Question

How do temperature and salinity affect deepwater currents? Option A: They create density differences that cause dense deepwater currents to flow toward the equator where they displace less dense, warmer water above them. Option B: As temperatures and salinity levels of water increase, the water rises to the surface where it creates currents as it moves to colder regions. Option C: They equalize the forces on undersea currents caused by the Coriolis effect as they replace more dense water with less dense water. Option D: They create changes in wind direction, moving denser water in the same direction as the wind and causing the deepwater circulation patterns found in the ocean.

Answer 1

Option A: They create density differences that cause dense deepwater currents to flow toward the equator where they displace less dense, warmer water above them.

Step-by-step explanation

Temperature and salinity affect deepwater currents by creating density differences in the ocean water. Cold and salty water is denser than warm and less salty water. This denser deepwater tends to flow toward the equator, where it displaces the less dense, warmer water above it, leading to the circulation patterns observed in the ocean. This process is an essential component of the thermohaline circulation system, also known as the "Great Ocean Conveyor Belt."