Earth Science (Chapter 14)

Which of these is most directly related to wave speed?

Prevailing westerlies are winds that blow toward the poles pushing surface water west.

Which of these would have the least effect on subsurface currents?

The vertical distance between a wave's crest and trough is its

In the center of an ocean gyre, the sea level is usually

Currents are affected by the rotation of the earth.

Solar tides by themselves are much smaller than lunar tides.

Based on the direction of trade winds what direction do surface currents near the Equator flow?

Upwelling has been observed only near the Equator due to its lower-than-average sea level.

One way that coastal engineers can reduce wave erosion is to build

The moon's gravity causes the oceans to rise both on the near side and far side of the earth.

The greatest number of drownings is probably caused by ____ currents

How many tides do most coasts experience in a typical 24-hour period?

Water that is forced down by downwelling typically has ____ than surrounding waters.

What usually has the greatest influence in causing tides?

Coastal stacks are often the last remnants of

The Ekman spiral describes how a surface current changes direction and speed with latitude.

Most power plants designed to harness the power of tidal changes are fairly small.

Which of these forms of sea life are thought to take advantage of ocean currents for movement?

Waves generally move water great distances

Which of the following factors does not directly affect the height of a wave?

Twice-daily lunar tides are not exactly 12 hours apart because the moon orbits earth.

The very high tides that occur twice a month are caused by

Cold ocean currents are responsible for many deserts around the world.

Which of the following is not an advantage of tidal power generation (TPG)?

As an ocean wave approaches the shore,