Oceanography Exam - Questions Chapter 1

Anaerobic organisms require oxygen to survive

false

Heterotrophic organisms can make their own food from inorganic carbon sources

false

A tentative, testable statement about the general nature of a phenomenon is called a/an:

hypothesis

Stanley Miller's famous experiment demonstrated that ______

organic molecules should be produced from the mixture of gases comprising Earth's early atmosphere

Plate tectonics and evolution, which are held with a high degree of confidence because of rigorous testing and verification, are examples of:

theories

compared to continental crust, oceanic crust is generally

thinner, denser, darker in color, and at lower elevations

Oceanic crust is primarily:

Basalt

the explorer who advanced oceanography by introducing systematic soundings, or depth measurements, was

James Cook

the sun and the rest of the solar system formed about 5 billion years ago from a huge cloud of dust and gas called a:

Nebula

What are the major steps involved in the scientific method listed in chronological order?

Observation, hypothesis, testing, theory

The method of determining latitude in the Northern Hemisphere by measuring the angle between an observer's line of site to the North Star and line of site to the Northern horizon was developed by:

Pytheas

the separation of the Earth into layers while it was molten was the result of the:

differing densities of the elements that make up the Earth

Most of the exploration by northern and western Europeans during the Middle (dark) ages were undertaken by:

Vikings of Scandinavia

the important contribution to navigation made by Eratosthenes in the third century BC was

a reasonably accurate calculation of the circumference of our planet

The average depth of the world's oceans is approximately:

3,682 meters (12,080 feet)

All of the following were accomplishments of Captain James Cook except:

All of the above were accomplishments of Captain James Cook

How are the materials that make up Earth's interior stratified (layered) in relation to their densities?

The highest density materials are concentrated at Earth's core, while lower density materials are located closer to Earth's surface

According to the Geologic Time Scale, which selection lists the correct order of coexistence, from earliest to latest?

Trilobites and amphibians, insects and dinosaurs, dinosaurs and birds, flowering plants and fishes, humans and reptiles

which of the following statements regarding continental and oceanic crust is true?

continental crust is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust

the lithosphere consists of Earth's ______

crust and uppermost mantle

the water in Earth's oceans came _____

mostly from volcanic outgassing and partly from comets

Earth's atmosphere supports animal life because

plant photosynthesis provides oxygen that is critical for aerobic respiration

How do the physical properties of the asthenosphere differ from the lithosphere?

the asthenosphere is plastic (malleable) and capable of slow flow. The lithosphere is a brittle and rigid solid region compromised mostly of basalt and granite

the largest geographic feature on the surface of Planet Earth is

the pacific ocean

which of the following statements is supported by the nebular hypothesis regrading the formation of our solar system?

the sun became a star when its temperature and density became so great that nuclear fusion began