What best describes an ocean current?
A large mass of moving water in the ocean
An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of a large body of seawater along a definite path, rather like a river flowing within the ocean. Examples are the Gulf Stream and the Kuroshio Current.
Ocean currents are driven by the prevailing winds, by differences in water temperature and salinity (and so in density), and are shaped by the Earth's rotation and the outline of the continents. Warm and cold currents strongly influence the climate of coastal lands.
A collection of floating plants is a patch of vegetation, such as the Sargassum seaweed of the Sargasso Sea, not a current. No part of the ocean is free of salt, since seawater everywhere contains dissolved salts.
A stationary area is the opposite of a current, because a current is by definition water in motion. So an ocean current is best described as a large mass of seawater moving in a definite direction.
Hence, A large mass of moving water in the ocean.
Why do planetary winds in the Northern Hemisphere consistently curve to the right of their direction of motion?
Which of the following factors is NOT directly influenced by local wind patterns in agricultural areas?
Which layer of the atmosphere is primarily responsible for most weather phenomena on Earth?
Which surface would reflect the most solar radiation based on its albedo?
How does latitude affect the amount of solar energy a location receives on Earth?
Which among the following does NOT play a direct role in causing surface ocean currents?
Which local wind typically occurs at night because of the cooling of land faster than water?
How does the rate of cooling on mountain slopes influence the formation of local winds at night?
Planetary winds form distinct wind belts around Earth between equator and poles, primarily due to:
How does the spherical shape of Earth affect the distribution of solar energy?
In which of the following atmospheric layers ozone gas is concentrated?
Ozone layer depletion is a major phenomenon in :
By which layer of the atmosphere the ultra-violet rays are absorbed ?
The layer of very rare air above the mesosphere is called the _____________.
Air moves from the region where the air _______.