Ocean Systems Final

Front 1

The early steps in the evolution of living organisms from simple organic building, blocks is a process known as

Back 1

biosynthesis.

Front 2

______ suggests that stars and planets accumulated from contracting, accreting clouds of galactic gas, dust and debris.

Back 2

Condensation Theory

Front 3

How many million square kilometers does the ocean cover on earths surface?

Back 3

361 million square kilometers

Front 4

T/F The United States is a world leader in creating sustainable fisheries.

Back 4

TRUE

Front 5

Saturn’s largest moon is called...

Back 5

Titan.

Front 6

Erathosthenes was a member of which of the what profession?

Back 6

Explorer.

Front 7

The primary goal of the famous marine science expedition of 1872 aboard the HMS Challenger was to...

Back 7

test the idea that life could not exist below about 1800 feet (550m).

Front 8

T/F The Library of Alexandria, which was established in the third century BCE (before common era), was the locus for the study of marine science in the western hemisphere.

Back 8

TRUE

Front 9

The average ocean depth is ____ times greater than the average land elevation.

Back 9

4 1/2

Front 10

Between 1405 and 1433 who commanded the greatest fleet of ships to ply the world ocean on a voyage of peace and discovery that the world had ever known?

Back 10

Admiral Zheng He of China

Front 11

A nautical trade route for commerce between Europe and Asia made the arduous overland journey nearly obsolete. The development of this nautical route was necessitated by ______________, and finally realized by ______________________.

Back 11

transference of power in Constantinople to the Turks in 1453. a marine science and navigational center established in Sagres, Portugal.

Front 12

What was the composition of Earth’s early atmosphere?

Back 12

Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water vapor, with traces of ammonia and methane

Front 13

Determining longitude needs...

Back 13

careful observations of the positions of at least three stars AND a precise knowledge of time AND a set of mathematical tables to calculate position

Front 14

Who discovered worldwide patterns of surface winds and ocean currents?

Back 14

Matthew Maury

Front 15

The ancestors of the main ethnic groups of the Oceania peoples who presently populate the islands of the central and southwest Pacific are referred to as ______.

Back 15

Indonesian.

Front 16

T/F More than 95% of all U.S. foreign trade passes through a U.S. port or harbor.

Back 16

TRUE

Front 17

Outgassing is responsible for:

Back 17

The Atmosphere and Ocean

Front 18

The Oceans contain ___% of the Earth’s surface water.

Back 18

97.3%

Front 19

Who stressed the interdependence of military and commercial control of seaborne commerce, and the ability of safe lines of transportation and communication to influence the outcomes of conflicts? His book had profound consequences for the development of the modern world.

Back 19

Alfred Thayer Mahan

Front 20

When does the dying phase of a massive star begin?

Back 20

The star’s core is depleted of hydrogen and collapses in on itself

Front 21

T/F The Big Bang, thought to be the beginnings of our Universe, occurred sometime around 13.7 Billion Years Ago.

Back 21

TRUE

Front 22

Which one of the following was a major factor in altering Earth’s preoxygen rich original atmosphere?

Back 22

Volcanism

Front 23

When the material of a spinning nebula collapses due to gravitational attraction, heat due to friction raises the temperature. When the temperature of this shrinking mass of increasingly dense gaseous material reaches about ___________ degrees Celsius, the process of nuclear fusion begins.

Back 23

10,000,000 degrees

Front 24

T/F The asthenosphere is Earth’s cool, rigid, outer layer which is 100-200 kilometers thick; whereas, the lithosphere is the hot, partially melted, slowly flowing layer of upper mantle below the asthenosphere.

Back 24

FALSE

Front 25

T/F The layer beneath the crust composes 68% of Earth’s mass and 83 % of its volume.

Back 25

TRUE

Front 26

What are main features of continental margins?

Back 26

shelf slope and rise

Front 27

T/F Paleomagnetic analysis of oceanic crust enables us to determine spreading rate and absolutely age date basalt samples

Back 27

TRUE

Front 28

What's a general characteristic of ocean basins?

Back 28

Made of basaltic crust

Front 29

Rocks at which location allowed James Hutton, author of the geologic theory of uniformitarianism, to confirm Earth's great age?

Back 29

Siccar Point sedimentaries in Scotland

Front 30

T/F Fracture (fault) zones usually represent ancient transform fault zones that have become inactive.

Back 30

TRUE

Front 31

Which tectonic interactions is most likely to cause the formation of an island arc?

Back 31

convergent

Front 32

Which of the following mechanisms is currently responsible for the generation of new lithospheric material?

Back 32

Upwelling of magma at spreading centers

Front 33

Basaltic volcanoes that rise from the ocean bottom and grow until they project above the ocean surface, then, after experiencing erosion, become submerged once again are called...

Back 33

Guyots

Front 34

Inge Lehmann, the chief of the Royal Danish Geodetic Institute, lived to be 105 years old. During her middle years she discovered...

Back 34

that Earth's inner core is solid

Front 35

Slow-flowing circuits of material within the mantle are known as both ______ and __________.

Back 35

Convection currents AND plumes.

Front 36

T/F Earthquake P-waves move from side to side, like a shaken rope.

Back 36

FALSE

Front 37

A transform fault is usually a fault in an oceanic fracture zone that...

Back 37

accommodates differential motion caused by rigid plates moving over the surface of a sphere. AND is a location where two plates move horizontally past each other

Front 38

How much of the Earth’s total mass is the crust?

Back 38

0.4%

Front 39

In classifying Earth's lithosphere, asthenosphere, crust, mantle and core, which one of the 5 is based solely on chemical rather than physical properties?

Back 39

CRUST

Front 40

The _____ marks the abrupt transition from continental shelf to continental slope.

Back 40

Shelf break

Front 41

Which one of the following is best associated with tectonic trenches?

Back 41

Convergent plate boundary

Front 42

Which is the country that was formed by the junction of a spreading ridge and a hot spot? It is commonly used as a natural ‘classroom’ for studying ocean ridge dynamics.

Back 42

ICELAND

Front 43

T/F The famous white cliffs at Dover, England are uplifted masses of fossilized radiolarians and diatoms.

Back 43

FALSE

Front 44

The ocean and some continental land masses are over 4 billion years old. How old are the oldest marine sediments?

Back 44

About 180 million years old

Front 45

What is the name for water suitable for drinking?

Back 45

Potable water

Front 46

Calcareous ooze is formed from shells of...

Back 46

foraminifera AND coccolithopres

Front 47

The most significant potential source of new energy from the ocean is:

Back 47

Gas hydrates

Front 48

Evaporites are _________ deposits that include salts that precipitate from water that evaporates from isolated arms of the ocean or form landlocked seas or lakes.

Back 48

Hydrogenous

Front 49

The marine acronym OTEC stands for...

Back 49

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion

Front 50

About ___ of the world’s table salt is currently produced from seawater by evaporation. In 2005 the United States produced by evaporation about 3.9 million metric tons (4.4 million tons) of table salt with a value of about US$160 million.

Back 50

1/3

Front 51

The most widely used pharmaceutical derived from the ocean is ______ Many others are in use or under development for a variety of human and animal disorders.

Back 51

Acyclovir

Front 52

What would be most likely to happen to sand in a stream moving at 10 centimeters per second?

Back 52

Erosion

Front 53

Which has the least average sediment thickness?

Back 53

Deep-ocean floor

Front 54

Manganese nodules are the result of extremely slow rate chemical reactions that take place on the deep ocean floor. An average rate of growth for these nodules is roughly ______ millimeters per year.

Back 54

5 x 10-6

Front 55

As opposed to pelagic sediments neritic sediments are found ________. Most neritic sediments are _______.

Back 55

near the coast AND Terrigenous

Front 56

A very disruptive fishing technique that mistargets multiple species in a single trawl, and has one of the highest bykill to harvest ratios is ______. Until 1993, Taiwanese, Korean, and Japanese vessels deployed some 48.000 kilometers (30,000 miles) of these “walls of death” each night. Researchers at Duke University and St. Andrew’s University estimate that about 800 small whales are killed each day by this fishing technique.

Back 56

drift nets

Front 57

Which has the greatest average sediment thickness?

Back 57

continental slope

Front 58

What is the name for the zone where nations hold sovereignty over resources, economic activity, and environmental protection?

