Wind-Driven Ocean Currents are primarily based on what factor?

• A. Driven by lunar tides
• B. Based on global wind patterns
• C. Driven by river inflows
• D. Independent of wind

Answer: (B)

Wind-driven ocean currents arise from the atmosphere transferring momentum to the sea surface. The global arrangement of winds—the trade winds, westerlies, and polar easterlies—sets the direction and strength of the surface flow, and the Earth’s rotation deflects that flow, producing large-scale gyres. Ekman transport helps tilt the surface water relative to the wind, reinforcing the pattern that follows the prevailing wind belts. So the primary factor is global wind patterns. Tides driven by the Moon and Sun affect coastal and tidal movement but don’t establish the steady wind-driven circulation; river inflows influence local coastal currents, and deeper, density-driven currents operate separately from the surface wind pattern.