Chat with AIExam 9: Circulation of the Ocean
What water mass is the most saline?
(46) 
VerifiedB
If an eddy found in the Gulf Stream is rotating counterclockwise, then it is:
(31) VerifiedB
What are the different types of water masses? What is the most distinctive water mass? Give the characteristics and behaviors of that water mass.
(35) VerifiedAnswer should include:
• There are five types of water masses in tropical and temperate waters. They are named for their relative position in the water column. There are surface waters, central waters, intermediate waters, deep waters and bottom water.
• The most distinctive water mass is the Antarctic Bottom Water. It has a salinity of 34.65% , a temperature of -0.5º Celsius, and a density of 1.0279 grams per cubic centimeter. This extremely dense water is mostly produced along the coasts of Antarctica, specifically near South America in winter. It migrates north along the bottom of the seafloor.
• It is created when salt pockets become trapped between crystals of pure water. As the water freezes, the salt is squeezed out. This creates extremely cold brine. The high density causes it to sink towards the continental shelf. It then mixes with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
• The Antarctic Bottom Water circulates throughout the world ocean very slowly.
Information can be found in the section Thermohaline Circulation Affects All the Ocean's Water.
The Coriolis Effect and gravity maintains the hill of water present in the center of oceanic gyres.
(33) What thrusts water masses that are engaged in the thermohaline flow of the world's ocean?
(37) What prevents North Atlantic Deep Water from moving on a large scale like the Antarctic Bottom Water?
(44) What is considered to be the largest western boundary current?
(41) Langmuir circulation disturbs deep water currents due to twisting vortices.
(36) What direction would a gyre in the Southern Hemisphere flow towards?
(29) What maintains the permanent thermocline found at all low and mid-latitudes?
(43) What is the disadvantage of using drift bottles to study currents?
(40) The Gulf Stream has decreased in recent years due to an influx of freshwater.
(36) What is an El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event? La Niña? How are they connected to each other?
(35) Upwelling can increase biological productivity, but it is unable to influence weather conditions.
(33) Researchers believe the catalyst for the 1982-83 El Niño event was actually the volcanic eruption of El Chichón.
(33) 
Filters
- Essay(0)
- Multiple Choice(0)
- Short Answer(0)
- True False(0)
- Matching(0)