Oceanography Study Guide Exam 2

As the salinity of seawater increases, its ________.

density increases

Idealized pressure belts and wind systems are significantly modified by Earth's tilted axis of rotation and ________.

differences in the heat capacities of the ocean and land

Water flowing out of an enclosed basin due to the tides is called a/an ________.

ebb current

Which of the following statements regarding pH is true?

pH relates to relative acid-base ion balance in a solution.

For the following statement about deep-water waves, determine if the statement is true or false. The longer the wave, the deeper the wave base.

True

For the following statement about deep-water waves, determine if the statement is true or false. The longer the wave, the faster the wave travels.

True

For the following statement about deep-water waves, determine if the statement is true or false. The greater the wave height, the deeper the wave base.

False

For the following statement about deep-water waves, determine if the statement is true or false. The greater the wave height, the faster the wave travels.

False

True or False: Below the lowest pH layer in the ocean, the pH gradually decreases with depth.

False

True or False: Ocean water becomes more acidic with depth.

False

True or False: Water is unusual because it expands when it freezes due to thermal contraction.

False

Waves that are moving faster than local wind and are sorted out by wavelength are called ________.

Swell

In the United States, mixed tides commonly occur along ________.

the Pacific coast

In the southern hemisphere, the direction of Ekman transport is always ________.

to the left of the wind direction

Equatorial currents are driven by the ________.

trade winds

The lowermost portion of the atmosphere where most weather occurs is called the ________.

troposphere

Spring tide occurs about ________.

twice per month

An area that experiences semidiurnal tides will have ________.

two high tides and two low tides of nearly equal height daily

Surface waters are pushed away from land and replaced by nutrient-rich deep water through ________.

upwelling

the distance over which the wind blows without interruption

westerlies

Neap tides occur ________.

when the Moon is in quadrature

Rogue waves tend to occur ________.

where storm waves move against strong surface currents

Surface ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ and modified by ________.

wind; the Coriolis effect and land

For the following statement about deep-water waves, determine if the statement is true or false. The faster the wave, the greater the wave height.

False

The tide-generating force varies ________.

Inversely with the cube of the distance between the objects

A deep-water wave occurs when the water depth is equal to at least ________.

1/2 of the wavelength

Earth's axis of rotation is tilted at an angle of ________.

23.5°

You are on Mount Helix and photograph the sunset at 6:00 pm. You notice the full Moon rises at the same time in the east behind you. Based on your knowledge of a lunar day, what time would moonrise be the next evening?

6:50 pm

What is the pH of surface waters?

8.1

Match the diagram with the correct atmospheric condition.

A La Niña B Normal conditions C El Niño

Match the elements, charges, covalent bonds, and hydrogen bonds in the image below.

A Oxygen B Hydrogen C Covalent bond D Hydrogen bond

Western intensification causes ________.

All of the choices are the result of westward intensification. (the center of the gyre to be shift to the west, very swift western boundary currents, equatorial countercurrents, a steeper slope of surface water in the western section of the gyre as compare to the eastern section of the gyre)

What is the difference between icebergs and sea ice? Select the correct answers below. There may be more than one correct answer.

An iceberg is a body of floating ice that has broken away from a glacier Sea ice is ice that forms directly from seawater

Why ice is less dense than liquid water?

As water freezes, it forms a crystalline structure that is less dense than liquid water.

Why is cold-front weather usually more severe than warm-front weather?

Cold fronts are steeper than warm fronts due to colder air being denser. Cold fronts move more rapidly than warm fronts. The vertical displacement of air is often rapid enough such that latent heat released by condensing water vapor adds appreciably to the air's buoyancy.

The apparent deflection of air masses to the right or left (depending on latitude) as they move from one latitude to another is called the ________.

Coriolis effect

Compared to an eastern boundary current in a gyre, which of the following statements is true for a western boundary current?

Deeper currents, increased current velocity, warmer water, and narrower current are all true of western boundary currents

Match the term below with its correct definition.

