Question

How do ocean currents affect temperature? Check all that apply.

They carry cold water from the poles to the equator and cool air over land.
They flow north and then south below the equator.
They flow south and then north above the equator.
They move warm water from the equator to the poles and heat air over land.
They move east to west and create prevailing winds.
They move west to east and create seasonal winds.

Answer 1

Correct:
- They carry cold water from the poles to the equator and cool air over land. (True)
- They move warm water from the equator to the poles and heat air over land. (True)

Why: ocean currents transport heat (and cold) across the globe. Cold currents that flow toward lower latitudes cool the air above and often cool nearby coastlines; warm poleward currents (e.g., the Gulf Stream) warm the air and nearby land.

Not correct:
- They flow north and then south below the equator. (No — current directions depend on gyres and wind patterns; that phrasing is not a general rule.)
- They flow south and then north above the equator. (No — also not a general rule; circulation forms gyres with different legs but not that simple.)
- They move east to west and create prevailing winds. (No — prevailing winds drive many surface currents, not the other way around.)
- They move west to east and create seasonal winds. (No — some currents flow west→east, but ocean currents do not create seasonal winds; seasonal wind patterns are driven mainly by atmospheric temperature differences.)