Oceanography ch 7 quiz

Saltwater freezes at

-1.9¡ C

Freshwater freezes at

0¡ C

Standard atmospheric pressure is equivalent to ____ atmosphere(s).

1

The difference in height between the centers of the large ocean gyres and their edges is about __________.

1 m

At sea level, a column of air one square inch that reaches to the top of the atmosphere weighs an average of _______.

14.7 pounds

The length of time that incoming water stays in the Black Sea before leaving the basin is _______.

3,000 years

Langmuir cells in the ocean can mix the surface layer to depths of _______.

4-6 m.

The density of freshwater reaches a maximum at

4¡ C

In the southern hemisphere, Ekman transport is directed ____ to the direction of the wind.

90 degrees to the left

In the northern hemisphere, Ekman transport is directed ____ to the direction of the wind.

90 degrees to the right

Increased freshwater influx to the North Atlantic through melting of polar icecaps will decrease _________________.

Both salinity AND density

The slow current on the eastern side of the North Atlantic Ocean is the _________.

Canary Current

Geostrophic flow is a dynamic balance between _______ and _______.

Coriolis deflection; pressure gradient

The trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres converge in a region known as the ________________.

Doldrums

The net flow of water to the right of the wind in the Northern Hemisphere is termed _______.

Ekman transport

Which of the following methods of measuring water currents directly uses a meter fixed to the ocean floor?

Eulerian

True or false: Solid water is 10% more dense than liquid water.

False

Which of the following is not a subtropical gyre?

Gulf of Alaska gyre

The circulation of winds in both hemispheres in the three-cell circulation model is arranged in the _______, _______, and _______ cells.

Hadley; Ferrel; Polar

the name of the western boundary current in the North Pacific Ocean is the

Kuroshio

Which of the following methods of measuring water currents directly uses a neutrally buoyant float that drifts with the water?

Lagrangian

The Sargasso Sea is located in the _______________ Ocean.

North Atlantic

Antarctic Deep Water displaces and under-rides the __________.

North Atlantic Bottom Water

The cascade of water down the Denmark Strait is the primary source of _______.

North Atlantic Deep Water

Cold-core rings form on __________ side of the Gulf Stream.

Southeastern

Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is produced mainly at the surface of the ________ Sea.

Weddell

A region that exerts rate-limiting effects on the transport of heat and mass in the world ocean is called

a choke point

Currents and wind patterns that reverse seasonally are associated with

a monsoon

the name of the western boundary current in the South Indiant Ocean is the

agulhas current

Monsoons largely result from the seasonal changes in ____ over land.

atmospheric pressure

The name of the eastern boundary current in the South Atlantic is the

benguela current

Subtropical gyres can be found

both b and d are correct; north of the Tropic of Cancer & immediately south of the Tropic of

the name of the western boundary current in the South Atlantic is the

brazil current

The cooling of surface waters and the breakdown of a seasonal thermocline causes a blending of the upper ocean waters in a process known as

buoyancy-driven mixing

The name of the eastern boundary current in the North Atlantic Ocean is the

canary current

As the temperature of freshwater decreases, its density

cannot be determined from he info given

The rings to the west of the Gulf Stream rotate ___________.

clockwise

Mesoscale eddies with a cold interior are sometimes called

cold-core rings

The analogy between global-scale oceanic circulation and an immense conveyor belt is _______.

compatible with general observations but highly simplified

The rings to the east of the Gulf Stream rotate ___________.

counter-clockwise

It rains for days at the equator. The density of the surface waters will

decrease

Sea ice melts in spring in the Arctic. The density of the surface waters will

decrease

The addition of water vapor to dry air causes the density of the air to ________.

decrease

The sun evaporates water from the surface of the tropical Pacific. The surface buoyancy will

decrease

As the salinity of seawater decreases, its density

decreases

As the temperature of seawater increases, its density

decreases

If we heat seawater, its density

decreases

The amount of matter that occupies a given volume of space defines its

density

Subsurface currents are driven mainly by _______.

density differences

The cooling of surface waters and the breakdown of a seasonal thermocline is called

destratification

Wind is caused by _______.

differences in air pressure

the name of the western boundary current in the South Pacific Ocean is the

east australian

The two principal controls on seawater salinity are

evaporation and precipitation

True or false: Solid water is 10% more dense than liquid water

false

Equatorial countercurrents and undercurrents return water

from west to east

Winds are named for the direction _______.

from which they are coming

Currents that result from a balance between pressure gradient and Coriolis effect are termed ________________ currents.

geostrophic

The downward force exerted on a parcel of fluid or on an object immersed within a fluid is called

gravity

The faster an object moves and the greater the distance it travels, the _______ the Coriolis effect.

