Oceanography Final Exam Study Guide

oceanographers generally recognize how many subtropical gyres?

5

which of the following best describes an El Nino condition?

Southeast trade winds reverse; Pacific Warm Pool moves to the east; coastal upwelling off South America greatly diminished.

The Earth has four principal oceans and one "other". That "other" ocean is:

The Arctic Ocean (INCORRECT)

the euphotic zone, where there is enough light to support photosynthesis, extends to a depth of around 330 feet within the:

epipelagic zone

the OML liesw approximately at the boundary between:

mesopelagic zone and epipelagic zone

All of the following are evidence for continental drift EXCEPT:

meteor impact craters

centripetal forces _____________:

act to "tether" the earth and moon together in circular orbits

the calcium compensation depth (CCD) is that depth in the ocean______.

below which formation of modern carbonate oozes is inhibited, and are generally rare.

the total amount of dissolved solid material. and dissolved gasses in water is referred to as:

salinity

deep ocean currents are caused primarily by:

differences in ocean water density

the process whereby cold, deep, nutrient rich ocean water is forced to the surface is called:

upwelling

of the following, which is the first day of spring?

vernal equinox

the lowest layer of the atmosphere where all of the earth's weather occurs is called the:

troposphere

consumers, producers, and decomposers are all examples of trophic levels within a food chain or food web.

true

pelagic sediments are those found in the deep ocean basins.

true

the amount of carbon dioxide concentrations and available nutrients affect the rate of primary production in an ecosystem.

true

the chemical compound silica (SiO2) is represented in geologic formations as the mineral quartz.

true

the distinction between a food chain and a food web is that a food chain describes a linear relationship among trophic levels whereas a food web describes the interconnected relationships among trophic structures in nature.

true

a sudden rupture of a subsea fault can result in what type of wave?

tsunami

graded bedding sequences are a type of geologic formation typical of what sub-sea processes?

turbidity currents

a semi-diurnal tidal pattern, common along the east coast of North America, includes:

two high tides and two low tides per lunar day.

a waning crescent moon occurs:

(INCORRECT)

the water molecule is referred to as the dipolar molecule. this means:

(INCORRECT)

the type of plate boundary shown in the figure above occurs at what area on Earth?

(INCORRECT) Himalayas mountain range

Under normal conditions in the Pacific ocean, the trade winds blow warm surface waters across the Pacific toward the west. This results in an accumulation of warm water on the western side of the Pacific Ocean near Australia and Indonesia that oceanographers refer to as the:

(INCORRECT) Pacific Deep Pool

bacteria that are capable of making their own food by obtaining energy from inorganic chemical compounds in the absence of sunlight are:

(INCORRECT) cyanobacteria

as indicated in the diagram to the right, in the biogeochemical cycle, the transfer of energy between organisms from one trophic level to the nextg is a very __________ process.

(INCORRECT) efficient

which of the following statements concerning single celled organisms of Kingdom Monera is not true?

(INCORRECT) they can be found living in extreme environments (heat, salinity, cold, etc.)

oceanographers believe that El Nino phases typically last about:

12-18 months

the earth's axis tilts at an angle of ______ degrees with respect to the plane of the ecliptic

23.5

a lunar day -- the time that elapss\es between when the moon is directly overhead of an observer to the next time the moon is directly overhead to that observer - is:

24 hours and 50 minutes long

the moon revolves around the earth once every _______ days.

