1. What is responsible for the movement of the
ocean currents in the diagram below?
The direction of the winds
The Coriolis effect
The shape of the continents
2. Why do the ocean currents in the
Northern Hemisphere gyres move
clockwise?
Coriolis Effect
Currents in the Northern Hemisphere are deflected to the right
Currents in the Southern Hemisphere to the left
3. Describe how the ocean
currents distribute heat around
the globe.
Warm water travels toward the poles taking heat with
it. Cold water travels toward the equator.
4. Describe how the Coriolis effect is
different in the Northern Hemisphere
compared to the Southern
Hemisphere.
*Northern Hemisphere:
Spin is counterclockwise
(to the RIGHT) when
looking down on North
Pole
*Southern Hemisphere
Spin is clockwise (to the
LEFT) when looking down
on South Pole
5. Describe two factors that
determine the density of ocean water
and explain how the weather can
influence those two factors.
Temperature – the warmer water is, the less dense
Ex Sunlight – Temp goes up
Salinity – the saltier water is, the more dense
Ex Evaporation – Salinity goes up
Precipitation– Salinity goes down
6. Why is the temperature of
ocean water so high at the
equator (0 degrees latitude)?
Most direct
Sunlight
7. Why is the salinity of water
so low at the equator?
Tropical region so there is lots of
rain
8. Describe what the density of ocean water is
like at the equator compared to other regions
around the world.
•High temperature
•Low salinity
•Very low density
9. Describe how water at the equator will
move relative to the ocean surface.
•Because it has a low salinity, it will
rise to surface
10. Why is solar radiation more intense at the
equator compared to solar radiation closer to
the poles?
Most direct
sunlight
11. List the major steps of the
water cycle (from ocean to ocean)
Evaporation, Condensation,
Precipitation, Runoff
12. Describe how evaporation
is different from condensation.
Evaporation – ocean or surface water evaporates and
forms water vapor in the atmosphere
Condensation – water vapor condenses to form water
droplets and clouds
13. What is precipitation and
in what forms does it show up
on the Earth’s surface?
Precipitation – droplets gain enough
size to be pulled out of clouds by
gravity and fall to Earth
Ex rain, snow, hail, sleet
14. How does the water cycle
get the energy it needs to
function?
The sun
15. In the North Atlantic Ocean, surface water
sinks and becomes deep ocean water. Why
does ocean water sink in that region of the
world?
In high latitudes, ocean water is
cold. Cooling increases water’s
density and it sinks.
16. In the Indian Ocean, deep ocean water rises
and becomes surface water. Why does ocean
water rise in that region of the world?
Water is heated up
at the equator so it
rises.
17. Which zone is the
warmest? The coldest?
Surface
Deep
18. Which zone is the
freshest? The saltiest?
Surface
Deep
19. Which zone has the most
nutrients? The least?
Deep water
surface
20. Briefly describe the type of
organisms in each zone.
Surface-Plankton
Transition-Fish/animals
Deep-Plants/some animals
21. Explain what upwelling is and
how it distributes nutrients around
the ocean.
Cold deep water contains lots of
nutrients because gravity pulls
down the decaying remains of
fish.
Upwelling brings nutrients nearer
to the surface and occurs near
when offshore winds move
surface water away from the
shoreline, allowing cooler water to
rise
22. List four processes that move CO2
into the atmosphere.
•Volcanic Eruption
•Respiration
•Burning Fossil Fuels
(Combustion)
•Diffusion
23. Describe how
photosynthesis fits into the
carbon cycle
Plants remove Carbon
from the air and convert
to glucose, C6H12O6
24. Describe how respiration
fits into the carbon cycle.
Organisms take
glucose, C6H12O6,
and convert to CO2
25. List the five major
reservoirs of carbon.
Rocks
Atmosphere
Biomass
Ocean
Fossil Fuels
26. What are two sources of
heat that help drive the carbon
cycle?
Volcanic Eruptions
Sunlight in Photosynthesis