greater

The faster the rate of flow of a current, the __________ the Coriolis deflection.

greater

the name of the western boundary current in the North Atlantic is the

gulf stream

The large loops of surface currents in the ocean are termed circulation __________.

gyres

Currents are named for the direction _______.

in which they are going

It rains for days at the equator. The buoyancy of the surface waters will

increase

Sea ice melts in spring in the Arctic. The buoyancy of the surface waters will

increase

The sun evaporates water from the surface of the tropical Pacific. The density of the surface waters will

increase

As the salinity of seawater increases, its density

increases

If we cool seawater, its density

increases

Which of the following units applies to density?

kg/m3

In the Southern Hemisphere, all moving objects appear to be deflected to the _______ of their point of origin.

left

Cold, dry air is much ________ dense than warm, moist air.

more

When two water masses of different densities come into contact, the __________ water mass will sink beneath the other water mass.

more dense

An object or water parcel sinking in the water column has

negative buoyancy

Cooling of ocean surface waters in fall causes the surface waters to become

negatively buoyant

cooling of ocean surface waters in fall causes the surface waters to become

negatively buoyant

Along the west coast of the United States, which general wind direction is the most favorable for coastal upwelling?

north

The Mediterranean Sea is _______.

nutrient poor and relatively unproductive

Ocean basins are ________ systems between which water is exchanged.

open

When a tiny amount of salt dissolves in a glass of water, it remains in solution

permanently, unless the water evaporates or the solution freezes

The name of the eastern boundary current in the South Pacific Ocean is the

peru current

A treasure hunter finds a million bars of gold in a treasure chest. To lift the chest, she needs

positive buoyancy

An object or water parcel rising in the water column has

positive buoyancy

Heating of ocean surface waters in spring causes the surface waters to become

positively buoyant

The flow of surface currents around a gyre in the northern hemisphere proceeds

primarily clockwise

The flow of surface currents around a gyre in the southern hemisphere proceeds

primarily counterclockwise

When the buoyant force on an object is the same as the force of gravity, the object

remains at the same location

In the Northern Hemisphere, all moving objects appear to be deflected to the _______ of their point of origin.

right

Meander loops that pinch off from the main axis of the Gulf Stream are called _________.

rings

When the buoyant force on a water parcel exceeds the force of gravity, the water parcel

rises

Thermohaline currents tend to flow very __________.

slowly

Along the east coast of the United States, which general wind direction is the most favorable for coastal upwelling?

south

If we enclose salt water in an airtight bottle and leave it there for 100 years, its density will

stay the same

A steep pressure gradient results in __________ winds.

strong

Currents that move along the surface of the ocean belong to the ____ while currents that move within the interior of the ocean belong to the _____.

surface circulation...deep circulation

The only continuous current in the world ocean that makes a complete transit around the globe is

the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Heating of the Mohave Desert in summer gives rise to

the Arizona Monsoon

A maze of current traversing the Indonesian archipelago is called the

the Indonesian Throughflow

The column of smoke (mostly water vapor) billowing from the Huntington Beach electrical plant smokestacks levels off at a particular altitude because

the air surrounding the column of smoke has the same density

A hot air balloon stops rising at a particular altitude because

the air surrounding the hot air balloon is the same density as the air inside the balloon

The world ocean circulation refers to

the combined surface and deep circulation all of the currents in the world ocean from the surface to the abyss the interdependent system of currents that transport water, heat and materials throughout the world ocean ALL OF THE ABOVE

Warm-core rings form on __________ side of the Gulf Stream.

the northwestern

The Coriolis deflection is caused by _______.

the rotation of the Earth on its axis

The characteristics of western boundary currents are a result of _______.

the rotation of the Earth, which presses water against the western edge of the ocean basins

The geostrophic currents of the ocean gyres are powered by _______.

the wind

Hurricanes develop from preexisting ________.

tropical cyclones

The equator is a zone of ___________ water.

upwelling

When near-surface water is moved offshore by Ekman transport, water from below replaces it in a process known as _______.

upwelling

The amount of circular rotation around a vertical axis that masses of water undergo due to the spin of the Earth and current shear is termed __________.

vorticity

Mesoscale eddies with a warm interior are sometimes called

warm-core rings

An imaginary column of water from the ocean surface to depth is referred to as the

water column

The mound of water around which the geostrophic currents flow is not centrally located in the oceans, but is displaced to the ____________.

west

The name of the eastern boundary current in the South Indian Ocean is the

west australian current

The mound of water around which the geostrophic currents flow is steeper on its ______ edge.

western

Currents located along the western sides of ocean basins are called

western boundary currents

The Gulf Stream is an example of a(n)

western boundary currents

The western arm of all ocean gyres undergoes____________.

western intensification