Back 58

Exclusive Economic Zone

Front 59

Sediments of the continental slope, continental rise, and the deep ocean floor that originate in the ocean are called...

Back 59

pelagic sediments

Front 60

The sediment layer lying on the base of the Sohm Abyssal Plain near Nova Scotia is notably thick for an ocean floor. Approximately how thick is this layer?

Back 60

1,800 meters

Front 61

Where would you expect to find the thickest sediments?

Back 61

Atlantic abyssal plains

Front 62

How many meters is Alvin, a deep-diving research submarine, capable of diving?

Back 62

4,000/4,500 meters

Front 63

T/F The epicenter of an earthquake is the location on the Earth's surface directly over the earthquake's focus.

Back 63

TRUE

Front 64

What is NOT a current economic benefit from ocean sediments?

Back 64

Commercial collection of manganese nodules

Front 65

T/F Neritic deposits almost always contain biogenous sediments.

Back 65

TRUE

Front 66

What does the Greek word "neritos" mean?

Back 66

“Of the Coast”

Front 67

Ships transport to market nearly ____ of the world's crude oil production.

Back 67

1/2

Front 68

Which type of sediment covers the greatest surface area of the Earth's ocean?

Back 68

Biogenous

Front 69

Which of the following has the least abundant sedimentary deposition?

Back 69

The west coast of North America

Front 70

Occasionally cosmogenous sediments includes translucent oblong particles of glass known as...

Back 70

microtektites

Front 71

T/F While manganese and cobalt are extracted from nodules; magnesium is “mined” from evaporated seawater.

Back 71

TRUE

Front 72

About how much of humanity’s nutritional protein needs are supplied by the ocean?

Back 72

4%

Front 73

JOIDES is an acronym that stands for...

Back 73

Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling

Front 74

ENSO is an acronym for the repeating meteorological and oceanographic event that can severely disrupt normal conditions. The ENSO-driven change in tropical Pacific surface trade winds causes...

Back 74

build up of seawater in the western pacific, downwelling in the east, and generally warmer sea surface water temperatures overall.

Front 75

A Northeasterly wind blows toward the

Back 75

SOUTHWEST

Front 76

Looking at the track of high-latitude ocean currents (close to the poles) on a typical Mercatur projection map would show these currents...

Back 76

appearing over-proportioned in size.

Front 77

The ozone layer is important to life on earth because it...

Back 77

absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Front 78

T/F Cold water flows to higher latitudes where heat is transferred to it, then it flows back to low latitudes and releases its heat before the cycle repeats.

Back 78

FALSE

Front 79

which of the following are true concerning the atmosphere. 1. Cool air descends because it's more dense 2. Warm air rises because it's less dense 3. Rising and descending air masses form convection cells which contribute to atmospheric circulation patterns.

Back 79

1,2 AND 3

Front 80

Alternatives to fossil fuels include...

Back 80

nuclear energy AND renewable resources (wind, soalr power, ocean currents, ATOC)

Front 81

Surface currents...

Back 81

form global patterns within longitudinal bands AND are driven by wind friction.

Front 82

T/F Storm surges caused the greatest loss of life and property when Hiurricane Katrina struck the US Gulf Coast. The storm surge in Bay St. Louis was 10.4 (34 ft) high.

Back 82

TRUE

Front 83

The Hadley-Ferrel-Polar cell model of atmospheric circulation helps describe atmospheric and ocean current convergence and divergence of the northern and southern circulation gyres. Due to the shape of the Earth and the position of the continents on it, the convergence of the subtropical Hadley circulation cells at the ITCZ occurs closest to...

Back 83

The geographical equator AND 4 degrees north latitude in summer

Front 84

Many problems are associated with global warming. One problem is that the ocean is becoming more ____.

Back 84

acidic

Front 85

Extratropical cyclones rotate ___________ in northern hemisphere due to the coriolis deflection of winds approaching the center of a low-pressure area from great distances.

Back 85

counterclockwise

Front 86

coriolis deflection of moving air masses is due to....

Back 86

the spherical shape of the roatating earth.

Front 87

Who was the first person on record to have sailed solo around the world?

Back 87

Capt. Joshua Slocum.

Front 88

The pacific Equatorial undercurrent is known as the

Back 88

cromwell current.

Front 89

T/F Land breezes originate over the sea and move out to land and sea breezes originate on land and move out to sea.

Back 89

FALSE.

Front 90

Water vapor, as opposed to precipitation or condensation is....

Back 90

a gaseous state of water AND capable of occupying 4% of atmospheric volume.

Front 91

which one of the following western boundary currents carries the most volume?

Back 91

The Gulf Stream.

Front 92

What force constitutes the fundamental source of energy that generates wind movement and circulation?

Back 92

Radiant energy of the sun.

Front 93

T/F “El Nino” events are considered to be periods of normal oceanic and atmospheric conditions.

Back 93

FALSE.

Front 94

T/F Rather than making a continuous loop in each hemisphere, air rising from the equatorial region moves poleward and is gradually deflected eastward; that is, it turns to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This eastward deflection is caused by the Coriolis effect.

Back 94

TRUE

Front 95

The surface temperature of Earth fluctuates slowly overtime. The global temperature trend has been generally upward during the 18,000 years since the last glacial advance, but the rate of increase has recently accelerated. This rapid warming is probably the result of an enhanced ___________ _______, the trapping of heat by the atmosphere. This effect is necessary for life, without it Earth’s average atmospheric temperature would be about minus 18°C (0°F). However, humans have injected exhorbitant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

Back 95

greenhouse effect

Front 96

We cannot expect science to solve our problems. Most of the decisions and necessary actions fall outside pure science in the areas of values, ethics, morality, and philosophy. The solution to environmental problems, if one exists, lies in...

Back 96

Education.

Front 97

T/F The slow circulation of water at great depth is driven by density differences rather than by wind energy.

Back 97

TRUE

Front 98

Seasonal variation of climate on Earth is due to...

Back 98

tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation.

Front 99

The term 'relative humidity' is so called because the same volume of air when brought to different temperatures will hold different amounts of gas (including water vapor, which is a gas). This relationship of temperature to water vapor carrying capacity occurs because...

Back 99

dense cold air has less vapor carrying capacity than warm air

Front 100

T/F Global warming is probably the result of an enhanced greenhouse effect, the trapping of heat by the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is an unwanted and unnecessary physical effect for life on Earth.

Back 100

FALSE

Front 101

Due to the combined effect of wind friction, Coriolis Effect, Ekman Transport, land mass, and the pressure gradient, ocean currents tend to...

Back 101

flow along the periphery (outside) of ocean basins

Front 102

T/F The thermocline is best developed in low latitude regions.

Back 102

TRUE

Front 103

Which of the following are parts of the six-cell global atmospheric circulation model?

Back 103

Polar cells, Ferrel cells and Hadley cells

Front 104

T/F Storms are variations in the earth's normal circulation patterns.

Back 104

TRUE

Front 105

A ______ is a pattern of wind circulation that changes with the season as the ITCZ (intertropical convergence zone) moves north and south. Areas subject to these seasonal winds (most pronounced in Asia and India) generally have wet summers and dry winters.

Back 105

monsoon

Front 106

T/F Large storms are either tropical cyclones or extratropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones (sometimes called hurricanes or typhoons) are the frontal storms familiar to winter residents of mid-latitude continents. Extratropical cyclones form in a single tropical air mass.

Back 106

FALSE

Front 107

T/F The “Ekman Spiral” describes how water below the surface flows toward the left of the wind direction in the southern hemisphere.

Back 107

TRUE

Front 108

At sea near 30 degrees latitudinarian areas of high atmospheric pressure and little surface wind. Thery are called the ___________. On land these latitudes are the locations of the world’s great deserts.

Back 108

horse latitudes

Front 109

T/F The lower atmosphere is a mixture of gases, mostly nitrogen (78.1%) and oxygen (20.9%).

Back 109

TRUE

Front 110

Surface Currents are wind driven movements of water at or near the ocean’s surface. Thermohaline currents are slow, deep, density driven currents that affect the vast bulk of seawater beneath the pycnocline.

Back 110

TRUE

Front 111

Sea and land breezes are a significant part of California’s coastal weather. A sea breeze can occur when the air over land masses near the coast...

