OCE Chapter 07 Homework

Of the following methods, which are indirect methods for measuring currents? Choose all that apply. A. Dynamic topography B. Radio-transmitting float C. Propeller flow meter D. Doppler flow meter E. Pressure gradients

A. Dynamic topography D. Doppler flow meter E. Pressure gradients

The California Current is an example of which of the following types of currents? A. Eastern Boundary Current B. Equatorial Counter Current C. Northern Boundary Current D. Southern Boundary Current E. Western Boundary Current

A. Eastern Boundary Current

The area in the enclosed rectangle in the false-color map of sea surface temperatures is an example of which of the following features? A. Eddies B. El Nino conditions C. Monsoons D. Cyclones E. Upwelling

A. Eddies

The world's two main iceberg-producing regions are ________. A. Greenland and Antarctica B. Greenland and Asia C. Iceland and Greenland D. Iceland and North America E. North America and Asia

A. Greenland and Antarctica

The deepest and densest water mass in the world ocean is formed in the __________________. A. Southern Ocean B. North Atlantic C. Indian Ocean D. North Pacific E. Arctic Ocean

A. Southern Ocean

What depth does Argo floats collect data? A. Upper 2,000 meters B. 4,000 meters C. 5,000 meters D. 6,000 meters E. 3,000 meters

A. Upper 2,000 meters

The thickness of sea ice is limited primarily by __________. A. the insulating nature of the ice itself B. increased salinity of the water excluded from the crystal lattice of the sea ice C. heat conducted upward through the water column D. the length of the winter season E. the rate of travel of nearby glaciers

A. the insulating nature of the ice itself

The El Niño Southern Oscillation can best be described as: A. the relationship between sea surface temperature and changing atmospheric pressure. B. wind speed and wind direction differences along the equator. C. tidal differences between coastal Peru and Darwin, Australia. D. relative changes between two different atmospheric pressure systems at high altitude. E. variation in wind speed over the Pacific Ocean.

A. the relationship between sea surface temperature and changing atmospheric pressure.

Surface waters are pushed away from land and replaced by nutrient-rich bottom water through: A. upwelling. B. land breezes. C. convergence. D. downwelling. E. sea breezes.

A. upwelling.

What percentage of an icebergs mass is below the waterline? A. 60% B. 90% C. 80% D. 70% E. 50%

B. 90%

Which of the following is the only current that completely circumscribes Earth? A. South Australian B. Antarctic Circumpolar C. Benguela D. Malvinas E. South Equatorial

B. Antarctic Circumpolar

Which method would be most appropriate for directly measuring the flow rate of the Gulf Stream? A. Doppler flow meter B. Drift bottles C. Argo floats D. Radar altimeter E> Radioactive tracers

B. Drift bottles

Which of the following currents contributes to the South Eastern United States being humid? A. North Atlantic Current B. Gulf Stream C. North Equatorial Current D. California Current E. Brazil Current

B. Gulf Stream

Of the following conditions, which is/are related to strong El Niño events? Choose all that apply. A. Increase in the strength and consistency of the trade winds B. Increased abundance of hurricanes in the eastern Pacific Ocean C. Increase in sea-surface temperatures and destruction of coral reefs in the eastern Pacific Ocean D. Increase in primary productivity along coastal South America E. Higher sea levels in the eastern Pacific Ocean associated with warmer water

B. Increased abundance of hurricanes in the eastern Pacific Ocean C. Increase in sea-surface temperatures and destruction of coral reefs in the eastern Pacific Ocean E. Higher sea levels in the eastern Pacific Ocean associated with warmer water

Which swift-flowing surface current in a major subtropical gyre transports a large volume of warm water from the equator toward the mid-latitudes? A. West Australian Current B. Kuroshio Current C. California Current D. North Equatorial Current E. Benguela Current

B. Kuroshio Current

Which of the following methods are used to measure ocean surface currents directly? A. Doppler flow meters B. Radio-transmitting float bottles C. Pressure gradients D. Anchored buoys E. Radar altimeters

B. Radio-transmitting float bottles

Of the following gyres, which one(s) flow in a counterclockwise direction? Choose all that apply. A. North Pacific Subtropical Gyre B. South Pacific Subtropical Gyre C. Northern Hemisphere Subpolar Gyres D. Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre E. North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre F. South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre

B. South Pacific Subtropical Gyre C. Northern Hemisphere Subpolar Gyres D. Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre F. South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre

Downwelling can result from __________. A. Ekman transport away from a coast B. converging surface currents C. diverging surface currents D. an ocean current flowing over submerged banks or seamounts E. strong offshore winds

B. converging surface currents

During winter months, monsoon winds over the Indian Ocean ________. A. flow from land to sea and are wet B. flow from land to sea and are dry C. flow from sea to land and are wet D. flow from sea to land and are dry E. The direction of airflow is unchanged but precipitation increases.

