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9th grade Surface ocean currents and the Coriolis effect worksheet

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Surface ocean currents and the Coriolis effect

Grade 9 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. NOAA: trade winds near 30° N blow from the northeast toward the southwest. Why not straight toward the equator, by Bo's reading?

    • Mountains block it
    • The Coriolis effect turns it to the left
    • The Coriolis effect turns the air to the right
    • Ocean salt pushes the wind

  2. Wind pushing surface water offshore as cold water rises. NOAA: in downwelling, wind piles surface water against a coast. What does that water do, by Esme's reading?

    • It sinks toward the bottom
    • It rises, bringing nutrients up
    • It flows uphill onto land
    • It freezes

  3. A current moving north in the Southern Hemisphere is deflected which way, by Jun's reading (NOAA)?

    • Not deflected
    • Straight down
    • To the left, toward the west
    • To the right, toward the east

  4. How does the Gulf Stream affect Florida's east coast, by Milo's reading (NOAA)?

    • Hotter summers than nearby states
    • Colder winters than nearby states
    • Warmer winters and cooler summers than nearby states
    • No effect on the coast

  6. NOAA: the Gulf Stream travels 25 to 75 miles a day. How far could it carry a drifter in 10 days, by Noah's math?

    • About 35 to 85 miles
    • About 2,500 to 7,500 miles
    • About 2.5 to 7.5 miles
    • About 250 to 750 miles

  7. NOAA: the Gulf Stream moves 1 to 3 knots, or 1.85 to 5.55 km/h. How far does it go in a day at 1.85 km/h, by Pia's math?

    Use the picture in question 5.

    • About 44 km
    • About 1.85 km
    • About 444 km
    • About 4.4 km

  8. At 5.55 km/h, about how many days would the Gulf Stream take to carry a drifter 1,000 km, by Ren's math?

    Use the picture in question 5.

    • About 7.5 days
    • About 5,550 days
    • About 0.75 days
    • About 180 days

  10. NOAA: in the Ekman spiral, each deeper layer moves more slowly and is deflected farther. Which way do the deeper layers turn in the Northern Hemisphere, by Tala's reading?

    • Straight down
    • Faster than the surface layer
    • Farther to the left
    • Farther to the right

  11. About how deep does the Ekman spiral reach, by Zee's reading (NOAA)?

    Use the picture in question 8.

    • About 100 m
    • About 10 m
    • Down to the sea floor
    • About 1,000 m

  12. Wind pushing surface water offshore as cold water rises. Wind blows surface water away from a coast (NOAA). What happens next, by Ari's reading?

    • Fresh river water fills the gap
    • Cold, nutrient-rich water wells up from below
    • Warm water sinks, and the coast warms
    • Sea level rises at the coast
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9th grade Surface ocean currents and the Coriolis effect worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Explain surface ocean currents and the Coriolis effect. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can explain that winds drive surface currents and that Earth's rotation deflects them right in the north and left in the south.
  • I can read gyres (clockwise north, counterclockwise south, none at the equator) and strong western and weak eastern boundary currents.
  • I can explain the Ekman spiral and upwelling, and work current speed × time.

Standard: none (TX, FL)

Words to know

Coriolis effect: Deflection of moving air and water by Earth's rotation

gyre: A large loop of ocean currents

western boundary current: A strong, narrow current on a gyre's west side

Ekman spiral: Deeper layers turning farther and moving slower

upwelling: Deep, cold, nutrient-rich water rising to the surface

Common mistakes

Your child turned the Coriolis effect the wrong way. NOAA: Earth's rotation deflects moving air and water to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern.

Your child named the wrong driver. NOAA: winds drive surface currents in the upper 100 m or so; density from temperature and salinity drives deep currents.

Your child turned the gyres the wrong way. NOAA: gyres turn clockwise north of the equator and counterclockwise south of it; there are none at the equator, where the Coriolis effect is absent.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with surface ocean currents and the coriolis effect?

Your child turned the Coriolis effect the wrong way. NOAA: Earth's rotation deflects moving air and water to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern.

Are these 9th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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