Back 111

rises in temperature AND falls in pressure

Front 112

Oceanographers name currents and large bodies of water according to their relative vertical position in the water column. Which one of the following is the water mass that resides below 1,500 meters (5000 feet) to a depth of about 4,000 meters (13,000 feet)?

Back 112

Deep water

Front 113

T/F life on earth would be safer without the greenhouse effect.

Back 113

FALSE

Front 114

T/F Hurricanes spin counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere.

Back 114

TRUE

Front 115

T/F As Earth revolves around the Sun the constant tilt of its rotational axis causes the Southern Hemisphere to lean toward the sun in June but away from it in December. The Sun, therefore, appears higher in the sky in June but lower in December.

Back 115

FALSE

Front 116

Western boundary currents tend to be both...

Back 116

warm AND fast AND deep

Front 117

T/F The Gulf Stream is the western boundary current having the greatest flow rate.

Back 117

TRUE

Front 118

T/F Of the two large atmospheric circulation cells in each hemisphere, the Hadley cell extends from the equator to 45 degrees, while the Polar cell extends from 45 degrees to the pole.

Back 118

FALSE

Front 119

T/F The evaporation of water from the ocean’s surface helps to moderate global temperatures due to the water molecule’s low heat capacity.

Back 119

FALSE

Front 120

The North Pacific trade winds set ocean surface water (<400 meters deep) in motion. Towards which general direction does this current flow?

Back 120

West

Front 121

A ______ is huge rotating masses of low pressure air in which winds converge and ascend. A ________ is a much smaller funnel of fast spinning with severe thunderstorms.

Back 121

CYCLONE and TORNADO

Front 122

T/F The net motion of water down to about 1 kilometer (1,000meters), after allowance for the summed effects of Ekman spiral, is known as Ekman transport (or Ekman flow).

Back 122

FALSE

Front 123

Water of the oceans and water vapor in the atmosphere transfer great quantities of heat from the tropics to the poles. Atmospheric circulation accounts for ____ of the transfer, while ocean circulation accounts for ____.

Back 123

2/3 and 1/3

Front 124

The southward flowing current that intercepts water outflowing from the Mediterranean Sea and then flows past the west African coast is called...

Back 124

the Canary Current

Front 125

Looking from the North Pole, the Earth turns counterclockwise. If a projectile or an air mass heads northward from the equator, in which cardinal direction will it veer from its poleward path?

Back 125

EAST

Front 126

Which of the following is NOT a possible influence on global warming?

Back 126

Ionizing radiation from waste produced at nuclear power plants.

Front 127

The lower atmosphere is a nearly homogeneous mixture of gasses, the most plentiful is _______ at 78.1% followed by _____ at 20.9 %.

Back 127

NITROGEN and OXYGEN

Front 128

What evidence exists to support equatorial upwelling?

Back 128

High biological productivity at the equator

Front 129

One sverdrup equals _____ cubic meters/second

Back 129

10 to the 6th power

Front 130

What percentage of the ocean's water is affected by surface currents?

Back 130

10%

Front 131

What is true of western boundary currents?

Back 131

Narrow, deep, and fast/Water is derived from mid latitudes/Rich in nutrients

Front 132

During an El Nino year:

Back 132

More evaporation occurs over the ocean causing high precipitation in dry areas

Front 133

Which can be a standing wave?

Back 133

Tsunami AND Tides

Front 134

Which one of the following describes weather related alterations to predicted tidal cycles such as those associated with storm surge caused by tropical cyclones?

Back 134

Meteorological Tides

Front 135

T/F By application of the equilibrium theory, the seafloor does not influence tidal effects.

Back 135

False

Front 136

Tidal power is the only marine energy source that has been successfully exploited on a large scale. The first major tidal power station was opened in 1966 in...

Back 136

France

Front 137

T/F The term tsunami is a descriptive Japanese term combining “harbor” and “wave”. It also called seismic sea waves.

Back 137

TRUE

Front 138

Los Angeles, San Francisco and the entire coast of California experience what kind of tides?

Back 138

Mixed Tides.

Front 139

T/F Tides are periodic, short term changes in the height of the ocean surface at a particular places. The Sun makes the most important contribution to the tidal effect on Earth.

Back 139

FALSE

Front 140

Water particles in a deep water wave move...

Back 140

in circular orbits.

Front 141

Release primarily of chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere cause depletion of the ozone layer which in turn, allows for more UV to pass through the surface of the Earth. _________ is the place so far that has recorded the greatest decrease (about 50%) in this protective layer.

Back 141

Antarctica

Front 142

T/F Tsunami are always shallow water waves.

Back 142

FALSE

Front 143

Internal waves are thought to be generated by...

Back 143

energy from wind waves or tides moving into deeper water.

Front 144

Approximately how often do spring tides occur?

Back 144

Twice a month

Front 145

Winter beaches will...

Back 145

become steeper AND be composed of coarser materials AND will erode... All of the ABOVE

Front 146

Unlike other moving things, wind waves travel over great distances in virtually straight lines. This is physically possible because...

Back 146

wind waves carry only energy, and energy has no mass, and is therefore not subject to the Coriolis deflection.

Front 147

T/F In order to attain a fully developed sea for a specific wind velocity there must be sufficient duration and fetch.

Back 147

TRUE

Front 148

The ultimate height of a wind wave will depend on

Back 148

the fetch AND the length of time the wind blows AND the velocity of the wind... All of the ABOVE

Front 149

Most waves in the open ocean have an average height of

Back 149

less that 3 meters.

Front 150

Present day sea level is _____ than the average sea level over the past 2 million years.

Back 150

higher

Front 151

Theoretically, wavelength can be measured...

Back 151

from crest to crest AND trough to trough.

Front 152

Which of the following is a factor that limits the development of a fully developed sea?

Back 152

Wind strength AND wind duration AND fetch... All of the ABOVE

Front 153

_____ are structures that extend perpendicular from the beach into the water. They help counter erosion by trapping sand from the current. They accumulate sand on their up drift side, but erosion is worse on the downside, with is deprived of sand.

Back 153

Groins

Front 154

Shore is to coast as ______ is to range.

Back 154

mountain

Front 155

Long shore drift occurs in

Back 155

the wave driven movement of sand along the exposed beach AND the current driven movement of sand in the surf zone just offshore.

Front 156

Generating ozone in the stratosphere requires sunlight. Most ozone is made in the

Back 156

equatorial latitudes.

Front 157

A wave that is in water which is shallower than one twentieth of its wavelength is considered to be a

Back 157

shallow water wave.

Front 158

T/F The behavior of waves is influenced by the depth of water through which they are moving. Deep-water waves move through water shallower than half their wave lenght (L/2). Only capillary waves and wind waves can be in “deep” water.

Back 158

FALSE

Front 159

A lunar day on Earth is the time required for the Moon to pass an observer on Earth two times directly overhead. It is

Back 159

24 hours 50 minutes long.

Front 160

At a depth of water equal to or greater than one half the wavelength of a passing wave, the motion of the water particles forms

Back 160

large circular obits.

Front 161

Seismic sea waves are

Back 161

shallow water waves.

Front 162

T/F The time it takes for a wave to move a distance of one wavelength is known as the wave frequency. The number of waves passing a fixed point in a given amount of time is known as the wave period.

Back 162

FALSE

Front 163

The Outer Banks of North Carolina are an example of

Back 163

A barrier island.

Front 164

The process of erosion that dissolves a rock by chemical breakdown of its constituent materials is called

Back 164

dissolution.

Front 165

T/F A wave break is influenced by wavelength, bottom depth, bottom contour, bottom texture, wind conditions, and shore steepness.

Back 165

TRUE

Front 166

Ozone accumulates at the South Pole during which season?

Back 166

Winter

Front 167

Fault defined coasts, such as California’s Tomales Bay, the coast of Peru and Chile, and the Gulf of California tend to be relatively

Back 167

straight coastlines.

Front 168

Headlands _______ wave energy and bays ______ wave energy.

Back 168

Concentrate and disperse

Front 169

Surface tension of the water tends to limit the size of

Back 169

capillary waves.

Front 170

T/F Humans have interfered with natural coastal processes almond many parts of the U.S. coastline, sometimes leading to disastrous consequences.

Back 170

FALSE

Front 171

T/F The movement of coastal sediments driven by wave action is referred to as longshore drift.

