Name ___________

Hour ___________
Date ___________

Oceanography and Climate Test

LT 1 I can explain the formation of different types of ocean currents and their role
in climate.
1. Which factors control the movement of surface currents?
a. Salinity and temperature
b. Wind, the Coriolis Effect, and the location of continents
c. The boats on the currents
d. The number of fish in the current
2. The swift, warm current that flows northward towards the United Kingdom is
called
a. North Atlantic Current
b. Antarctic Circumpolar Current
c. Gulf Stream
d. North Equatorial
3. Deep currents are separated by
a. The differences in the density of ocean water
b. The global wind belts
c. The Coriolis Effect
d. Continental barriers
4. What two factors do we use to identify climate
a. Latitude and longitude
b. Latitude and temperature
c. Precipitation and longitude
d. Temperature and precipitation
5. How does the swift, warm current described in question 2 change as it moves
towards the poles?

6. How do surface currents affect climate?

LT 2 I can explain the role that density plays in ocean currents.

7. What is density?
a. Density = mass/volume
b. Density = weight/temperature
c. Density = volume/mass
d. Density = temperature/salinity
8. Warm water allows for _________ solids to be dissolved entirely than cold
water
a. More
b. Less
c. The same amount of
9. Warm water allows for _________ gases to be dissolved entirely than cold
water
a. More
b. Less
c. The same amount of
10.Name two factors that change the density of ocean water.

11.What happens to the density of ocean water when it becomes colder and
saltier? Will it sink or float in relation to warmer water?

12.How are surface currents different from deep currents?

LT 3 I can explain the Coriolis Effect and how it affects ocean circulation.
13.What causes the Coriolis Effect to occur?

14.How does the Coriolis Effect impact surface currents? (Hint: Think about the
other factors that drive surface currents.)

15.What direction does the Coriolis Effect cause surface currents to move in the
Northern hemisphere? What about the Southern hemisphere? (Draw and
label a diagram if that helps.)

LT 4 I can explain El Nino and how it affects climate and the economy.
16.Use words and a picture to describe El Nino (Not the Chris Farley way)

17.Which of the following might be a climatic change associated with El Nino?

a. Increased rainfall in Peru
b. Warmer and drier winters in Michigan
c. Less rainfall in New Zealand
d. All of the above
18.Which of the following might be an economic impact of El Nino?
a. Increased rainfall in Australia provides better crops
b. Colder, snowier winters in Michigan boost Skiing tourism
c. Fish have less food near Peru, so the fishing economy plummets
d. Forest fires in Argentina decrease property value
19.What is upwelling?
a. The movement of shallow, warm, nutrient rich water to deeper parts of
the ocean
b. The movement of deep, cold, nutrient rich water to the surface
c. The movement of a cold surface current toward the equator
d. The movement of the Antarctic Bottom Water