Oceanography ch 7 quiz
Saltwater freezes at
-1.9¡ C
Freshwater freezes at
0¡ C
Standard atmospheric pressure is equivalent to ____ atmosphere(s).
1
The difference in height between the centers of the large ocean gyres and their edges is about __________.
1 m
At sea level, a column of air one square inch that reaches to the top of the atmosphere weighs an average of _______.
14.7 pounds
The length of time that incoming water stays in the Black Sea before leaving the basin is _______.
3,000 years
Langmuir cells in the ocean can mix the surface layer to depths of _______.
4-6 m.
The density of freshwater reaches a maximum at
4¡ C
In the southern hemisphere, Ekman transport is directed ____ to the direction of the wind.
90 degrees to the left
In the northern hemisphere, Ekman transport is directed ____ to the direction of the wind.
90 degrees to the right
Increased freshwater influx to the North Atlantic through melting of polar icecaps will decrease _________________.
Both salinity AND density
The slow current on the eastern side of the North Atlantic Ocean is the _________.
Canary Current
Geostrophic flow is a dynamic balance between _______ and _______.
Coriolis deflection; pressure gradient
The trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres converge in a region known as the ________________.
Doldrums
The net flow of water to the right of the wind in the Northern Hemisphere is termed _______.
Ekman transport
Which of the following methods of measuring water currents directly uses a meter fixed to the ocean floor?
Eulerian
True or false: Solid water is 10% more dense than liquid water.
False
Which of the following is not a subtropical gyre?
Gulf of Alaska gyre
The circulation of winds in both hemispheres in the three-cell circulation model is arranged in the _______, _______, and _______ cells.
Hadley; Ferrel; Polar
the name of the western boundary current in the North Pacific Ocean is the
Kuroshio
Which of the following methods of measuring water currents directly uses a neutrally buoyant float that drifts with the water?
Lagrangian
The Sargasso Sea is located in the _______________ Ocean.
North Atlantic
Antarctic Deep Water displaces and under-rides the __________.
North Atlantic Bottom Water
The cascade of water down the Denmark Strait is the primary source of _______.
North Atlantic Deep Water
Cold-core rings form on __________ side of the Gulf Stream.
Southeastern
Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is produced mainly at the surface of the ________ Sea.
Weddell
A region that exerts rate-limiting effects on the transport of heat and mass in the world ocean is called
a choke point
Currents and wind patterns that reverse seasonally are associated with
a monsoon
the name of the western boundary current in the South Indiant Ocean is the
agulhas current
Monsoons largely result from the seasonal changes in ____ over land.
atmospheric pressure
The name of the eastern boundary current in the South Atlantic is the
benguela current
Subtropical gyres can be found
both b and d are correct; north of the Tropic of Cancer & immediately south of the Tropic of
the name of the western boundary current in the South Atlantic is the
brazil current
The cooling of surface waters and the breakdown of a seasonal thermocline causes a blending of the upper ocean waters in a process known as
buoyancy-driven mixing
The name of the eastern boundary current in the North Atlantic Ocean is the
canary current
As the temperature of freshwater decreases, its density
cannot be determined from he info given
The rings to the west of the Gulf Stream rotate ___________.
clockwise
Mesoscale eddies with a cold interior are sometimes called
cold-core rings
The analogy between global-scale oceanic circulation and an immense conveyor belt is _______.
compatible with general observations but highly simplified
The rings to the east of the Gulf Stream rotate ___________.
counter-clockwise
It rains for days at the equator. The density of the surface waters will
decrease
Sea ice melts in spring in the Arctic. The density of the surface waters will
decrease
The addition of water vapor to dry air causes the density of the air to ________.
decrease
The sun evaporates water from the surface of the tropical Pacific. The surface buoyancy will
decrease
As the salinity of seawater decreases, its density
decreases
As the temperature of seawater increases, its density
decreases
If we heat seawater, its density
decreases
The amount of matter that occupies a given volume of space defines its
density
Subsurface currents are driven mainly by _______.
density differences
The cooling of surface waters and the breakdown of a seasonal thermocline is called
destratification
Wind is caused by _______.
differences in air pressure
the name of the western boundary current in the South Pacific Ocean is the
east australian
The two principal controls on seawater salinity are
evaporation and precipitation
True or false: Solid water is 10% more dense than liquid water
false
Equatorial countercurrents and undercurrents return water
from west to east
Winds are named for the direction _______.
from which they are coming
Currents that result from a balance between pressure gradient and Coriolis effect are termed ________________ currents.
geostrophic
The downward force exerted on a parcel of fluid or on an object immersed within a fluid is called
gravity
The faster an object moves and the greater the distance it travels, the _______ the Coriolis effect.