Back 171

TRUE

Front 172

Which of the following is not considered an important classification group of ocean waves?

Back 172

geostrophic gyres.

Front 173

T/F There are numerous “Amphidromic Points” located throughout the global ocean.

Back 173

TRUE

Front 174

T/F The Steeper the beach slope the coarser the sediment particle size.

Back 174

TRUE

Front 175

What factors are responsible for eustatic sea level change?

Back 175

Temperature of ocean water AND tectonic motions.

Front 176

Moderately sized wind waves in the open ocean have a maximum wave height to length ratio of approximately ________ before they will break.

Back 176

one to seven

Front 177

T/F Scientists are concerned about the rate of global increase in temperature.

Back 177

TRUE

Front 178

Before an ocean wave starts to “feel the bottom” at L/2, water in deep water wave actually moves in a _____ as the wave energy proceeds through it.

Back 178

circle

Front 179

When talking about great waves such as tsunami, tides and large seiches, the open ocean water depth relative to the wavelength is less than L/2, therefore the waves are called ______ waves.

Back 179

shallow water

Front 180

Shallow water wave velocity is a function of...

Back 180

water depth.

Front 181

Stokes drift is a significant driving force in ocean surface currents. This is due to the fact that water velocity at the base of an orbital cell is...

Back 181

slower than, parallel to, but in the opposite direction of water velocity at the top of the cell.

Front 182

T/F Wave base for a deep water wave is defined as 1/2 the wavelength.

Back 182

TRUE

Front 183

The ____ _____ is that region of the littoral zone between the deepest breaking waves and the shore.

Back 183

Surf zone

Front 184

By their circulation patterns, which one of the following best describes estuaries that form where a rapidly flowing river enters the ocean in an area where the tidal range is low or moderate?

Back 184

Salt-wedge estuaries.

Front 185

Near shore, if the wave crests are two hundred feet apart, the wave will “feel” bottom when the depth is about...

Back 185

100 feet.

Front 186

The typical velocity of a tsunami is...

Back 186

750 kilometers (470 miles) per hour.

Front 187

T/F At the first and third quarter moons, the sun, earth, and moon, create the lowest high tides and the highest low tides, therefore the tidal range is minimized.

Back 187

TRUE

Front 188

Waves at the shore wills tart to break when the water depth is...

Back 188

about four thirds the wave height.

Front 189

Daily tidal fluctuations are caused by gravitational influences and the relative position between...

Back 189

the Earth, The Sun and the Moon. All of the ABOVE.

Front 190

Tsunami have the longest wavelength.

Back 190

FALSE

Front 191

The size of the surface waves is controlled by...

Back 191

Wind speed, fetch, wind/air temp, seawater salinity, and Duration of the blowing wind.

Front 192

Tidal waves are influenced by the Coriolis effect because a large volume of water moves with the waves. They move ________ around amphidromic points in the Northern Hemisphere, and ______ around the amphidromic points in the southern hemisphere.

Back 192

counterclockwise and clockwise

Front 193

A ______ is a steep tidal wave that moves rapidly upstream. It is generated by the action of the tide in a broad opening of a river mouth.

Back 193

Tidal bore

Front 194

T/F Alternatives to burning hydrocarbon fuels for energy can likely only be attained using nuclear energy.

Back 194

FALSE

Front 195

In reference to tidal datum, what does MLLW stand for?

Back 195

Mean Lower Low Water.

Front 196

T/F Tsunami move at speeds up to 750 kilometers (470 miles) per hour and are generally deep water waves.

Back 196

FALSE

Front 197

Waves travel in groups called...

Back 197

Trains

Front 198

_____ has the lowest overall energy level.

Back 198

Florida

Front 199

T/F Tides are always shallow water waves even though their crests pass directly over the deepest parts of the ocean.

Back 199

TRUE

Front 200

T/F Shallow water waves are found only near the continental margins in water less than 10 feet deep.

Back 200

FALSE

Front 201

Mobile, Alabama in the Gulf of Mexico experiences what type of tides?

Back 201

Diurnal.

Front 202

T/F Global warming is probably the result of an enhanced greenhouse effect, the trapping of heat by the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is an unwanted and unnecessary physical effect for life on Earth.

Back 202

FALSE

Front 203

T/T The reference level to which all tidal heights are ultimately compared is called the tidal datum, which is a measured and agreed upon height of sea level. On coasts with mixed tides, the zero tide level is the average level of the two daily low tides (mean lower low water or MLLW). On coasts with diurnal and semidiurnal tides, the zero tide level is the average level of all low tides (mean low water or MLW).

Back 203

TRUE

Front 204

Spring Tides occur when the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun are...

Back 204

directly inline.

Front 205

Waves tend to be parallel to the shore when they break due to the process of...

Back 205

refraction.

Front 206

Erosional coasts are _____ coasts in which the dominant processes are those that remove coastal material. Depositional coasts are usually ____ coasts that are in a steady state or growing larger due to sediment accumulation.

Back 206

young AND old

Front 207

T/F The orbital motion of water particles within a deep water wave extends to a depth of about half of the wave length.

Back 207

TRUE.

Front 208

Tidal waves are called __________ because they are never free of the forces that cause them.

Back 208

Forced WAVES

Front 209

T/F Breakwater, jetty, and groin construction can make beaches more vulnerable to erosion processes.

Back 209

TRUE.

Front 210

The position and proximity of the _____ is the biggest factor causing the tides.

Back 210

MOON

Front 211

T/F An estuary is a body of water partially surrounded by land where fresh water from a river mixes with ocean water. Estuaries are classified into two distinct types depending on their origins, 1) drowned river mouths and 2) tectonically formed estuaries.

Back 211

FALSE

Front 212

Salt water entering Chesapeake Bay moves toward the eastern shore because of

Back 212

“Coriolis Effect”

Front 213

T/F The node (or nodes) near the center of an ocean basin is called an amphidromic point or a no tide point in the ocean. The tidal crest rotates once around these points per tidal cycle. Tidal waves move clockwise around the amphidromic point in the Northern Hemisphere, and counter clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Back 213

FALSE

Front 214

When waves approach the shore a series of changes take place. One change is that the...

Back 214

wave crest forms a steep peak.

Front 215

As wind waves move out of a storm area, the waves are...

Back 215

sorted by velocity and form the swell.

Front 216

Storm surf can generate erosive impact pressures as high as...

Back 216

3.0 x 10^4 kg/square meter.

Front 217

The restoring force for capillary waves is...

Back 217

cohesion of water molecules.

Front 218

T/F Life on Earth would be safer without the greenhouse effect.

Back 218

FALSE.

Front 219

T/F Wave cut platforms are a sign that an area is tectonically active and that uplift is an ongoing process.

Back 219

TRUE.

Front 220

T/F Spring tides occur when the Earth, Moon, and Sun form a right angle. Neap tides occur when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are inline with each other.

Back 220

FALSE.

Front 221

What is "residence time", in reference to ocean chemistry?

Back 221

The amount of time an atom of an element spends in the ocean

Front 222

What is the most abundant ion in seawater?

Back 222

Chloride

Front 223

The approximate pH of seawater is...

Back 223

8

Front 224

T/F About 36% of the gas dissolved in seawater is oxygen.

Back 224

TRUE

Front 225

What is the most abundant gas dissolved in seawater?

Back 225

Nitrogen.

Front 226

What is meant by “Conservative constituents”?

Back 226

Constituents of seawater that occur in constant proportions or change very slowly over time. AND Constituents of seawater that have long residence times AND The most abundant constituents of seawater

Front 227

All the following Ions can be found dissolved in seawater EXCEPT:

Back 227

Carbon

Front 228

If a chemist determines a sample of seawater has chlorinity of 18.9 ppt what is the salinitiy of the sample?

Back 228

34.1 ppt

Front 229

Of the following gases which has the greatest volume dissolved in the oceans?

Back 229

Nitrogen

Front 230

According to Oceanography, the average pH of seawater is most like the pH of which of the following liquids?

Back 230

Bleach

Front 231

Which of the following is NOT a possible product of the reaction between dissolved carbon dioxide and seawater?

Back 231

Dissolved Oxygen Gas

Front 232

T/F All pollutants are man-made?

Back 232

FALSE

Front 233

What source of pollution accounts for the largest percentage of TOTAL marine pollution?

Back 233

shipping and accidental spills.

