MasteryExams
Geography • Physical GeographyHard

Consider the characteristics of ocean currents in the Southern Hemisphere: 1. Gyres circulate in a counter-clockwise direction due to the Coriolis effect. 2. Western boundary currents transport warm water poleward from tropical regions. 3. Eastern boundary currents carry cold water equatorward along continental margins. Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2, and 3✓ Correct Answer

💡 Solution & Explanation

Subtropical gyres in the Southern Hemisphere rotate counter-clockwise, mirroring the clockwise rotation found in the Northern Hemisphere. Western boundary currents like the Agulhas Current are narrow, deep, and fast, carrying warm tropical water poleward. Eastern boundary currents like the Benguela Current are wide, shallow, and slow, carrying cool subpolar water toward the equator. Ocean circulation patterns play a vital role in redistributing global heat energy.

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