🔍 Key Concepts

• Coriolis effect in the Northern Hemisphere • Direction of flow around high-pressure systems and subtropical gyres • Relationship between western boundary currents (like the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio) and overall basin circulation

💭 Think About

• Visualize the North Atlantic: If the Gulf Stream flows northward along the U.S. East Coast, how must the water circulate around the whole basin to return southward? • Think about a ‘subtropical gyre’—a large rotating system of currents in the middle of the ocean. In the Northern Hemisphere, which way do these gyres spin? • How does the Coriolis effect deflect moving water in the Northern Hemisphere, and what overall rotation does that create?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be sure you know that the Gulf Stream is a warm current flowing northward along the U.S. East Coast. • Confirm that subtropical gyres in the Northern Hemisphere all rotate the same way in each ocean basin. • Do NOT base your answer on whether the current is warm or cold; focus on basin-wide rotation direction.