Question

The Global Ocean Conveyor Belt
Have you ever been to the beach during high tide? If so, then you know how wild the ocean’s movements can be! The ocean is always in motion. It is moving through the global ocean conveyor belt. Picture chocolate candies on a conveyor belt. Like a factory conveyor belt, the ocean never stops moving.


The global ocean conveyor belt is always moving.
Salty Ocean Water
Water that is cold and salty has a higher density. This causes the water to sink. Water that is warm and salty has a lower density. It rises to the surface. This is called convection. Convection moves heat around. More heat means a hotter climate.

So, where does the salty water go?

The Path of the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt
The ocean conveyor belt takes a special path. It begins in the Norwegian Sea. Warm water heats the atmosphere. The atmosphere loses heat. This causes the water to become colder and denser.

Then, more warm water travels north. The cold water dips again. It takes a path south. This cold bottom water flows south to Antarctica. There the water becomes chillier and sinks. The water flows around Antarctica. It divides into two sections and heads north. One section speeds toward the Indian Ocean. The other travels into the Pacific Ocean. These two sections rise north. Then, they both move to the South Atlantic Ocean.

What role does this path play in the climate?

The Role of the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt
Warm surface water does not have many nutrients. But the nutrients grow through the global ocean conveyor belt. Colder water has more nutrients that help the food chain. Plants like seaweed also depend on the global ocean conveyor belt.


Plants, like seaweed, depend on the global ocean conveyor belt.
There could be bad changes to the earth’s climate if the global ocean conveyor belt doesn’t work. Melting icebergs in the Arctic Ocean come from changes in the temperatures of our oceans.

Going with the Flow
The ocean is forever in motion! The flow of the ocean’s currents impacts everything on Earth. You may never look at an ocean wave in the same way again!


Questions
Which sentence explains one reason why the ocean circulates?

Warm, salty water sinks, while cool, less salty water rises, creating a cycle.

Warm, less salty water sinks, while cool, more salty water rises, creating a cycle.

Warm, salty water rises, while cool, less salty water sinks, creating a cycle.

Cool, salty water rises, while warm, less salty water sinks, creating a cycle.
According to the article, how does the ocean conveyor belt regulate climate?

The ocean conveyor belt regulates the weather like clouds, humidity, and rain.

The ocean conveyor belt takes cycles cold water near the equator with warm water near the poles.

The ocean conveyor belt takes cycles warm water near the equator with cold water near the poles.

None of the above
What is the main idea of the section titled “The Path of the Ocean Conveyor Belt?

The ocean conveyor belt takes a special route around the continents beginning in the Norwegian Sea.

The ocean conveyor belt takes a different route depending on the season.

The ocean conveyor belt helps support marine ecosystems.

All of the above

Answer 1

1) Warm, salty water rises, while cool, less salty water sinks, creating a cycle. (third choice)

2) The ocean conveyor belt takes cycles warm water near the equator with cold water near the poles. (third choice)

3) The ocean conveyor belt takes a special route around the continents beginning in the Norwegian Sea. (first choice)