Which of the following statements best describes ‘Ocean Gyres’?
An ocean gyre is a large system of circular ocean currents formed by global wind patterns and forces created by Earth’s rotation.
Correct AnswerAn ocean gyre refers to the ocean current that slowly moves from poles towards equator.
Incorrect AnswerOcean gyres are volcanic islands formed at the zones of subduction of oceanic plates beneath continental plates.
Incorrect AnswerNone of the above is correct.
Incorrect AnswerExplanation:
An ocean gyre is a large system of circular ocean currents formed by global wind patterns and forces created by Earth’s rotation.
Three forces cause the circulation of a gyre: global wind patterns, Earth’s rotation, and Earth’s landmasses. Wind drags on the ocean surface, causing water to move in the direction the wind is blowing.
The Earth’s rotation deflects, or changes the direction of, these wind-driven currents. This deflection is a part of the Coriolis effect.
Due to Coriolis in the Northern Hemisphere, ocean currents are deflected to the right, in a clockwise motion. In the Southern Hemisphere, ocean currents are pushed to the left, in a counterclockwise motion.
Earth’s continents and other landmasses (such as islands) also influence the creation of ocean gyres. The massive South Pacific Gyre, for instance, includes hundreds of kilometers of open ocean. It is bounded only by the continents of Australia and South America, as well as the Equator and powerful Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC).
In contrast, the northern Indian Ocean Gyre is a much smaller ocean gyre. Unlike the South Pacific Gyre, its extent is determined largely by landmasses. The Equator forms its southern boundary, but it is bounded elsewhere by the Horn of Africa, Sri Lanka and the Indian subcontinent, and the Indonesian archipelago.
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