Chapters 4- 8 Exam Questions

Sigma - t is the oceanographer's short hand for the density of seawater. It is defined as (density -1.0) x 10^3. If the density of seawater is 1.02825 g/cm^3, the sigma t value is a. 0.2925 b. 29.25 c. 0.02529 d. 25.29

29.25

Trade Winds

30 N- 30S; towards equator to the west (Northeasterlies and southeasterlies)

On December 15th, which of the following locations will receive the highest value of solar radiation? a. 30 N b. 0 c. 60 N d. 30 S e. 60 S

30 ˚S

Westerlies

30- 60 N/S; blow to the east away from equator

If a surface water wave has a wavelength of 200m and a 5 second period, its speed is a. 100m/ sec b. 10m/ sec c. 400 cm/sec d. 4000 cm/ sec e. 40 cm/ sec

4000 cm/sec (use C= L/T)

How many calories must be removed from 5g of pure water at 10˚C to convert water to ice? a. 20 b. 8000 c. 450 d. 1200 e. 80

450

If a sound pulse is sent vertically downward into the sea and its reflected echo from the seafloor returns 6 seconds later, the depth of the water is __________ meters (the average speed of sound in seawater is 1500m/sec). a. 3000 b. 12,000 c. 9000 d. 6000 e. 4500

4500

What causes high and low pressure?

uneven heating

The orbital motion of deep water wave extends to a depth equal to a. one half the wavelength b. one half the wave's height c. twice the wavelength d. the seafloor depth e. the wave's height

1/2 the wavelength

A water wave reaches an unstable breaking point when the steepness ratio, H/L, reaches a. 1:2 b. 1:7 c. 1:5 d. 1:10 e. 1:8

1:7

Polar Easterlies

60-90 N/S; blow to the west towards equator

The average movement of all water affected by the wind is __________ degrees to the _________ of the wind motion in the southern hemisphere a. 45; right b. 180; no direction c. 90; right d. 90; right e. 45; left

90˚; left

Shallow water speed formula

C= (gD)^(1/2)

Deep water speed formula

C= L/T

The pH of seawater is regulated by a. oxygen b. pressure c. temperature d. CO2

Carbon Dioxide

Low Productivity

Convergence- downwelling

What causes windbands?

Coriolis Effect

High productivity

Divergence - upwelling

The highly productive seas along the equator are the result of the tropical convergence located here (T or F)

False

Downwelling is produced by diverging surface currents (T or F)

False (convergent)

When waves arrive at monitoring stations set up long distances from the storm center, which waves arrive first? a. long period waves b. capillary waves c. steeper waves d. internal waves e. short- period waves

Long period waves

A storm tide is due to the a. low atmospheric pressure at a storm's center b. strong offshore winds c. low atmospheric pressure at a storm's center and strong winds creating a surface flow toward the shore d. strong winds creating surface flow toward the shore e. all

Low atmospheric pressure at a storm's center and strong winds creating a surface flow toward the shore

North Pacific Gyre Currents

North Pacific, California, North Equatorial, Kuroshio

During the Indian wet monsoon, the prevailing winds blow __________ in the ____________. a. onshore; summer b. onshore; summer and winter c. onshore; winter d. offshore; winter e. offshore; summer

Onshore; summer

Which processes cause the surface seawater to increase in density? a. sea ice melting and surface water evaporations b. sea ice melting c. sea ice formation and surface water evaporation d. sea ice formation e. surface water evaporation

Sea ice formation and surface water evaporation

South Atlantic Gyre Currents

South Equatorial, Benguela Current, Brazil Current, (Antarctic Circumpolar?) - counterclockwise

South Pacific Gyre Currents

South Equatorial, Easy Australian, Antarctic Circumpolar, Peru- counterclockwise

Which latitudinal area tends to have the highest average surface salinity? a. Tropics (25˚- 30˚) b. Midlatitudes (60) c. Polar areas (80-90) d. equatorial areas (0-10) e. none

Tropics (25˚- 30˚)

Antarctic bottom water has a very narrow range of both salinity and temperature; this water is nearly homogenous (T or F)

True

Upwelling occurs along the coast of California when winds blow from the North (T or F)

True

Usually temperature, salinity, and pressure distributions cause ocean water density to increase with depth (T or F)

True

Which phase change reaction requires the most energy? a. cooling b. freezing c. each requires the same amount of energy d. melting d. vaporization

Vaporization (540 cal/g)

