science

What is the major cause of ocean waves?

wind

Which statement about ocean currents is accurate?

Ocean currents stir nutrients to help in the production of oxygen.

What effect would a long-term rise in the average surface temperature have on the oceans?

Polar ice would melt and result in the levels of the ocean rising.

What are submerged volcanic mountains that are taller than 1 km?

Seamount

Which of these describes the process that allows dissolved oxygen to collect in deep ocean water near the sea floor?

Sinking cold water delivers oxygen from the surface.

Which statement about the relationship between the ocean and atmosphere is most accurate?

The ocean can hold heat more efficiently than the air.

Oceanic crust is composed mainly of basalt. Continental crust is composed mainly of granite. Why does oceanic crust generally tend to subduct under continental crust when plates collide?

The oceanic crust is denser than the continental crust.

What is a long, narrow depression located in the deep-ocean basin?

Trench

How does upwelling decrease the populations of some organisms?

Upwelling moves marine larvae away from their normal habitats.

On the ocean floor, there are long mountain ranges called mid-oceanic ridges. Which description explains how these geological structures were formed?

a diverging boundary where two ocean plates move apart from one another

Which of the following events along the west coast of the United States provides direct evidence that upwelling brings nutrient-rich waters to the surface?

an increase in algae and phytoplankton during upwelling

The average global ocean temperature in 1912 was 15.8°C, and in 2011 this temperature was 16.5°C. Corals are sensitive to the temperature of ocean water. The health of corals is a concern if the ocean temperature continues to rise. Which of these is a likely prediction based on the current trend in ocean temperature data?

bleaching of coral reefs

Which characteristic of a cold-water upwelling near the coast of Northern California results in a large concentration of marine organisms?

high nutrient concentration

Which of these events during a storm at sea can add oxygen from the atmosphere to ocean water?

high winds

The salt in ocean water comes from all of the following except...

melting glacial ice

Which geologic feature most likely forms when an oceanic tectonic plate is slowly subducted beneath a continental tectonic plate?

ocean trench

The Water Quality Act of 1987 required the development of standards that would prevent toxic pollutants from reaching dangerous levels in bodies of water. This act affected the amounts of toxic chemicals that could be discharged into bodies of water. Which of the following would have been most regulated by this act?

paper mills

The ocean's surface is a more varied environment than its depths. Which two water-cycle processes cause the most variation in the ocean's surface salt concentration?

precipitation and evaporation

The amount of dissolved oxygen found in ocean water can vary. An increase in which of these factors would cause an increase in the oxygen content of ocean water?

pressure

The mixing of cold Arctic Ocean water with warm surface Atlantic currents off the northwestern coast of Europe causes which effect?

sinking of water as it circulates southwest

What is the primary energy source driving circulation of ocean currents on Earth?

solar heating

Some scientists predict that as greenhouse gases change the climate of Earth, the number and strength of hurricanes will increase. In order for this to occur, the climate change would have to affect Earth by changing the...

speed of currents in the oceans.

Which of the following is the most recent evidence of plate tectonics?

volcanic activity and sea-floor spreading at the mid-ocean ridges

What is a large, flat, almost level area of the deep-ocean basin?

Abyssal plain

The Water Quality Act of 1965 directed each state to adopt its own water quality standards. The Clean Water Act of 1972 established standards that applied to all bodies of water in the United States. Which of the following describes an advantage of a nationwide approach to water protection?

Companies operating in different states would need to meet only one set of standards.

The Great Ocean Conveyer ocean current system runs north through the Atlantic from the equatorial region. If this current got disrupted, North American and European climates would become...

colder

In the equatorial Pacific Ocean, upwelling moves cold, deep sea water to the surface. This water is rich in nutrients and dissolved carbon dioxide gas. During an El Niño event, upwelling declines. This causes surface waters to rise in temperature. Which of the following is most likely to occur in the equatorial Pacific Ocean during an El Niño year?

decrease in release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere

Variation in which property between water at different temperatures contributes most to the formation of horizontal ocean layers having distinct temperatures?

density

Without oceans, the temperatures of Earth would vary widely from temperatures that currently exist. Which characteristic of the ocean most likely helps to maintain the temperatures of Earth?

evaporation of ocean water