Mnemonic: Super Deep 10-90
S – Surface Currents (10% water, top 400 m)
D – Deep Water Currents (90% water, density & gravity)
Mnemonic: Cold West, Warm East
C – Cold currents → West coasts (low & middle latitudes)
W – Warm currents → East coasts (low & middle latitudes)
N – Northern Hemisphere twist → Warm on west coasts in high latitudes
Mnemonic: Hot Windy Cool Gravity
H – Heating by Insolation
W – Wind (circulation + monsoon effect)
C – Coriolis force (right in north, left in south → gyres)
G – Gravity (slope & gradient flow)
Mnemonic: Salt & Cold Sink
S – Salinity differences
C – Cold water (temperature differences)
D – Density variations → vertical currents (upwelling/downwelling)
Mnemonic: Wind Temp Salt Spin Coast
W – Wind (planetary winds)
T – Temperature gradient (equator → poles)
S – Salinity differences
S – Spin of Earth (Coriolis effect)
C – Coastline (deflection, gyres, upwelling)
Mnemonic: Silly Slopes Plainly Deep
S – Continental Shelf
S – Continental Slope
P – Abyssal Plain
D – Oceanic Deeps (Trenches)
Mnemonic: The Hot Cosmic Ooze
T – Terrigenous (from land, rivers, winds)
H – Hydrogenous (formed in water, salts, nodules)
C – Cosmic (extraterrestrial, tektites)
O – Oozes (biological remains)
Mnemonic: Really Huge Submarine Giants Always Rock Seas
R – Ridges
H – Hills
S – Seamounts
G – Guyots
A – Atolls
R – Reefs
S – Shoals & Banks
Mnemonic: Twin Peaks with a Valley
T – Two parallel mountain chains
P – Peaks (often volcanic, some above sea level like Iceland)
V – Central Valley (rift)
528 videos|2113 docs|339 tests
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1. What are the main types of ocean currents based on depth? | ![]() |
2. How are ocean currents categorized based on temperature? | ![]() |
3. What are the primary forces that drive ocean currents? | ![]() |
4. What are the secondary forces that influence ocean currents? | ![]() |
5. What are the major divisions of the ocean floor? | ![]() |