Front 234

Which of the following statements are true concerning marine oil spills?

Back 234

Volatile components evaporate into the air, heavy components form tar balls that sink and bacteria decompose tar balls (all of them)

Front 235

Given equal volumes of each, which of the following would constitute the most dangerous pollutant?

Back 235

used motor oil.

Front 236

oceanography quotes scientist sylvia earle as saying “Sometimes the best thing to do is to do nothing at all” what is a part of this reasoning?

Back 236

Bacteria often do a better job than human methods of cleaning up a spill.

Front 237

describe the earth’s atmosphere:

Back 237

Mostly nirtrogen with 20% oxygen and little water vapor.

Front 238

circulation of the earths’ atmosphere is a result of which of the following?

Back 238

uneven air temperature caused by vairations in solar heating.

Front 239

which of the following are parts of the six cell global atmospheric circulation model?

Back 239

Polar cells, ferrel cells and hadley cells.

Front 240

T/F storms are variations in the earth’s normal circulation patterns.

Back 240

TRUE

Front 241

Coriolis deflection of moving air masses is due to which of the following?

Back 241

The spherical shape of the rotating earth.

Front 242

Which of the following are true concerning the atmosphere?

Back 242

Cool air descends because it is more dense than warm air. Warm air rises because it is less dense than cold air. Rising and descending air masses form convection cells which contribute to atmospheric circulation patterns.

Front 243

T/F Hurricanes spin counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere.

Back 243

TRUE.

Front 244

What percentage of ocean’s water is affected by surface currents?

Back 244

10%

Front 245

Surface currents...

Back 245

Form global patters within longitudinal bands AND are driven by wind friction

Front 246

which of the following are true of western boundary currents?

Back 246

Narrow, deep, and fast AND water is derived from mid latitudes AND rich in nutrients

Front 247

what evidence exists to support equatorial upwelling?

Back 247

High biological productivity at the equator.

Front 248

Ocean currents...

Back 248

ALL transfer heat from tropical to polar regions, influence weather, distribute nutrients and are strongest at the poles.

Front 249

During an El Nino year:

Back 249

More evaporation occurs over the ocean causing high precipitation in dry areas.

Front 250

The ozone layer is important to life on earth because:

Back 250

It absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Front 251

T/F Scientists are concerned about the rate of global increases in temperature.

Back 251

TRUE

Front 252

T/F life on earth would be safer without the greenhouse effect.

Back 252

FALSE

Front 253

What is NOT a possible consequence of global warming, according to Oceanography?

Back 253

The quantity of gases dissolved in seawater, including oxygen, will increase.

Front 254

What is NOT a possible influence on global warming?

Back 254

Ionizing radiation from waste produced at nuclear power plants.

Front 255

T/F Wave base for a deep water wave is defined as 1/2 the wavelength

Back 255

TRUE

Front 256

T/F As a wave travels through an area of deep water, the motion of water molecules travel only up and down as the wave passes through.

Back 256

FALSE

Front 257

The size of surface waves is controlled by:

Back 257

wind speed, fetch, wind/air temp, seawater salinity, duration of the blowing wind

Front 258

Atmospheric circulation causes winds to blow across the United States from west to east, causing:

Back 258

Waves to be bigger on the west coast due to the large fetch (pacific ocean)

Front 259

T/F Shallow water waves are found only near continental margins in water less than 10 feet deep.

Back 259

FALSE

Front 260

"Wave Length" is:

Back 260

The distance from the crest of one wave to the crest of the adjacent wave.

Front 261

A tsunami can form by which of these events: landslides/volcanic eruptions/meteorite impacts/neap tides/earthquakes

Back 261

All of them

Front 262

Of the following, which is the best description of tides observed at an amphidromic point?

Back 262

No tide at all

Front 263

While visiting the Ganges delta in India, you observe a large mass of water moving upstream, from the ocean into the river. What phenomenon is occurring?

Back 263

Flood current

Front 264

T/F Identify the following statement as true or false: the equilibrium theory of tides accurately predicts tides on Earth.

Back 264

FALSE

Front 265

T/F Identify the following statement as true or false: the earth/moon system orbits around a point located inside the Earth.

Back 265

TRUE

Front 266

How long is a lunar day in comparison to a solar day?

Back 266

The Lunar Day is Longer

Front 267

Approximately how often do spring tides occur?

Back 267

Twice per month

Front 268

Which of the following terms describes a situation where successive high tides are of different heights?

Back 268

Mixed

Front 269

What advantage does the dynamic theory of tides have over the equilibrium theory?

Back 269

The Dynamic theory takes fluid dynamics into account

Front 270

What does "perihelion" mean?

Back 270

The closest approach of the earth to the sun

Front 271

Barrier Islands are

Back 271

long, narrow islands AND can migrate when sea level changes AND are separated from mainland by a lagoon.

Front 272

T/F Breakwater, jetty and groin construction can make beaches more vulnerable to erosion

Back 272

TRUE

Front 273

T/F Depositional coast are new coasts in which coastal material is being removed.

Back 273

FALSE

Front 274

A shore contains...

Back 274

beaches

Front 275

What factors are responsible for eustatic sea level change?

Back 275

Temperature of ocean water AND tectonic motions

Front 276

Salt Wedge Estuary

Back 276

Forms where a rapidly flowing large river enters the ocean

Front 277

Fringing Reef

Back 277

Clings to the margin of a volcano

Front 278

Deltas

Back 278

most common on the low energy shores of enclosed seas

Front 279

Wave cut platforms

Back 279

smooth, nearly level area making the submerged limit of rapid marine erosion

Front 280

Fjord

Back 280

usually formed by tectonic forces and modified by glacial erosion

Front 281

partially mixed estuary

Back 281

Chesapeake bay is an example

Front 282

barrier reef

Back 282

separated from a volcanic cone by water

Front 283

rip currents

Back 283

caused by the escape of excess water that has piled up along a beach

Front 284

longshore currents

Back 284

wave action moving sediment along the surf zone of a coast

Front 285

well mixed estuary

Back 285

forms where a slowly flowing river enters the ocean in an area of high tidal turbulence

Front 286

sea cliff

Back 286

marks the shoreward limit of marine erosion on a coast

Front 287

atolls

Back 287

ring shaped island of coral reefs and coral debris enclosing a shallow lagoon

Front 288

sea caves

Back 288

cut into vertical rock wall along shore line and usually accessible at low tide

Front 289

The early steps in the evolution of living organisms from simple organic building, blocks is a process known as

Back 289

biosynthesis.

Front 290

______ suggests that stars and planets accumulated from contracting, accreting clouds of galactic gas, dust and debris.

Back 290

Condensation Theory

Front 291

How many million square kilometers does the ocean cover on earths surface?

Back 291

361 million square kilometers

Front 292

T/F The United States is a world leader in creating sustainable fisheries.

Back 292

TRUE

Front 293

Saturn’s largest moon is called...

Back 293

Titan.

Front 294

Erathosthenes was a member of which of the what profession?

Back 294

Explorer.

Front 295

The primary goal of the famous marine science expedition of 1872 aboard the HMS Challenger was to...

Back 295

test the idea that life could not exist below about 1800 feet (550m).

Front 296

T/F The Library of Alexandria, which was established in the third century BCE (before common era), was the locus for the study of marine science in the western hemisphere.

Back 296

TRUE

Front 297

The average ocean depth is ____ times greater than the average land elevation.

Back 297

4 1/2

Front 298

Between 1405 and 1433 who commanded the greatest fleet of ships to ply the world ocean on a voyage of peace and discovery that the world had ever known?

Back 298

Admiral Zheng He of China

Front 299

A nautical trade route for commerce between Europe and Asia made the arduous overland journey nearly obsolete. The development of this nautical route was necessitated by ______________, and finally realized by ______________________.

Back 299

transference of power in Constantinople to the Turks in 1453. a marine science and navigational center established in Sagres, Portugal.

Front 300

What was the composition of Earth’s early atmosphere?

Back 300

Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water vapor, with traces of ammonia and methane

Front 301

Determining longitude needs...

Back 301

careful observations of the positions of at least three stars AND a precise knowledge of time AND a set of mathematical tables to calculate position

Front 302

Who discovered worldwide patterns of surface winds and ocean currents?