El Niño: Thermocline deeper in eastern Pacific Normal conditions: Air pressure across equatorial Pacific is higher in eastern Pacific La Niña: Stronger upwelling in eastern Pacific

Of all the following processes which one increases the salinity of water?

Evaporation

Match the terms below with the correct definitions.

Flood current: Water rushes up a bay or river with incoming tide Ebb current: Water drains from bay or river as tide goes out High slack water: Peak of each high tide with no current motion Low slack water: Peak of each low tide with no current motion Maelstrom: Famous whirlpool near Norway Tidal bore: Tide-generated wall of water that moves up a river Rotary Current: Current that accompanies the slowly turning tide crest in a Northern Hemisphere basin that rotates counterclockwise Reversing current: Alternating current that moves in and out of narrow coastal passages

Does swell necessarily imply a particular wave size?

No, swells are any waves of any size that travel out of their area of origination

While shopping in a surf shop, you overhear some surfing enthusiasts mention that they would really like to ride the curling wave of a tidal wave at least once in their life because it is a single breaking wave of enormous height. Is this a good idea?

No, tsunami's are dangerous seismic waves. The surfer likely has no idea what they are talking about.

Most icebergs form where?

North Atlantic and Antartica

What would the pattern of ocean surface currents look like if there were no continents on Earth?

Ocean currents would very closely mirror the winds in the major wind belts of the Earth.

How do particles move in an ocean wave?

Orbital motion

Match the terms below with the corresponding definition, time, or degrees.

Partial Earth's axis tilt: 23.5 degrees Declination: Angular distance of the Sun or Moon above or below Earth's equatorial plane Moon's maximum declination: 28.5 degrees Sun's maximum declination: 23.5 degrees Lunar cycle: 29.5 days Spring tide: Tidal range during a full or new moon Neap tide: Tidal range during a quarter moon Solar day: 24 hours Lunar day: 29.5 days

Use this image to answer the following questions. Select the factors below that likely account for why the surface current is different from the prevailing winds. There may be more than one correct answer.

Partial: Coriolis effect Upwelling seafloor topography

Water waves are ________.

Possibly longitudinal or orbital waves but not transverse.

Rains directly over the ocean River flows into the ocean Glacial ice calves into the ocean and melts Sea ice melts in the ocean Seawater freezes in cold ocean areas Seawater evaporates in hot climates

Rains directly over the ocean: salinity levels decrease River flows into the ocean: salinity levels decrease Glacial ice calves into the ocean and melts: salinity levels decrease Sea ice melts in the ocean: salinity levels decrease Seawater freezes in cold ocean areas: salinity levels increase Seawater evaporates in hot climates: salinity levels increase

Match the terms below for how waves change direction with the correct definition.

Reflection: a change in direction of waves when they bounce off a barrier Diffraction: a change in direction of waves as they pass through an opening or around a barrier in their path Refraction: a change in the direction of waves as they pass from one medium to another

Which of the following is not a source of deep water in the ocean?

Subtropical convergences

In a nonspinning Earth, describe the basic atmospheric circulation pattern that would exist.

Surface air would flow from the high latitudes to the low latitudes

Which of the following statements is true of surface ocean currents?

Surface currents form circular patterns in the major ocean basins called "gyres."

Imagine that there are two moons in orbit around Earth. They are on the same orbital plane but always on opposite sides of Earth. Each moon is of the same size and mass as our Moon. How would this affect the tidal range during spring and neap conditions? Select the answers below which are correct. There is more than one correct answer.

The tidal range would be greater during the spring conditions. The tidal range would be greater during the neap conditions.

Briefly explain the primary cause of the seasons.

The tilt of Earth on its axis allows some locations on Earth to receive more direct solar radiation at some times of the year because those locations are tilted towards the Sun; this would be summer. When a hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun it receives less direct radiation and experiences winter.

This world map shows the tracks and intensities of thousands of hurricanes and other tropical cyclones. It was put together by the National Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Explain the absence of storms in the South Atlantic and the eastern South Pacific.

