant movement in the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is a warm water current in the North Atlantic Ocean and is part of the North Atlantic gyre. The gyre is influenced by the Coriolis effect. To follow the contaminant after it exits the Gulf Stream, the scientist needs to know characteristics of the North Atlantic gyre. How would the scientist describe the movement of the North Atlantic gyre.
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Current that moves along the east coast of North America and the west coast of Europe and travels north of the equator and back up to North America.
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A change in the pattern of warm ocean currents can cause a climate change by __________.
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Increasing/decreasing the temperature. Moving the heat
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When waves hit the beach at small angles, currents are formed that move parallel to the coastline. These currents carry eroded materials from the beach. What is most likely formed from the material in the currents?
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Tomolls, spits, barrier islands, sand bars
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Because water is able to exist in the liquid phase on Earth, water helps to moderate temperatures across the entire planet. Which statement best illustrates this link between water in the liquid phase and moderation of temperatures?
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Ocean currents circulate heat away from the equator.
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What is the main process that forms sea caves?
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wave erosion
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What effect do longshore currents have on sand particles on the beach?
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They transport them
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Sediment that is deposited on a beach may come from a local source or be transported by which action?
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longshore transport
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Long shore currents are ocean waves that strike beaches at extremely small angles. In areas where long shore currents exist, what effect do they have on land areas?
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erodes sand, form sandbars, barrier islands, spits, tombolos
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What contributes the most to beach erosion?
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waves
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Students exploring a beach discovered a cave in a cliff wall. What most likely caused the cave in the cliff wall?
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wave erosion
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How is the surface of a beach is formed?
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erosion and weathering, mechanical weathering
