PencilGo

Grade 9 · Science · Earth and Space Science

9th grade Surface ocean currents and the Coriolis effect worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

Version
Print

Surface ocean currents and the Coriolis effect

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. World map with current arrows. What mainly drives surface ocean currents, by Ari's reading (NOAA)?

    • Rivers flowing into the sea
    • Wind blowing over the water
    • Heat from the ocean floor
    • Differences in salt, by themselves

  2. What drives deep-ocean currents instead, by Kira's reading (NOAA)?

    • Surface wind, by itself
    • Differences in density from temperature and salinity
    • The Moon's light
    • The engines of ships

  4. In the Northern Hemisphere, which way does the Coriolis effect turn moving air and water, by Jun's reading (NOAA)?

    • To the right
    • To the left
    • It does not turn them
    • Straight up

  5. In the Southern Hemisphere, which way are moving air and water deflected, by Luz's reading (NOAA)?

    Use the picture in question 3.

    • To the right
    • Straight toward the equator
    • To the left
    • No deflection

  6. What causes the Coriolis effect, by Milo's reading (NOAA)?

    Use the picture in question 3.

    • The Moon's pull
    • Earth's rotation on its axis
    • Salt in the water
    • Wind blowing on the water

  7. Five gyres on a world map with their turning directions. Why are there no gyres at the equator, by Pia's reading (NOAA)?

    • The Coriolis effect is not present there
    • The winds are too strong there
    • The water is too warm to turn
    • Gyres there turn both ways at once

  8. What is a western boundary current like, by Ren's reading (NOAA)?

    • Deep and cold, driven by salt
    • Tidal, turning twice a day
    • Weak and broad
    • Strong and narrow

  9. Read this first

    Use this

    Wind pushing surface water offshore as cold water rises.

  10. What is upwelling, by Tala's reading (NOAA)?

    • Deep, cold water rising toward the surface
    • Waves breaking on the shore
    • Warm surface water sinking toward the deep ocean
    • Rain filling up the ocean

  11. Why are fishing grounds often good where upwelling occurs, by Zee's reading (NOAA)?

    • Upwelled water is fresh
    • The rising water is rich in nutrients
    • The rising water is warm and nutrient-poor
    • Upwelling pushes the fish to shore

  12. What starts coastal upwelling, by Esme's reading (NOAA)?

    • Sea ice melting
    • Rivers adding fresh water
    • Wind pushing surface water away, so deeper water rises
    • Surface water piling up and sinking
PencilGopencilgo.com

9th grade Surface ocean currents and the Coriolis effect worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

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.

More earth and space science

See all Earth and Space Science

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records

Ready for easier practice?

Print a sheet, scan it when it’s done, and PencilGo picks the next one.

Create a free account