Test #2

If you were a submarine commander and wanted to go deep enough that your ship would not feel the effects of a 300 foot wavelength storm wave, how deep would you have to dive?

150 ft

In the northern hemisphere, the Ekman spiral causes the wind to create a surface current

45 degrees to the right of the wind direction

In the northern hemisphere, Ekman transport causes a net movement of water

90 degrees to the right of the wind direction

Correctly identify the method for measuring currents as either direct or indirect. Nike shoes washed off a ship Doppler flow meter Pressure gradients Radar altimeters Floating drift device Propeller-type flow meter

Direct Indirect Indirect Indirect Direct Direct

Which of the following does not cause a significant difference in the amount of solar radiation we receive in Raleigh at the surface of the Earth over time?

Distance from the Sun.

The ocean reflects more solar radiation at low latitudes (near the Equator) than at high latitudes (nearer the poles).

False

When two ocean currents diverge, downwelling will cause surface water to move deeper into the ocean.

False

Surface winds are moving air flowing from low pressure to high pressure zones.

False **Winds always blow from high pressure to low pressure

The western boundary current offshore of NC is called the ________.

Gulf Stream

Deep water masses are formed when surface water becomes dense and sinks. Where does deep water formation occur?

In the North Atlantic and off Antarctica

Define spring tides

are tides of maximum range occurring about every two weeks when the moon is either new or full

Define neap tides

are tides of minimal range occurring about every two weeks when the moon is either in first- or third-quarter moon phase

All of the following are types of tidal patterns except___________. a. semidiurnal patterns b. diurnal tidal patterns c. Triurnal tidal patterns d. Both B and D e. mixed tidal patterns

c. Triurnal tidal patterns

Which of the following mechanisms is NOT a cause for tsunamis?

Lunar tides

There are numerous gases in our atmosphere; however, the dominant gases are which of the following?

Nitrogen and oxygen

Ocean waves are which type of waves?

Orbital Waves

Transverse Waves

Particles move back and forth at right angles to the direction of transmission

Longitudinal Waves

Particles move back and forth in the direction of energy transmission

Orbital Waves

Particles move in a circular path

Why are spring tides highest when the Moon is near perigee?

The Moon is closest to the Earth, so gravitational force is greater

The summer solstice in the northern hemisphere is on or about June 21. Where is the Sun?

The Sun reaches its most northerly point in the sky directly over the Tropic of Cancer

Where is the magnitude of the Coriolis effect at its maximum?

The poles

Why do tsunami waves always behave as shallow water waves?

Their wavelengths are long enough that anywhere in the ocean the water depth is less than L/20. **Tsunami waves always behave as shallow water waves because their depth is always less than L/20

The _____________ is the lowest layer of the atmosphere where all our weather occurs.

Troposphere

The curvature of the Earth causes the solar footprint to be more concentrated near the Equator and more spread out at higher latitudes.

True

Upwelling is the vertical movement of cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface of the ocean

True

If a point on the coast experiences a semi-diurnal tide, what does the daily tide record show?

Two nearly equal high tides and two nearly equal low tides each day.

How fast can a tsunami travel?

Up to 500 mph (800 kilometers an hour)

Which is least dense and likely to rise in the atmosphere?

Warm, moist air

Which process focuses wave energy on rocky headlands causing erosion?

Wave Refraction

What is an ocean current?

flowing masses of ocean water that are generated by forces acting on the water like wind, boating, or density differences.

Ocean surface currents have a recurring pattern within each ocean basin. These large circular loops of water are called subtropical ___________________

gyres

What does the word "Tsunami" mean?

harbor wave

The Coriolis Effect causes air to deflect to the _____ of the intended direction in the southern hemisphere and to the _____ in the northern hemisphere.

left, right

Surface currents occur above the ____________

pycnocline

What can cause a tsunami?

underwater volcanic eruption, underwater earthquake, landslide

The time it takes for one wavelength to pass a fixed point is known as

wave period