B. flow from land to sea and are dry

Ocean surface currents transfer about ________ of the total amount of heat from the tropics to the poles. A. two-thirds B. one-third C. one-half D. three-fourths E. one-fourth

B. one-third

Peru's residents are familiar with ENSO as it brings a warm current that reduces populations of which animal? A. Tuna B. Salmon C. Anchovies D. Cod E. Eels

C. Anchovies

Which conditions in the ocean promote high productivity? A. Warm water, poor nutrients B. Cold water, poor nutrients C. Cold water, rich nutrients D. Warm water, rich nutrients

C. Cold water, rich nutrients

The North Atlantic Current is an example of which of the following types of currents? A. Eastern Boundary Current B. Equatorial Counter Current C. Northern Boundary Current D. Southern Boundary Current E. Western Boundary Current

C. Northern Boundary Current

Which of the following is a direct method for measuring surface currents? A. Radio altimeters B. Pressure gradients C. Propeller flow meter D. Dynamic topography maps

C. Propeller flow meter

The observation of a hill of water within all subtropical gyres is an example of which of the following? A. Western intensification B. Equatorial upwelling C. Subtropical convergence D. Eastern intensification E. Geostrophic current

C. Subtropical convergence

In a severe warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), fisheries' productivity on the west coasts of the Americas is dramatically reduced. Which stage of ENSO would come just before the fisheries' collapse? A. The southeast trade winds diminish and may even reverse. B. Sea level increases in the eastern Pacific Ocean. C. The thermocline deepens in eastern boundary currents of the Pacific Ocean subtropical gyres. D. Coral reefs in the equatorial Pacific show signs of damage in response to increasing water temperature. E. The pressure gradient in the Walker Circulation Cell weakens.

C. The thermocline deepens in eastern boundary currents of the Pacific Ocean subtropical gyres.

Of the following locations, where would upwelling be expected to occur? Choose all that apply. A. In regions with a well-developed pycnocline B. In areas of converging surface currents C. Where there is a sharp bend in a coastline D. In areas of diverging surface currents E. Where seamounts or tablemounts are present

C. Where there is a sharp bend in a coastline D. In areas of diverging surface currents E. Where seamounts or tablemounts are present

Deep-water currents move ________ volumes of water and are much ________ than surface currents. A. smaller; faster B. smaller; slower C. larger; slower D. larger; faster

C. larger; slower

Diverging surface waters are areas of ________ and ________ productivity. A. downwelling; high B. downwelling; low C. upwelling; high D. upwelling; low

C. upwelling; high

Surface ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ and modified by ________. A. density differences; differences in salinity and temperature B. wind; gravity and density C. wind; the Coriolis effect and land D. latitude; differences in salinity and land E. density differences; the Coriolis effect and land

C. wind; the Coriolis effect and land

Which of the following currents contributes to the South Western United States being arid? A. North Pacific Current B. Canary Current C. Brazil Current D. California Current E. North Equatorial Current

D. California Current

Which of the following is true for downwelling? A. Carries nutrients to the deep-sea floor B. Creates high productivity C. Carries cold water to the deep-sea floor D. Carries dissolved oxygen to the deep-sea floor

D. Carries dissolved oxygen to the deep-sea floor

The West Wind Drift is an example of which of the following types of currents? A. Eastern Boundary Current B. Equatorial Counter Current C. Northern Boundary Current D. Southern Boundary Current E. Western Boundary Current

D. Southern Boundary Current

Which type of current flow moves in a circular path around a subtropical convergence, reflecting Ekman transport, gravity, and the Coriolis effect? A. thermohaline circulation B. Langmuir circulation C. counter-current circulation D. geostrophic circulation E. density-driven circulation

D. geostrophic circulation

Records indicate that the ocean is warming faster in the Arctic polar regions than elsewhere. If that continues, a possible consequence could be __________. A. an increase in upwelling in the Arctic, resulting in increased surface biological productivity B. decreased humidity and precipitation in the Arctic region, resulting in aridity and the loss of boreal forests C. acceleration of deep-ocean circulation, resulting in lower carbon dioxide levels in deep water D. slowing of deep-ocean circulation, resulting in lower oxygen levels in deep water E. increased albedo in the polar areas, resulting in the cooling of nearby landmasses

D. slowing of deep-ocean circulation, resulting in lower oxygen levels in deep water

The Ekman spiral is caused by: A. density differences in the water column. B. pressure gradients. C. the wind and gravity. D. the wind and the Coriolis effect. E. the pycnocline

D. the wind and the Coriolis effect.

Equatorial currents are driven by the: A. Coriolis force. B. westerlies. C. Ekman transport. D. trade winds. E. density.

D. trade winds.

Western intensification causes: A. a steeper slope of surface water in the western section of the gyre as compared to the eastern section of the gyre. B. the center of the gyre to be shift to the west. C. a large volume of water to flow within western boundary currents. D. very swift western boundary currents. E. All the above effects are the result of western intensification.

E. All the above effects are the result of western intensification.

Which of the following is true of surface water circulation near Antarctica? A. The circulation of water around the Antarctic continent is driven by density differences. B. The surface ocean has no strong currents. C. There is no connection with the southern hemisphere subtropical gyres. D. It is dominated by water flow directly away from the polar region toward the north. E. Two circumpolar currents dominate it, one current that moves water to the east and one current that moves water to the west.

E. Two circumpolar currents dominate it, one current that moves water to the east and one current that moves water to the west.

The Agulhas Current is an example of which of the following types of currents? A. Eastern Boundary Current B. Equatorial Counter Current C. Northern Boundary Current D. Southern Boundary Current E. Western Boundary Current

E. Western Boundary Current

Deep ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ . A. bathymetry B. latitude C. wind D. Earth's rotation E. density differences

E. density differences