greater
The faster the rate of flow of a current, the __________ the Coriolis deflection.
greater
the name of the western boundary current in the North Atlantic is the
gulf stream
The large loops of surface currents in the ocean are termed circulation __________.
gyres
Currents are named for the direction _______.
in which they are going
It rains for days at the equator. The buoyancy of the surface waters will
increase
Sea ice melts in spring in the Arctic. The buoyancy of the surface waters will
increase
The sun evaporates water from the surface of the tropical Pacific. The density of the surface waters will
increase
As the salinity of seawater increases, its density
increases
If we cool seawater, its density
increases
Which of the following units applies to density?
kg/m3
In the Southern Hemisphere, all moving objects appear to be deflected to the _______ of their point of origin.
left
Cold, dry air is much ________ dense than warm, moist air.
more
When two water masses of different densities come into contact, the __________ water mass will sink beneath the other water mass.
more dense
An object or water parcel sinking in the water column has
negative buoyancy
Cooling of ocean surface waters in fall causes the surface waters to become
negatively buoyant
cooling of ocean surface waters in fall causes the surface waters to become
negatively buoyant
Along the west coast of the United States, which general wind direction is the most favorable for coastal upwelling?
north
The Mediterranean Sea is _______.
nutrient poor and relatively unproductive
Ocean basins are ________ systems between which water is exchanged.
open
When a tiny amount of salt dissolves in a glass of water, it remains in solution
permanently, unless the water evaporates or the solution freezes
The name of the eastern boundary current in the South Pacific Ocean is the
peru current
A treasure hunter finds a million bars of gold in a treasure chest. To lift the chest, she needs
positive buoyancy
An object or water parcel rising in the water column has
positive buoyancy
Heating of ocean surface waters in spring causes the surface waters to become
positively buoyant
The flow of surface currents around a gyre in the northern hemisphere proceeds
primarily clockwise
The flow of surface currents around a gyre in the southern hemisphere proceeds
primarily counterclockwise
When the buoyant force on an object is the same as the force of gravity, the object
remains at the same location
In the Northern Hemisphere, all moving objects appear to be deflected to the _______ of their point of origin.
right
Meander loops that pinch off from the main axis of the Gulf Stream are called _________.
rings
When the buoyant force on a water parcel exceeds the force of gravity, the water parcel
rises
Thermohaline currents tend to flow very __________.
slowly
Along the east coast of the United States, which general wind direction is the most favorable for coastal upwelling?
south
If we enclose salt water in an airtight bottle and leave it there for 100 years, its density will
stay the same
A steep pressure gradient results in __________ winds.
strong
Currents that move along the surface of the ocean belong to the ____ while currents that move within the interior of the ocean belong to the _____.
surface circulation...deep circulation
The only continuous current in the world ocean that makes a complete transit around the globe is
the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Heating of the Mohave Desert in summer gives rise to
the Arizona Monsoon
A maze of current traversing the Indonesian archipelago is called the
the Indonesian Throughflow
The column of smoke (mostly water vapor) billowing from the Huntington Beach electrical plant smokestacks levels off at a particular altitude because
the air surrounding the column of smoke has the same density
A hot air balloon stops rising at a particular altitude because
the air surrounding the hot air balloon is the same density as the air inside the balloon
The world ocean circulation refers to
the combined surface and deep circulation all of the currents in the world ocean from the surface to the abyss the interdependent system of currents that transport water, heat and materials throughout the world ocean ALL OF THE ABOVE
Warm-core rings form on __________ side of the Gulf Stream.
the northwestern
The Coriolis deflection is caused by _______.
the rotation of the Earth on its axis
The characteristics of western boundary currents are a result of _______.
the rotation of the Earth, which presses water against the western edge of the ocean basins
The geostrophic currents of the ocean gyres are powered by _______.
the wind
Hurricanes develop from preexisting ________.
tropical cyclones
The equator is a zone of ___________ water.
upwelling
When near-surface water is moved offshore by Ekman transport, water from below replaces it in a process known as _______.
upwelling
The amount of circular rotation around a vertical axis that masses of water undergo due to the spin of the Earth and current shear is termed __________.
vorticity
Mesoscale eddies with a warm interior are sometimes called
warm-core rings
An imaginary column of water from the ocean surface to depth is referred to as the
water column
The mound of water around which the geostrophic currents flow is not centrally located in the oceans, but is displaced to the ____________.
west
The name of the eastern boundary current in the South Indian Ocean is the
west australian current
The mound of water around which the geostrophic currents flow is steeper on its ______ edge.
western
Currents located along the western sides of ocean basins are called
western boundary currents
The Gulf Stream is an example of a(n)
western boundary currents
The western arm of all ocean gyres undergoes____________.
western intensification