Back 302

Matthew Maury

Front 303

The ancestors of the main ethnic groups of the Oceania peoples who presently populate the islands of the central and southwest Pacific are referred to as ______.

Back 303

Indonesian.

Front 304

T/F More than 95% of all U.S. foreign trade passes through a U.S. port or harbor.

Back 304

TRUE

Front 305

Outgassing is responsible for:

Back 305

The Atmosphere and Ocean

Front 306

The Oceans contain ___% of the Earth’s surface water.

Back 306

97.3%

Front 307

Who stressed the interdependence of military and commercial control of seaborne commerce, and the ability of safe lines of transportation and communication to influence the outcomes of conflicts? His book had profound consequences for the development of the modern world.

Back 307

Alfred Thayer Mahan

Front 308

When does the dying phase of a massive star begin?

Back 308

The star’s core is depleted of hydrogen and collapses in on itself

Front 309

T/F The Big Bang, thought to be the beginnings of our Universe, occurred sometime around 13.7 Billion Years Ago.

Back 309

TRUE

Front 310

Which one of the following was a major factor in altering Earth’s preoxygen rich original atmosphere?

Back 310

Volcanism

Front 311

When the material of a spinning nebula collapses due to gravitational attraction, heat due to friction raises the temperature. When the temperature of this shrinking mass of increasingly dense gaseous material reaches about ___________ degrees Celsius, the process of nuclear fusion begins.

Back 311

10,000,000 degrees

Front 312

T/F The asthenosphere is Earth’s cool, rigid, outer layer which is 100-200 kilometers thick; whereas, the lithosphere is the hot, partially melted, slowly flowing layer of upper mantle below the asthenosphere.

Back 312

FALSE

Front 313

T/F The layer beneath the crust composes 68% of Earth’s mass and 83 % of its volume.

Back 313

TRUE

Front 314

What are main features of continental margins?

Back 314

shelf slope and rise

Front 315

T/F Paleomagnetic analysis of oceanic crust enables us to determine spreading rate and absolutely age date basalt samples

Back 315

TRUE

Front 316

What's a general characteristic of ocean basins?

Back 316

Made of basaltic crust

Front 317

Rocks at which location allowed James Hutton, author of the geologic theory of uniformitarianism, to confirm Earth's great age?

Back 317

Siccar Point sedimentaries in Scotland

Front 318

T/F Fracture (fault) zones usually represent ancient transform fault zones that have become inactive.

Back 318

TRUE

Front 319

Which tectonic interactions is most likely to cause the formation of an island arc?

Back 319

convergent

Front 320

Which of the following mechanisms is currently responsible for the generation of new lithospheric material?

Back 320

Upwelling of magma at spreading centers

Front 321

Basaltic volcanoes that rise from the ocean bottom and grow until they project above the ocean surface, then, after experiencing erosion, become submerged once again are called _____.

Back 321

Guyots

Front 322

Inge Lehmann, the chief of the Royal Danish Geodetic Institute, lived to be 105 years old. During her middle years she discovered...

Back 322

that Earth's inner core is solid

Front 323

Slow-flowing circuits of material within the mantle are known as both ______ and __________.

Back 323

Convection currents AND plumes.

Front 324

T/F Earthquake P-waves move from side to side, like a shaken rope.

Back 324

FALSE

Front 325

A transform fault is usually a fault in an oceanic fracture zone that...

Back 325

accommodates differential motion caused by rigid plates moving over the surface of a sphere. AND is a location where two plates move horizontally past each other

Front 326

How much of the Earth’s total mass is the crust?

Back 326

0.4%

Front 327

In classifying Earth's lithosphere, asthenosphere, crust, mantle and core, which one of the 5 is based solely on chemical rather than physical properties?

Back 327

CRUST

Front 328

The _____ marks the abrupt transition from continental shelf to continental slope.

Back 328

Shelf break

Front 329

Which one of the following is best associated with tectonic trenches?

Back 329

Convergent plate boundary

Front 330

Which is the country that was formed by the junction of a spreading ridge and a hot spot? It is commonly used as a natural ‘classroom’ for studying ocean ridge dynamics.

Back 330

ICELAND

Front 331

T/F The famous white cliffs at Dover, England are uplifted masses of fossilized radiolarians and diatoms.

Back 331

FALSE

Front 332

The ocean and some continental land masses are over 4 billion years old. How old are the oldest marine sediments?

Back 332

About 180 million years old

Front 333

What is the name for water suitable for drinking?

Back 333

Potable water

Front 334

Calcareous ooze is formed from shells of...

Back 334

foraminifera AND coccolithopres

Front 335

The most significant potential source of new energy from the ocean is:

Back 335

Gas hydrates

Front 336

Evaporites are _________ deposits that include salts that precipitate from water that evaporates from isolated arms of the ocean or form landlocked seas or lakes.

Back 336

Hydrogenous

Front 337

The marine acronym OTEC stands for...

Back 337

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion

Front 338

About ___ of the world’s table salt is currently produced from seawater by evaporation. In 2005 the United States produced by evaporation about 3.9 million metric tons (4.4 million tons) of table salt with a value of about US$160 million.

Back 338

1/3

Front 339

The most widely used pharmaceutical derived from the ocean is ______ Many others are in use or under development for a variety of human and animal disorders.

Back 339

Acyclovir

Front 340

What would be most likely to happen to sand in a stream moving at 10 centimeters per second?

Back 340

Erosion

Front 341

Which has the least average sediment thickness?

Back 341

Deep-ocean floor

Front 342

Manganese nodules are the result of extremely slow rate chemical reactions that take place on the deep ocean floor. An average rate of growth for these nodules is roughly ______ millimeters per year.

Back 342

5 x 10-6

Front 343

As opposed to pelagic sediments neritic sediments are found ________. Most neritic sediments are _______.

Back 343

near the coast AND Terrigenous

Front 344

A very disruptive fishing technique that mistargets multiple species in a single trawl, and has one of the highest bykill to harvest ratios is ______. Until 1993, Taiwanese, Korean, and Japanese vessels deployed some 48.000 kilometers (30,000 miles) of these “walls of death” each night. Researchers at Duke University and St. Andrew’s University estimate that about 800 small whales are killed each day by this fishing technique.

Back 344

drift nets

Front 345

Which has the greatest average sediment thickness?

Back 345

continental slope

Front 346

What is the name for the zone where nations hold sovereignty over resources, economic activity, and environmental protection?

Back 346

Exclusive Economic Zone

Front 347

Sediments of the continental slope, continental rise, and the deep ocean floor that originate in the ocean are called...

Back 347

pelagic sediments

Front 348

The sediment layer lying on the base of the Sohm Abyssal Plain near Nova Scotia is notably thick for an ocean floor. Approximately how thick is this layer?

Back 348

1,800 meters

Front 349

Where would you expect to find the thickest sediments?

Back 349

Atlantic abyssal plains

Front 350

How many meters is Alvin, a deep-diving research submarine, capable of diving?

Back 350

4,000/4,500 meters

Front 351

T/F The epicenter of an earthquake is the location on the Earth's surface directly over the earthquake's focus.

Back 351

TRUE

Front 352

What is NOT a current economic benefit from ocean sediments?

Back 352

Commercial collection of manganese nodules

Front 353

T/F Neritic deposits almost always contain biogenous sediments.

Back 353

TRUE

Front 354

What does the Greek word "neritos" mean?

Back 354

“Of the Coast”

Front 355

Ships transport to market nearly ____ of the world's crude oil production.

Back 355

1/2

Front 356

Which type of sediment covers the greatest surface area of the Earth's ocean?

Back 356

Biogenous

Front 357

Which of the following has the least abundant sedimentary deposition?

Back 357

The west coast of North America

Front 358

Occasionally cosmogenous sediments includes translucent oblong particles of glass known as...

Back 358

microtektites

Front 359

T/F While manganese and cobalt are extracted from nodules; magnesium is “mined” from evaporated seawater.

Back 359

TRUE

Front 360

About how much of humanity’s nutritional protein needs are supplied by the ocean?

Back 360

4%

Front 361

JOIDES is an acronym that stands for...

Back 361

Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling

Front 362

ENSO is an acronym for the repeating meteorological and oceanographic event that can severely disrupt normal conditions. The ENSO-driven change in tropical Pacific surface trade winds causes...

Back 362

build up of seawater in the western pacific, downwelling in the east, and generally warmer sea surface water temperatures overall.

