The global pattern of prevailing winds drives the cell - like circulation pattern of ocean currents called

Correct option is B

Introduction
· Ocean circulation is a large-scale movement of waters in the ocean basins, driven by primary forces like solar heating, wind patterns, and the Coriolis effect.
· Surface currents are primarily governed by the frictional drag of prevailing winds, which transfer energy from the atmosphere to the hydrosphere.
· These circulation patterns play a vital role in global heat redistribution, influencing regional climates and marine biological productivity.
Information Booster
· Gyres is the correct answer, referring to the large systems of rotating ocean currents that form circular or "cell-like" patterns across major ocean basins.
· These are formed by the interaction of the global wind belts (like the Trades and Westerlies) with the Coriolis force and the boundaries of the continents.
· There are five major subtropical gyres: the North and South Pacific, the North and South Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean Gyre.
· The center of these gyres is typically a region of relatively calm water and high salinity, often characterized by the accumulation of floating debris, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
· In the Northern Hemisphere, these circular currents rotate in a clockwise direction, while in the Southern Hemisphere, they rotate counter-clockwise due to the Coriolis effect.
Additional Knowledge
· Trade winds are the permanent East-to-West prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region; while they act as a "driver" for the ocean currents, they are an atmospheric phenomenon rather than the resulting oceanic circulation cells.
· Jet Streams are fast-flowing, narrow, meandering air currents located in the upper atmosphere (near the tropopause) that influence weather systems but do not describe the circular rotation of the oceans.
· Shallow drifts (or surface drifts) refers to the movement of surface water in response to local winds, but this term lacks the specific definition of a closed-loop, basin-wide circulation cell that characterizes a gyre.
· Boundary currents, such as the Gulf Stream, are specific components of these gyres that transport warm water from the equator toward the poles, illustrating the heat-transfer function of these oceanic cells.