The waters are too cold to sustain a hurricane, which relies on the latent heat from warm tropical waters.

This world map shows the tracks and intensities of thousands of hurricanes and other tropical cyclones. It was put together by the National Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. What area has experienced the greatest number of category 4 and 5 storms?

The western portion of the North Pacific.

Use this image to answer the following questions. What direction is the wind blowing? What direction is Ekman transport relative to the wind?

The wind is blowing to the Northwest. Ekman transport is 90 degrees to the left of the wind, which would put it towards the southwest direction.

Use this image to answer the following questions. Why is an abundance of marine life associated with these areas?

There is an abundance of marine life in these areas because of the dense nutrient concentrations in these upwelled waters.

This world map shows the tracks and intensities of thousands of hurricanes and other tropical cyclones. It was put together by the National Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Why do hurricanes not form in the very heart of the tropics, astride the equator?

There is no Coriolis effect to give the storm its rotation.

True or False: As Earth rotates through the tidal bulges with a declination relative to the equator, any location north or south of the equator will pass through one bulge nearer its center than when it passes through the other. Therefore, the two high tides experienced, and the two low tides, will not have the same tidal height. These differences are called diurnal inequalities.

True

True or False: Low pH means high acidity.

True

True or False: Ocean water's lowest pH layer is caused by marine animal respiration.

True

What is a swell.

Uniform, symmetrical waves that travel outward from storm area

Use this image to answer the following questions. Is coastal upwelling or downwelling occurring in this image?

Upwelling

The Bay of Fundy is well known for which tidal characteristic?

Very high tidal range

Why does water curve in a graduated cylinder?

Water molecules are attracted to the polarity of the glass.

The barycenter follows ________.

a smooth orbit around the Sun

An internal wave might form ________.

at a density boundary within the ocean

The center of mass of the Earth-Moon system is called the ________.

barycenter

The amount of energy that is necessary to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius is the definition of ________.

calorie

The first wave that forms when the wind begins to blow across the ocean surface is a ________.

capillary wave

The ________ force pulls an orbiting body toward the center of that orbit.

centripetal

A cold air mass moving into an area occupied by relatively warm air is called a/an ________.

cold front

During winter months, monsoon winds over the Indian Ocean ________.

flow from land to sea and are dry. Not "flow from sea to land and are wet" or "flow from sea to land and are dry"

Match the terms below with their definitions.

free waves: wave propagates across sea surface without further influence from the force that formed it forced waves: wave is maintained by its disturbing force disturbing force: initial energy causing an ocean wave to form restoring force: dominant force that returns the water surface to flatness after a wave has formed.

In general, the restoring force for most wind-generated waves is ________.

gravity

The intensity of solar radiation received at lower latitudes (near the equator) compared to higher latitudes (near the poles) is ________.

greater

Deep-water circulation brings dense, cold, oxygen-rich water from the surface to the deep ocean because of ________.

greater dissolution of oxygen in colder water than warmer water

Water can pile up a short distance above a container's rim due to ________.

high surface tension

When ice forms from seawater, the remaining seawater will have a ________.

higher salinity

The doldrums refer to the same region as the ________.

inter-tropical convergence zone

Many of the unique properties of water are attributed to the fact that water ________.

is a polar molecule

The two most abundant components of dry air are ________.

nitrogen and oxygen

An area of the ocean where rapid change in ocean density occurs with a change in depth is the ________.

pycnocline

What is surface water considered?

slightly alkaline

Constructive interference results in larger waves whereas destructive interference produces ________.

smaller waves

The largest loss of life from a hurricane is usually due to ________.

storm surge

The states of matter in which water exists is primarily determined by ________.

temperature

The fetch refers to ________.

the distance over which the wind blows without interruption

Hydrogen bonds form between neighboring water molecules because of ________.

the polarity of water molecules

A rapid change in ocean temperature with a change in depth occurs in the ________.

thermocline