Title
Question Set: Effects of Surface Currents
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices
NGSS Crosscutting Concepts
NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas
Table of Contents
- As a gyre forms, water piles up in the center. Explain how higher water levels at the center of a gyre act in the opposite direction of Ekman transport.
- What causes coastal upwelling?
- How does coastal upwelling affect ecosystems? How does coastal upwelling affect humans? Provide examples in your answer.
- Why do you think the low-pressure center of a hurricane produces a downwelling?
- How are Langmuir currents formed? How might these currents influence organisms living near the ocean surface?
- What is meant by the term “basin-wide tilt”? Use your own words to explain this phenomenon.
- Fill out the following table comparing El Niño and La Niña.
| Hypothesized effect | El Niño | La Niña |
|---|---|---|
| Weather and climate | ||
| Food chain | ||
| Fisheries | ||
| Marine mammal populations |
- Why do you think El Niño is more studied and better known than La Niña?
- Would you expect to pay more for a pound of fresh fish during an El Niño or a La Niña year? Why?
- Do you think El Niño and La Niña effects are limited to oceanic and coastal environments? Why or why not? How do you think these phenomena influence environments farther inland?