Front 363

A Northeasterly wind blows toward the

Back 363

SOUTHWEST

Front 364

Looking at the track of high-latitude ocean currents (close to the poles) on a typical Mercatur projection map would show these currents...

Back 364

appearing over-proportioned in size.

Front 365

The ozone layer is important to life on earth because it...

Back 365

absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Front 366

T/F Cold water flows to higher latitudes where heat is transferred to it, then it flows back to low latitudes and releases its heat before the cycle repeats.

Back 366

FALSE

Front 367

which of the following are true concerning the atmosphere. 1. Cool air descends because it's more dense 2. Warm air rises because it's less dense 3. Rising and descending air masses form convection cells which contribute to atmospheric circulation patterns.

Back 367

1,2 AND 3

Front 368

Alternatives to fossil fuels include...

Back 368

nuclear energy AND renewable resources (wind, soalr power, ocean currents, ATOC)

Front 369

Surface currents...

Back 369

form global patterns within longitudinal bands AND are driven by wind friction

Front 370

T/F Storm surges caused the greatest loss of life and property when Hiurricane Katrina struck the US Gulf Coast. The storm surge in Bay St. Louis was 10.4 (34 ft) high.

Back 370

TRUE

Front 371

The Hadley-Ferrel-Polar cell model of atmospheric circulation helps describe atmospheric and ocean current convergence and divergence of the northern and southern circulation gyres. Due to the shape of the Earth and the position of the continents on it, the convergence of the subtropical Hadley circulation cells at the ITCZ occurs closest to...

Back 371

The geographical equator AND 4 degrees north latitude in summer

Front 372

Many problems are associated with global warming. One problem is that the ocean is becoming more ____.

Back 372

acidic

Front 373

Extratropical cyclones rotate ___________ in northern hemisphere due to the coriolis deflection of winds approaching the center of a low-pressure area from great distances.

Back 373

counterclockwise

Front 374

coriolis deflection of moving air masses is due to....

Back 374

the spherical shape of the roatating earth.

Front 375

Who was the first person on record to have sailed solo around the world?

Back 375

Capt. Joshua Slocum.

Front 376

The pacific Equatorial undercurrent is known as the

Back 376

cromwell current.

Front 377

T/F Land breezes originate over the sea and move out to land and sea breezes originate on land and move out to sea.

Back 377

FALSE.

Front 378

Water vapor, as opposed to precipitation or condensation is....

Back 378

a gaseous state of water AND capable of occupying 4% of atmospheric volume.

Front 379

which one of the following western boundary currents carries the most volume?

Back 379

The Gulf Stream.

Front 380

What force constitutes the fundamental source of energy that generates wind movement and circulation?

Back 380

Radiant energy of the sun.

Front 381

T/F “El Nino” events are considered to be periods of normal oceanic and atmospheric conditions.

Back 381

FALSE.

Front 382

T/F Rather than making a continuous loop in each hemisphere, air rising from the equatorial region moves poleward and is gradually deflected eastward; that is, it turns to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This eastward deflection is caused by the Coriolis effect.

Back 382

TRUE

Front 383

The surface temperature of Earth fluctuates slowly overtime. The global temperature trend has been generally upward during the 18,000 years since the last glacial advance, but the rate of increase has recently accelerated. This rapid warming is probably the result of an enhanced ___________ _______, the trapping of heat by the atmosphere. This effect is necessary for life, without it Earth’s average atmospheric temperature would be about minus 18°C (0°F). However, humans have injected exhorbitant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

Back 383

greenhouse effect

Front 384

We cannot expect science to solve our problems. Most of the decisions and necessary actions fall outside pure science in the areas of values, ethics, morality, and philosophy. The solution to environmental problems, if one exists, lies in...

Back 384

Education.

Front 385

T/F The slow circulation of water at great depth is driven by density differences rather than by wind energy.

Back 385

TRUE

Front 386

Seasonal variation of climate on Earth is due to...

Back 386

tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation.

Front 387

The term 'relative humidity' is so called because the same volume of air when brought to different temperatures will hold different amounts of gas (including water vapor, which is a gas). This relationship of temperature to water vapor carrying capacity occurs because...

Back 387

dense cold air has less vapor carrying capacity than warm air

Front 388

T/F Global warming is probably the result of an enhanced greenhouse effect, the trapping of heat by the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is an unwanted and unnecessary physical effect for life on Earth.

Back 388

FALSE

Front 389

Due to the combined effect of wind friction, Coriolis Effect, Ekman Transport, land mass, and the pressure gradient, ocean currents tend to...

Back 389

flow along the periphery (outside) of ocean basins

Front 390

T/F The thermocline is best developed in low latitude regions.

Back 390

TRUE

Front 391

Which of the following are parts of the six-cell global atmospheric circulation model?

Back 391

Polar cells, Ferrel cells and Hadley cells

Front 392

T/F Storms are variations in the earth's normal circulation patterns.

Back 392

TRUE

Front 393

A ______ is a pattern of wind circulation that changes with the season as the ITCZ (intertropical convergence zone) moves north and south. Areas subject to these seasonal winds (most pronounced in Asia and India) generally have wet summers and dry winters.

Back 393

monsoon

Front 394

T/F Large storms are either tropical cyclones or extratropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones (sometimes called hurricanes or typhoons) are the frontal storms familiar to winter residents of mid-latitude continents. Extratropical cyclones form in a single tropical air mass.

Back 394

FALSE

Front 395

T/F The “Ekman Spiral” describes how water below the surface flows toward the left of the wind direction in the southern hemisphere.

Back 395

TRUE

Front 396

At sea near 30 degrees latitudinarian areas of high atmospheric pressure and little surface wind. Thery are called the ___________. On land these latitudes are the locations of the world’s great deserts.

Back 396

horse latitudes

Front 397

T/F The lower atmosphere is a mixture of gases, mostly nitrogen (78.1%) and oxygen (20.9%).

Back 397

TRUE

Front 398

Surface Currents are wind driven movements of water at or near the ocean’s surface. Thermohaline currents are slow, deep, density driven currents that affect the vast bulk of seawater beneath the pycnocline.

Back 398

TRUE

Front 399

Sea and land breezes are a significant part of California’s coastal weather. A sea breeze can occur when the air over land masses near the coast...

Back 399

rises in temperature AND falls in pressure

Front 400

Oceanographers name currents and large bodies of water according to their relative vertical position in the water column. Which one of the following is the water mass that resides below 1,500 meters (5000 feet) to a depth of about 4,000 meters (13,000 feet)?

Back 400

Deep water

Front 401

T/F life on earth would be safer without the greenhouse effect.

Back 401

FALSE

Front 402

T/F Hurricanes spin counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere.

Back 402

TRUE

Front 403

T/F As Earth revolves around the Sun the constant tilt of its rotational axis causes the Southern Hemisphere to lean toward the sun in June but away from it in December. The Sun, therefore, appears higher in the sky in June but lower in December.

Back 403

FALSE

Front 404

Western boundary currents tend to be both...

Back 404

warm AND fast AND deep

Front 405

T/F The Gulf Stream is the western boundary current having the greatest flow rate.

Back 405

TRUE

Front 406

T/F Of the two large atmospheric circulation cells in each hemisphere, the Hadley cell extends from the equator to 45 degrees, while the Polar cell extends from 45 degrees to the pole.

Back 406

FALSE

Front 407

T/F The evaporation of water from the ocean’s surface helps to moderate global temperatures due to the water molecule’s low heat capacity.

Back 407

FALSE

Front 408

The North Pacific trade winds set ocean surface water (<400 meters deep) in motion. Towards which general direction does this current flow?

Back 408

West

Front 409

A ______ is huge rotating masses of low pressure air in which winds converge and ascend. A ________ is a much smaller funnel of fast spinning with severe thunderstorms.

Back 409

CYCLONE and TORNADO

Front 410

T/F The net motion of water down to about 1 kilometer (1,000meters), after allowance for the summed effects of Ekman spiral, is known as Ekman transport (or Ekman flow).

Back 410

FALSE

Front 411

Water of the oceans and water vapor in the atmosphere transfer great quantities of heat from the tropics to the poles. Atmospheric circulation accounts for ____ of the transfer, while ocean circulation accounts for ____.

