Mozambique Channel

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mozambique-channel

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is Mozambique Channel?1,700 km (1,056 miles)
2. How wide is Mozambique Channel?419 km (260 miles)
3. What is the location?Southwestern Indian Ocean, between mainland Mozambique and the island of Madagascar
4. What is the primary ocean current?Mozambique Current, a warm, southward-flowing western boundary current
5. Why is the Mozambique Current important?The Mozambique Current is a warm, salty ocean current that flows southward through the channel. It moves heat and helps decide the weather and sea temperatures in the area.
6. Where does the Mozambique Channel get its depth from?The channel was formed when the ancient supercontinent Gondwana split apart. The rifting created a deep valley that now holds the channel's deep waters.

Oceanographic Nexus: A central point or connection where various oceanographic features and processes converge.
Western Boundary Current: Strong, narrow, and deep ocean currents found along the western sides of ocean basins.
Thermohaline Circulation: The large-scale, continuous movement of seawater driven by differences in temperature and salinity.
Pelagic Species: Marine organisms that live in the open ocean, away from the coast and seafloor.