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Questions and Answers
Why can't these types of pollution be linked to a particular ship?
What do the plastic beads and dragons on the beach represent?
What do global economies depend on in the context of shipping?
Which ocean current eventually forms the California Current?
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What is the role of deep ocean currents in marine life support?
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What is the primary influence on the movement of deep ocean currents?
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What drives ocean currents according to the text?
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What affects water density in the ocean according to the text?
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What causes irregular shapes and circular vortices in ocean currents according to the text?
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What is the North Pacific Garbage Patch primarily composed of?
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Why is defining the size of the North Pacific Garbage Patch difficult?
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What is the estimated size of the North Pacific Garbage Patch?
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What is the estimated size of the North Pacific Garbage Patch?
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What is the composition of the North Pacific Garbage Patch mainly made of?
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How is plastic pollution distributed around the world's beaches?
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Study Notes
Ocean Currents and Their Role in Global Circulation
- Ocean currents are like rivers of energy moving in a persistent and predictable direction, driven by differences in density and pressure.
- Density and pressure changes in the ocean come from differences in the amount of incoming solar radiation, which heats the water.
- Water closer to the equator absorbs more heat energy than water at higher latitudes, creating density differences within the ocean.
- Water density is also affected by salinity, with saltier water being more dense than less salty water.
- Warmer water in the ocean expands, elevating the surface, while colder or saltier water contracts, lowering the surface into a depression.
- Pressure gradients force the water to flow around the globe, resulting in at least 30 major named surface currents and dozens more smaller currents.
- Surface currents are driven by strong and steady streams of wind, with energy transferred from the winds to the water through friction.
- Ocean currents generally follow the winds but come up against roadblocks like continents and large land masses, giving them irregular shapes.
- The Coriolis effect, caused by the Earth's rotation, can deflect some surface currents, leading to irregular shapes and circular vortices or eddies.
- Equatorial currents aren't deflected right or left and flow horizontally, while gyres flow in a clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and a counterclockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Ocean currents can carry various objects, such as eels or plastic waste, and play a crucial role in global circulation.
- The North Pacific Gyre, consisting of four currents following the movement of air around the northern subtropical high-pressure area, plays a significant role in the journey of objects like water bottles.
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Description
Test your knowledge of ocean currents and their role in global circulation with this quiz. Explore the factors driving ocean currents, including density, pressure, and the impact of solar radiation. Learn about the influence of winds, the Coriolis effect, and the formation of gyres. Understand the significance of ocean currents in global circulation and their role in transporting various objects across the seas.