Changes in water density in the oceans create a. the sofar channel b. light refraction c. sound shadows d. all e. non

all

Clouds___________ radiation. a. radiate longwave b. intercept longwave c. reflect shortwave d. absorb shortwave e. all

all of these

The coldest, deepest, densest water in the oceans a. is Antarctic bottom water b. is formed around Antarctica c. flows north d. All e. none

all of these

The arrangement of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a water molecule causes the water molecule to a. lose heat rapidly b. slide past other water molecules c. be polar d. have a lattice arrangement in the gaseous state e. orient in only one direction

be polar

The _________ wavelengths of light penetrate deepest into the ocean a. blue b. black c. ultraviolet d. infrared e. red

blue

Water heated from below distributes the added heat by __________, whereas the still of surface of water heated from above distributes the added heat by ________ a. conduction; convection b. convection; diffusion and conduction c. conduction; diffusion d. diffusion; diffusion e. diffusion; convection

convection; diffusion and conduction

Langmuir Cells

convergent and divergent zones - bring plankton to surface

Thermohaline circulation is driven by changes in a. convection b. surface tension c. pressure d. viscosity e. density

density (temperature and salinity)

The restoring force of a fully developed wind wave is a. density b. solar heat c. surface tension d. gravity e. viscosity

gravity

North Atlantic Gyre Currents

gulf stream (S--> N); North Atlantic current (W--> E); Canary Current (N--> S); North Equatorial current (E--> W)

The average energy of a wave is related to the square of its a. wavelength b. period c. height d. speed e. all

height (E^2 = 1/8 p g H)

A water type having both high salinity and warm temperature but dense enough to be found at about 1000m in the central North Atlantic has been formed a. Near Greenland b. in the equatorial regions c. in the Mediterranean sea d. in the Red Sea e. in the Caribbean Sea

in the Mediterranean Sea

Waves occurring at the interface between layers of seawater and fresh water are called a. density waves b. interference waves c. surface waves d. internal waves e. freshwater waves

intertidal waves

Sofar Channels

is a horizontal layer of water in the ocean at which depth the speed of sound is at its minimum - depth is approximately 1000m

Hurricanes derive their energy from ________ pressure zones in the ___________ latitudes a. high; mid b. high; tropical c. low; mid d. low; tropical e. none

low; tropical

Trace elements in seawater are a. significant component of the total salt content of sea water b. toxic to marine life forms c. in higher concentrations at lower salinities d. necessary for many marine life forms e. found in concentrations suitable for commercial use

necessary for many marine life forms

A local shore wind controlled only by daily temperature variation between land and water will blow __________ during the night a. onshore b. parallel to the shore c. 45 degrees to the left d. 45 degrees to the right e. offshore

offshore

The refraction of waves tends to concentrate wave energy ___________ and disperse energy __________ a. along coasts; behind breakwaters b. on headlands; in bays c. along coasts; in bays d. in bays; on headlands e. along coasts; on headlands

on headlands; in bays

The concentration of carbon dioxide in surface water is low, whereas the concentration of oxygen is high because of the a. conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate b. exchange of gases between the atmosphere and the ocean c. respiration of plants and animals d. photosynthetic processes e. difference in solubility of the gases

photosynthesis process

The Coriolis effect deflects objects in the Northern Hemisphere to the _________ relative to their direction of motion a. west b. right c. east d. north e. left

right

Water transported shoreward in the surf zone is returned seaward by a. rip currents b. reflected waves c. refracted waves d. internal waves e. shallow water waves

rip currents

The Coriolis effect arises primarily from the a. rotation of the earth around the sun b. curvature of the Earth's surface c. motion of the oceans in their basin d. rotation of Earth around its axis e. effect of the winds high in the atmosphere

rotation of Earth around its axis

Extreme variation in the ocean's temperature is prevented by seawater's a. viscosity b. density c. compressibility d. transparency e. specific heat

specific heat

Layering in the ocean occurs because a. surface processes form water layers of differing combination of salinity and temperature b.surface processes form water layers of differing combination of salinity and temperature and atmospheric processes control conditions at the surface c. processes at depth add and subtract salt and heat d. atmospheric processes control conditions at the surface e. all

surface processes form water layers of differing combination of salinity and temperature and atmospheric processes control conditions at the surface

If extremely cold fresh water is aded on top of seawater a. the cold water will sink and move rapidly out of the area b. an overturn will begin immediately c. the wind will control the surface mixing d. the cold water will float at the surface e. the cold water will sink to the bottom and stagnate

the cold water will float at the surface

The speed of shallow water wave varies with a. its period b. its steepness c. its height d. its depth of the water e. its amplitude

the depth of the water

A rapid change in temperature with depth is called a a. midwater current b. halocline c. thermocline d. pycnocline e. photic level

thermocline

In a closed basin, a single- node standing wave oscillation tends to have a wavelength that is _______ the basin length a. twice b. the same as c. four times d. one quarter e. one half

twice

The speed of deep water wave varies with

wavelength

Wave height of wind waves depends on a. windspeed and duration b. windspeed and duration and fetch c. wavelength d. wavelength and windspeed and duration e. fetch

windspeed and duration and fetch

The thermocline found in water above 500m at temperate latitudes disappears and the water column becomes neutral in a. fall b. winter c. spring d. summer e. none

winter