Back 411

2/3 and 1/3

Front 412

The southward flowing current that intercepts water outflowing from the Mediterranean Sea and then flows past the west African coast is called...

Back 412

the Canary Current

Front 413

Looking from the North Pole, the Earth turns counterclockwise. If a projectile or an air mass heads northward from the equator, in which cardinal direction will it veer from its poleward path?

Back 413

EAST

Front 414

Which of the following is NOT a possible influence on global warming?

Back 414

Ionizing radiation from waste produced at nuclear power plants.

Front 415

The lower atmosphere is a nearly homogeneous mixture of gasses, the most plentiful is _______ at 78.1% followed by _____ at 20.9 %.

Back 415

NITROGEN and OXYGEN

Front 416

What evidence exists to support equatorial upwelling?

Back 416

High biological productivity at the equator

Front 417

One sverdrup equals _____ cubic meters/second

Back 417

10 to the 6th power

Front 418

What percentage of the ocean's water is affected by surface currents?

Back 418

10%

Front 419

What is true of western boundary currents?

Back 419

Narrow, deep, and fast/Water is derived from mid latitudes/Rich in nutrients

Front 420

During an El Nino year:

Back 420

More evaporation occurs over the ocean causing high precipitation in dry areas

Front 421

Which can be a standing wave?

Back 421

Tsunami AND Tides

Front 422

Which one of the following describes weather related alterations to predicted tidal cycles such as those associated with storm surge caused by tropical cyclones?

Back 422

Meteorological Tides

Front 423

T/F By application of the equilibrium theory, the seafloor does not influence tidal effects.

Back 423

False

Front 424

Tidal power is the only marine energy source that has been successfully exploited on a large scale. The first major tidal power station was opened in 1966 in...

Back 424

France

Front 425

T/F The term tsunami is a descriptive Japanese term combining “harbor” and “wave”. It also called seismic sea waves.

Back 425

TRUE

Front 426

Los Angeles, San Francisco and the entire coast of California experience what kind of tides?

Back 426

Mixed Tides.

Front 427

T/F Tides are periodic, short term changes in the height of the ocean surface at a particular places. The Sun makes the most important contribution to the tidal effect on Earth.

Back 427

FALSE

Front 428

Water particles in a deep water wave move...

Back 428

in circular orbits.

Front 429

Release primarily of chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere cause depletion of the ozone layer which in turn, allows for more UV to pass through the surface of the Earth. _________ is the place so far that has recorded the greatest decrease (about 50%) in this protective layer.

Back 429

Antarctica

Front 430

T/F Tsunami are always shallow water waves.

Back 430

FALSE

Front 431

Internal waves are thought to be generated by...

Back 431

energy from wind waves or tides moving into deeper water.

Front 432

Approximately how often do spring tides occur?

Back 432

Twice a month

Front 433

Winter beaches will...

Back 433

become steeper AND be composed of coarser materials AND will erode... All of the ABOVE

Front 434

Unlike other moving things, wind waves travel over great distances in virtually straight lines. This is physically possible because...

Back 434

wind waves carry only energy, and energy has no mass, and is therefore not subject to the Coriolis deflection.

Front 435

T/F In order to attain a fully developed sea for a specific wind velocity there must be sufficient duration and fetch.

Back 435

TRUE

Front 436

The ultimate height of a wind wave will depend on

Back 436

the fetch AND the length of time the wind blows AND the velocity of the wind... All of the ABOVE

Front 437

Most waves in the open ocean have an average height of

Back 437

less that 3 meters.

Front 438

Present day sea level is _____ than the average sea level over the past 2 million years.

Back 438

higher

Front 439

Theoretically, wavelength can be measured...

Back 439

from crest to crest AND trough to trough.

Front 440

Which of the following is a factor that limits the development of a fully developed sea?

Back 440

Wind strength AND wind duration AND fetch... All of the ABOVE

Front 441

_____ are structures that extend perpendicular from the beach into the water. They help counter erosion by trapping sand from the current. They accumulate sand on their up drift side, but erosion is worse on the downside, with is deprived of sand.

Back 441

Groins

Front 442

Shore is to coast as ______ is to range.

Back 442

mountain

Front 443

Long shore drift occurs in

Back 443

the wave driven movement of sand along the exposed beach AND the current driven movement of sand in the surf zone just offshore.

Front 444

Generating ozone in the stratosphere requires sunlight. Most ozone is made in the

Back 444

equatorial latitudes.

Front 445

A wave that is in water which is shallower than one twentieth of its wavelength is considered to be a

Back 445

shallow water wave.

Front 446

T/F The behavior of waves is influenced by the depth of water through which they are moving. Deep-water waves move through water shallower than half their wave lenght (L/2). Only capillary waves and wind waves can be in “deep” water.

Back 446

FALSE

Front 447

A lunar day on Earth is the time required for the Moon to pass an observer on Earth two times directly overhead. It is

Back 447

24 hours 50 minutes long.

Front 448

At a depth of water equal to or greater than one half the wavelength of a passing wave, the motion of the water particles forms

Back 448

large circular obits.

Front 449

Seismic sea waves are

Back 449

shallow water waves.

Front 450

T/F The time it takes for a wave to move a distance of one wavelength is known as the wave frequency. The number of waves passing a fixed point in a given amount of time is known as the wave period.

Back 450

FALSE

Front 451

The Outer Banks of North Carolina are an example of

Back 451

A barrier island.

Front 452

The process of erosion that dissolves a rock by chemical breakdown of its constituent materials is called

Back 452

dissolution.

Front 453

T/F A wave break is influenced by wavelength, bottom depth, bottom contour, bottom texture, wind conditions, and shore steepness.

Back 453

TRUE

Front 454

Ozone accumulates at the South Pole during which season?

Back 454

Winter

Front 455

Fault defined coasts, such as California’s Tomales Bay, the coast of Peru and Chile, and the Gulf of California tend to be relatively

Back 455

straight coastlines.

Front 456

Headlands _______ wave energy and bays ______ wave energy.

Back 456

Concentrate and disperse

Front 457

Surface tension of the water tends to limit the size of

Back 457

capillary waves.

Front 458

T/F Humans have interfered with natural coastal processes almond many parts of the U.S. coastline, sometimes leading to disastrous consequences.

Back 458

FALSE

Front 459

T/F The movement of coastal sediments driven by wave action is referred to as longshore drift.

Back 459

TRUE

Front 460

Which of the following is not considered an important classification group of ocean waves?

Back 460

geostrophic gyres.

Front 461

T/F There are numerous “Amphidromic Points” located throughout the global ocean.

Back 461

TRUE

Front 462

T/F The Steeper the beach slope the coarser the sediment particle size.

Back 462

TRUE

Front 463

What factors are responsible for eustatic sea level change?

Back 463

Temperature of ocean water AND tectonic motions.

Front 464

Moderately sized wind waves in the open ocean have a maximum wave height to length ratio of approximately ________ before they will break.

Back 464

one to seven

Front 465

T/F Scientists are concerned about the rate of global increase in temperature.

Back 465

TRUE

Front 466

Before an ocean wave starts to “feel the bottom” at L/2, water in deep water wave actually moves in a _____ as the wave energy proceeds through it.

Back 466

circle

Front 467

When talking about great waves such as tsunami, tides and large seiches, the open ocean water depth relative to the wavelength is less than L/2, therefore the waves are called ______ waves.

Back 467

shallow water

Front 468

Shallow water wave velocity is a function of...

Back 468

water depth.

Front 469

Stokes drift is a significant driving force in ocean surface currents. This is due to the fact that water velocity at the base of an orbital cell is...

Back 469

slower than, parallel to, but in the opposite direction of water velocity at the top of the cell.

Front 470

T/F Wave base for a deep water wave is defined as 1/2 the wavelength.

Back 470

TRUE

Front 471

The ____ _____ is that region of the littoral zone between the deepest breaking waves and the shore.

Back 471

Surf zone

Front 472

By their circulation patterns, which one of the following best describes estuaries that form where a rapidly flowing river enters the ocean in an area where the tidal range is low or moderate?

Back 472

Salt-wedge estuaries.

Front 473

Near shore, if the wave crests are two hundred feet apart, the wave will “feel” bottom when the depth is about...

Back 473

100 feet.

Front 474

The typical velocity of a tsunami is...

Back 474

750 kilometers (470 miles) per hour.