How are ocean currents in the Northern Hemisphere different from currents in the Southern Hemisphere? A. Currents in the Northern Hemisphere always carry cold water. B. Currents in the Northern Hemisphere tend to move in a clockwise pattern. C. Currents in the Northern Hemisphere tend to move in a counterclockwise pattern. D. Currents in the Northern Hemisphere always carry warm water.

Question

How are ocean currents in the Northern Hemisphere different from currents in the Southern Hemisphere?  A. Currents in the Northern Hemisphere always carry cold water.  B. Currents in the Northern Hemisphere tend to move in a clockwise pattern.  C. Currents in the Northern Hemisphere tend to move in a counterclockwise pattern.  D. Currents in the Northern Hemisphere always carry warm water.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The correct answer is **B. Currents in the Northern Hemisphere tend to move in a clockwise pattern.** In the Northern Hemisphere, ocean currents are influenced by the Coriolis effect, which causes moving water to turn to the right in the Northern Hemisphere. This results in a general clockwise rotation of ocean currents in large gyres. In contrast, in the Southern Hemisphere, ocean currents tend to move in a counterclockwise pattern due to the same Coriolis effect. This difference is one of the key distinctions between ocean currents in the two hemispheres.