Midterm 2 Practice Questions

Which process contributes to deep water formation by increasing the density of surface water?

cooling b. evaporation c. sea ice formation

Which of the following is most similar between marine and terrestrial ecosystems?

primary productivity

Following statements are an accurate description of the El Nino event:

warmer sea surface temperatures in the east Pacific deepening of the thermocline in the east Pacific an irregular recurrence interval that is difficult to predict weakened trade winds over the Pacific

It takes the most energy to raise the temperature of 1 g of which substance by 1°C?

water

Ice at 0oooC is floating in a container of seawater that is also at 0C. As the ice melt, it is converted into fresh water at 0C. What happens to this fresh water?

-it floats to the top of the seawater

Which is a measure of the primary productivity of a kelp forest?

. mass of kelp growth per year Correct

If 1000 GtC are stored in living organisms (the "biosphere") and the flux of carbon into the biosphere is 100 GtC per year. Assuming that the biosphere is in steady state, what is the residence time of carbon in the biosphere?

10 year

How many kilograms of phytoplankton does it take to support a 10 kg fish that is a third-level consumer (i.e., it eats small fish that feed on zooplankton that eat phytoplankton).

10,000 kg

How long does it take water to complete one loop of the thermohaline circulation?

1000 years

There are 5.2 x 1020 g of potassium in the ocean. The input rate to the ocean is: 4.3 x 1013 g/yr. What is the residence time of potassium in the ocean?

12,000,000 yr

Assume the total amount of terrestrial biomass on Earth is in steady state and contains 2200 GtC. If the amount of carbon converted to terrestrial biomass (primary productivity) is 100 GtC/yr, what is the residence time of carbon in terrestrial biomass?

22 years

Which of the following is NOT usually associated with rising air:

30N and 30S

What is the rate at which Ca2+ is added to the ocean? Residence Time: 1,000,000 years Concentration of Ca2+ in ocean: 0.4 g/kg Amount of seawater: 1.37×1021 kg

5.5 * 10^14 g/yr Correct

Which of the labeled locations moves fastest due to the Earth's rotation?

C - the equator

At which location on the map does the rising portion of the Hadley cell create a wet climate?

Equator

All deep water flows from north to south. (T/f)

False

Extratropical cyclones spin in the opposite direction as tropical cyclones. (True/False)

False

The Gulf Stream transports about as much water as the Mississippi river. (t/F)

False

Which of the following statements about gyre circulation is true?

Gyres result from the combined influences of wind, Coriolis force, and continents b. Gyre circulation primarily affects the top 100 meters of the ocean c. Gyres rotate in different directions in the northern and southern hemispheres. d. A single gyre can move more than 50 times as much water as all the rivers on Earth.

Which phenomenon explains why the equator has a very wet climate and many deserts are found at 30° North and South?

Hadley cells

the following statements about cyclones are true

Hurricanes get most of their energy from the latent heat of water vapor. Tropical and extratropical cyclones form around low pressure centers Hurricanes spin in opposite directions in the northern and southern hemispheres.

Which of the following statements about hurricanes is not true?

In the tropics, the trade winds cause most hurricanes to move from west to east. Correct

following statements accurately describes remineralization

It occurs in both the surface and deep ocean. b. It consumes oxygen and produces CO2. c. It converts organic matter into inorganic nutrients. d. Its chemical reaction is the reverse of photosynthesis.

Which of the following statements related thermohaline circulation is true? (You may select more than one.)

It takes about 1000 years for deep water to circulate around the Earth. Deep water forms in the North Atlantic but not the North Pacific. Correct . Deep water forms at high latitudes. Correct

If our planet were without its ocean (if it were entirely covered in dry land), but otherwise the same as it is today, what would be the effect on seasonal temperature changes?

Larger temperature changes: Summers would be hotter and winters would be colder The ocean helps reduce seasonal temperature swings due to its high heat capacity. This also affects temperatures on the continents because winds blow milder air from over the ocean onto land.