29 1/2

According to the Beaufort Wind Scale, gale force winds begin at:

39 mph

a fathom is a unit of measurement approximately equal to:

6 feet

standing waves can be produced when waves are reflected at ______ angles to a barrier

90 degrees

the term that describes the percentage of solar energy reflected back to space by the various surfaces on the earth is:

Albedo

the theory of continental drift was first put forth by:

Alfred Wegener

an active continental margin is one that:

All of the above

ocean sediment derived from the remains of hard parts of once-living organisms is referred to as:

Biogenous

eustatic sea level changes:

Changes in sea level that are experienced worldwide due to changes in seawater volume or ocean basin capacity

the industrial chemical that was responsible for harming birf populations by causing them to produce eggs with thin shells was:

DDT

the first European explorer to successfully circumnavigate the globe was:

Ferdinand Magelian

A delta is generally described as

Fertile, flat, fan-shaped areas of sediment deposition at the mouths of rivers

in terms of lives lost, the most destructive hurricane in United States' history ocurred at:

Galveston Island, Texas

The very earliest forms of life were probably ______ , which means that they require an external food supply.

Heterotrophs

the Gulf Stream is a highly studied ocean current that is a part of which subtropical gyre?

North Atlantic

the Mediterranean Sea is underlain primarily by:

Ocean crust and thick salt deposits

The Greenwich Meridian is also known as the ______.

Prime Meridian

the lowest point of the sea floor is approximately 36,000 feet (11,000 m) below sea level.

True

the san francisco bay is an example of a ______________.

a and c above (tectonic estuary, coastal plain estuary)

the tidal range is greatest when:

a and c above (the moon and sun are in alignment relative to the earth; during the full and new moon)

the Hawaiian islands are an example of ocean basin island chain formed by:

a mantle plume or "hot spot"

a passive continental margin is one that:

all of the above

a small size is advantangeous for marine organisms beacuse it:

all of the above statements are advantangeous to marine organisms.

complete the following sentence: The Earth's Equator is _______ the plane of the ecliptic

at a constant 23.5 degree angle to

the Earth rotates (spins) about its:

axis

the process that utilizes microorganisms to consume and cleanup oil spills, and other types of environmental pollution is called

bioremediation

the type of plate bpundary shown in the figure is reflected at what area or location on earth?

cascadia subduction zone

the White Cliffs of Dover, a famous area in the south coast of England, are composed of:

chalk

the figure shows what type of tectonic plate boundary?

convergent boundary

krill, an important food animal for many whale species, are:

crustaceans

at the International Date Line, there is a change of:

day

barrier islands, sand deposits, and bay mouth bars , such as are common along the east coast of North America, are features indicative of:

depositional shorelines

the process of removing salts from sea water to produce usable freshwater is called:

desalination

silica in biogenous ocean sediments is derived chiefly from:

diatoms and radiolarians

this figure bshows what type of tectonic plate boundary?

divergent boundary

a partially enclosed body of coastal water in which freshwater runoff dilutes salty ocean water is referred to as an:

estuary

Tropical marine organisms tend to grow more slowly, live longer, and are smaller in general than their cold-water counterparts.

false

equatorial upwelling decreases primary production in tropical waters

false

most of the worl'd abyssal plains occur in the Pacific Ocean, and relatively few are in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

false

nitrogen and phosphurus concentrations have no impact on primary productivity rates in marine ecosystems.

false

radiolarians and coccolithophors are examples of zooplankton

false

species diversity and total biomass are greater in warm water marine environments in comparison to cold water marine environments.

false

the OML is that depth in the ocean where increasing dissolved oxygen content reverses, and begins to decrease with depth.

false

the majority of marine species are associated with the pelagic environment.

false

the nature, the mineral quartz is relatively chemically unstable and easily eroded by the forces of weathering.

false

calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in biogenous sediments is derived chiefly from:

forams and coccoliths

multicellular organisms that are comprised of eukaryotic, heterotrophic cells with cell walls would most likely belong to the kingdom:

fungi

gravitational forces are _________ at the zenith:

greatest

A _____________ is a form of hard shoreline or beach stabilization that usually constructed of rip-rap, oriented perpendicular to the shoreline, and is intended to control longshore drift.

groin

which of the following is a known effect of severe El Nino events in southern California?

increases in coastal erosion, land sliding, and flooding

which of the following associations is incorrect?

kingdom Plantae -- macroalgae

which of the following statements shows the correct hierarchical ordering of taxonomic levels in terms of increasing specificity ?

kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

Ocean sediment derived from continental land masses through the processes of weathering and erosion are referred to as:

lithogenous

thev solid inorganic portion of the Earth system is known as the _________.

lithosphere

waves in which partical moves back and forth in the direction of energy transmission are called:

longitudinal waves

which of the following is out of order in the ideal application of the scientific method?

make a hypothesis

On maps, the 'scale' relates _____ to ______.

map distance, Earth distance

white-smokers, black-smokers, and warm-water hydrothermal vents are all typical features of:

mid-ocean ridge spreading centers

in general, the oceanic crust is ___________ dense than continental crust.

more

pollution that enters the ocean by wide spread runoff from urban area is called:

non-point source pollution

the early formation of the Earth's atmosphere probably resulted from:

outgassing of gases and water vapor from the Earth's interior

the depth at whic h the cellular respiration rate equals the photosynthetic rate is referred to as the:

oxygen compensation depth

most tsunami occurs in which ocean?

pacific

the figure to the right shows the forjer super-continent called:

pangea

in most fish species, which set of fins are used for turning and breaking?

pectoral and pelvic fins

the portion of the ocean in which these organisms are most likely to be found is the:

pelagic zone

the point in the earth's orbit around the sun that is closest to the sun, is referred to as:

perihelion

the first humans from the western hemisphere known to have developed the ability to navigate the oceans were:

phoenicians

the constant angle between Earth's axis and the Plane of the Ecliptic is called Earth's ______.

polarity

the facts that any time during the year, the Earth's axis is parallel to its orientation at all other times is called its parallelism,

polarity

the primary cause of earth's seasons is the:

polarity of the Earth's axis

hydrogenous sediments are thosed derived from:

precipitation of dissolved mineral matter in sea water

These planktonic organisms often have needle-like structures that:

prevent sinking

the place called the "wedge" at the jetty at the entrance of Newport Harbor, develops huge waves due to the processes of:

reflection and contructive interference

the difference between the gravitational forces and centripetal forces are called:

resultant forces

Red Algaes, which are the most abundant marine algae, are members of the division

rhodophyta

in general, the earth's atmospheric circulation causes are to:

rise at the equatorial regions and sink at the poles

high pressure weather patterns are generally characterized by:

sinking air, anticyclonic motion, warm sunny stble conditions

the remote sensing technique which is most commonly used underwater is ______.

sonar

in order to determine the depth of the ocean, ancient mariners would take _____________, in which a weighted line or string was let down into the water until contsct was made with the ocean floor

soundings

Lobate carbonate structures that form in shallow, warm waters by the actions of cyanobacteria are called:

stromatolites

a series of uniform, symmetrical waves that travel outward from a storm area (area of orgination) is called:

swell

of the following, which is the most important factor affecting the density of sea water?

temperature

The area along the equator where the Northeast and Southeast tradewinds converge is referred to by meteorologists as:

the Intertropical Convergence Zone or ITCZ

buffering of sea water refers to:

the ability of sea water to regulate its pH in response to increases or decreases in acidity.

of the following statements, which would be true regarding the earth, if the moon didn't exist:

the earth would spin faster and day length would be shorter

the main reason why the earth experiences changing seasons is:

the earth's axial tilt

Bathymetry refers to:

the measurement of ocean depths and charting of the shape and features of the ocean floor.

the largest of Earth's two tidal bulges is caused by:

the moon

a new moon occurs when:

the moon is between the sun and the earth.

in biology, the term 'primary productivity' refers to:

the rate at which energy is stored by organisms through the process of photosynthesis

Tides are generated by forces imposed on Earth that are caused by a combination of gravity and motion among ________.

the sun, moon, and earth.

waves in which particles move back and forth at right angles to the direction of energy transmission are called:

transverse waves

at the peak of the last great glacial period, known as the Pleistocene Epoch, sea level:

was lower than it is today.

in general, the speed of deep water waves is a function of:

wavelength and wave period