Ocean currents are movements of?

• A. Deep Water
• B. Surface Water
• C. Groundwater
• D. Rocks

Answer: (B)

Ocean currents describe the large-scale flow of seawater. The reason surface water is the best focus is that the most noticeable and studied ocean currents occur in the upper layer, where the wind drags the surface water and sets it in motion. This wind-driven movement is shaped by the Earth’s rotation (the Coriolis effect) and by the outlines of coastlines and landmasses, creating the major gyres that circulate warm and cold water around the oceans. These surface currents play a key role in redistributing heat and influencing climate and weather patterns. There are also deep, density-driven currents that move much more slowly in the ocean interior, but they’re not the feature most often described by the general term “ocean currents.” Groundwater and rocks are not related to the horizontal water movements occurring in the ocean.