Ocean Current Quiz
o 90 N Landfall 1992, 1994, 1998, 2001,2003
Landfall 2003 o X1 Sitka X7 60 N Subpolar 45N 178E Maine Accident O Gyre X6 Jan.1992 Landfall 2003 o 30 N Subtropical Hawaii Gyre X4
o 0 Indonesia 3
A few months 5 South America after the storm o 2 30 S Australia (late 1992)
60oS o o o o o o o o o o 120 E 150 E 180 150 W 120 W 90 W 60 W 30 W 0 30 E Question 1 In January 1992 a storm swept 29,000 rubber ducks into the North Pacific. Since then the ducks have landed on beaches around the world. Oceanographers use information about the duck 'land-falls' to study ocean currents, but must be careful only to use only reliable reports. Three of the sightings in the map above are unlikely. Which are they? 1. Sitka, Alaska, in 1992 and for years afterwards. 2. Australia: A few months after the accident (late 1992). 3. Indonesia: A few months after the accident. 4. Hawaii: some time in 1994. 5. Peru, South America: A few months after the accident. 6. Maine, U.S East coast: in 2003. 7. Shetland, U.K.: in late 2003.
Question 2 What is the name of the ocean gyre where the ducks went round and round for years before landing in Alaska in 1992, 1994, 1998, 2001 and 2003? 1. The Antarctic circumpolar current 2. The Pacific Subpolar Gyre
3. The Pacific Subtropical Gyre 4. The Atlantic Subpolar Gyre Turn over for more questions
Sea surface temperature (SST)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 oC
6 60o N SUBPOLAR 5 GYRE 2
1 30o N NORTH ATLANTIC 3 SUBTROPICAL GYRE
4 0o
SOUTH ATLANTIC o SUBTROPICAL 30 S GYRE
60o S o o o o o 90 W 60 W 30 W 0 30 E Question 3 The Atlantic has 3 ocean gyres created by the ocean currents. Can you name of the currents in the two North Atlantic gyres, numbered on the map? (Hint: two of the currents below are not part of the North Atlantic ocean gyres.)
North Atlantic Equatorial Current Gulf Stream
North Atlantic Drift Current Norwegian Current
Irminger Current Canary Current
Antarctic Circumpolar Current Labrador Current