The wind in the vicinity of Nantucket Shoals...

Question 1 of 2707066636eea28f7522a1c51b899

The wind in the vicinity of Nantucket Shoals Light has been southerly at an average speed of 23 mph. The predicted set and drift of the rotary current is 225° at 0.8 knot. What current should you expect?

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Question 1 of 27070

🔍 Key Concepts

• Rotary current behavior around Nantucket Shoals (how set/drift change with wind) • Effect of a strong, steady wind on both the direction (set) and speed (drift) of current • How wind from the south tends to deflect surface currents in the Northern Hemisphere

💭 Think About

• Compare each choice’s set with the predicted 225°. Which options are downwind, upwind, or roughly cross-wind from the southerly wind? • Think about whether a strong southerly wind is more likely to increase or decrease the drift compared to the predicted 0.8 knot, and in which quadrant the new set will fall. • Ask yourself: is the wind pushing the surface water with, against, or across the natural rotary current, and how would that affect both direction and speed?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which answer choices show a clockwise or counterclockwise change in set relative to 225° and decide which is physically reasonable for a southerly wind in that area. • Check which options have a higher drift than 0.8 knot and which have a lower drift, and match that to your expectation for a 23‑mph wind. • Confirm that your selected option shows a set that is plausibly shifted from 225° in the direction you would expect the wind to push the surface current.