Which statement is NOT true:

Salinity is slowly increasing because rivers deliver salts to the ocean but the salts cannot be evaporated.

statements that are true:

Sea ice formation can increase the salinity of nearby water. Gases can dissolve in seawater. Dissolved solids make up 3.5% of seawater Sulfate contributes to the salinity of seawater.

Changes in the rate of thermohaline circulation affect climate. (T/F)

True

High primary productivity is often associated with low oxygen levels just below the photic zone. (t/f)

True

Primary productivity:

a. measures the rate at which autotrophs turn carbon into organic tissue b. measures the amount of energy available in a given ecosystem c. has units of grams of carbon per square meter per year

Residence time describes the:

average amount of time a particle spends in a reservoir

Where do you often find low oxygen levels in the ocean?

below the euphotic zone

Where do you typically find the lowest oxygen concentrations in the ocean?

below the euphotic zone

sink for anthropogenic carbon

both the surface and deep ocean

Marine primary productivity is lowest in which environment?

center of gyres

following is associated with rising air

cloud formation and rainfall expansion and cooling the equator warm surface temperatures

Which surface ocean conditions are most likely to be indicative of upwelling?

cold and high productivity

If the rate of evaporation from the ocean's surface increases but the size of the ocean remains the same, what will happen to the residence time of water in the ocean?

decrease

larger reservoir of CO2 (surface or deep?

deep ocean

nutrient rich

deep ocean

Deep water is usually colder than surface water because

deep water forms at high latitude b. sunlight does not reach the deep ocean c. cold water is denser than warm water d. the thermocline prevents mixing between surface and deep water in most places

The cause of the Coriolis force is the fact that:

different latitudes on Earth rotate at different speeds

All energy used by organisms ultimately comes from the sun. (T/F)

false

Deep water convection is caused by heating at low latitudes. (T/F)

false

Rainy weather during California winters is caused by monsoons. (T/F)

false

The only elements required for photosynthesis are carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen (and sunlight). (t/f)

false

What is a Sverdrup?

flow rate = 1 million cubic meters per second

The California Current is caused by:

gyre circulation

What is latent heat?

heat absorbed or released when a substance changes phase

What climatic conditions are typically found under the sinking portion of a Hadley cell?

hot and dry Correct

Which of the following is NOT an accurate description of an El Nino event?

increased rainfall in the west Pacific

Which of the following cannot be classified as plankton?

kelp rooted to the seafloor

How much biologic activity occurs in deep water?

less than in the surface ocean

The two most common limiting factors in the ocean are:

light and nutrients Correct

Which property is used to classify marine organisms as plankton?

locomotion

Primary productivity:

measures the rate at which autotrophs turn carbon into organic tissue b. measures the amount of energy available in a given ecosystem c. has units of grams of carbon per square meter per year

Which choice best describes where hurricanes form and grow:

not at the equator because there is no Coriolis effect at the equator b. only above water c. only where surface temperatures are >26 degrees C

Why is eutrophication bad for marine organisms?

not enough oxygen

Where is the density difference across the thermocline smallest?

polar regions

Monsoon rainfall is caused by:

seasonal temperature differences between land and ocean

gyre circulation

surface ocean

high biological activity

surface ocean

rapid mixing

surface ocean

The rapid change in temperature with depth between the surface ocean and deep ocean is called the:

thermocline boundary Correct

What causes eutrophication?

too many nutrients

Why do most hurricanes in the tropics move toward the west?

trade winds

High primary productivity is often associated with low oxygen levels just below the photic zone. (T/F)

true

If calcium (Ca2+) is in steady state in the ocean, the rate at which is added to the ocean equals the rate at which is removed from the ocean. (true/false)

true

The surface ocean typically has lower nutrient concentrations but higher productivity than the deep ocean. (T/F)

true