Interactive Online Quiz

Question 1. Currents are water movements created by?

1. the wakes of large ocean-going vessels (ships).
2. friction between moving air (wind) and the water's surface.
3. earthquakes.
4. none of the above

Question 2. Surface currents:

1. are wind-driven.
2. are the only currents that most people see.
3. affect about 20% of the ocean's volume(total water)
4. all of the above

Question 3. Deep-ocean currents are:

1. non-existent
2. wind-driven
3. density-driven
4. circumpolar

Question 4. Winds and ocean currents are ultimately created by the:

1. equator
2. sun
3. moon
4. all of the above.

Question 5. Winds and ocean circulation (currents) are created as a result of:

1. Moon's orbit around Earth
2. satellites orbiting Earth.
3. unequal solar heating of the oceans and the atmosphere.
4. 1 & 2

Question 6. A "south wind":

1. blows out of the north to the south.
2. blows out of the south to the north.

Question 7. A "northerly current":

1. flows to the north
2. flows out of the north.

Question 8. Once surface currents are set in motion, they are affected by three other factors:

1. Coriolis effect, presence of coasts, & horizontal pressure gradient
2. Gyres, eddies, & geostrophic flow
3. Hurricanes, earthquakes, & tsunamis
4. Ships, whales, & icebergs

Question 9. Only one ocean current flows unimpeded (without obstruction or barriers) around Earth. It is the:

1. Gulf Stream Current
2. California Current
3. Antarctic Circumpolar Current
4. Aghulas Current

Question 10. A deflection of ocean water--to the right in the Northern
Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere--
caused by Earth's rotation is called:

1. The Coriolis effect
2. The Langmuir circulation
3. A gyre
4. Horizontal pressure gradient

Question 11. Variations in the ocean's circulation can lead to variations in the heat transport and thus lead to variations in:

1. coastlines
2. shipping lanes
3. occurrence of tides
4. weather patterns

Question 12. One important variation in ocean circulation is the periodic change in the equatorial circulation known as:

1. Coriolis Effect
2. El Niño
3. WOCE
4. TOPEX/Poseidon

Question 13. How do we currently measure currents?

1. drift bottles
2. satellites
3. current meters
4. all of the above

Click here for answers to the quiz.