Oceanography Test 2

At what latitude(s) on Earth is the speed of rotation the greatest?

0 degrees

Waves from separate sea areas move away as swell and produce an interference pattern when they come together. If Sea A and Sea B have wave heights of 3 meters, what would be the height of waves resulting from destructive interference?

0 meters

What is the density of pure water?

1 g/cm^3

Ocean surface currents transfer about ________ of the total amount of heat from the tropics to the poles.

1/3

You live on an island in the Pacific. An earthquake of magnitude 8.5 off the coast of Japan, 8000 km away, generates a tsunami with a wavelength of 200 km. The average water depth between your island and Japan is 4900 m. If a tsunami warning is issued for your island, how many hours will you have before the waves arrive?

10.14

In the open ocean, 1 wave in ________ will be three times as high as the height of the wave average.

1175

Based on the graph, what is the approximate period of a deep-water wave with a speed of 20 meters per second?

13 seconds

What is the speed in meters per second of a deep water wave with a wavelength of 3.5 meters?

2.34

In the open ocean, 1 wave in ________ will be over twice the height of the wave average.

23

Waves from separate sea areas move away as swell and produce an interference pattern when they come together. If Sea A has wave heights of 2 meters and Sea B has wave heights of 5 meters, what would be the height of waves resulting from destructive interference?

3 meters

The prevailing westerlies occur in which of the following regions?

30 to 60 degrees

Of the following statements about seawater salinity, which is/are true?

33, 3.5, sodium and chloride

A tropical cyclone with a wind speed of 220 km/hr. would be classified as Category ________ on the Saffir-Simpson Scale of hurricane intensity.

4

Waves from separate sea areas move away as swell and produce an interference pattern when they come together. If Sea A has wave heights of 1.5 meters and Sea B has wave heights of 3.5 meters, what would be the height of waves resulting from constructive interference?

5 meters

What percentage of an icebergs mass is below the waterline?

90

The ion in sea water that serves as a buffer is:

HCO3-

Which of the following will cause the lowest air pressure at the surface?

a column of warm, less dense air

Which of the following best describes the Electrolysis Method for desalination?

a current is run through positive and negative electrodes

Rogue waves are created along the "Wild Coast" off the southeast coast of ________, where the Agulhas Current flows directly against large Antarctic storm waves.

africa

The percentage of solar radiation reflected from the surface of Earth back into space is known as the __________.

albedo

Western intensification causes:

all of the above

Peru's residents are familiar with ENSO as it brings a warm current that reduces populations of which animal?

anchovies

Which of the following is the only current that completely circumscribes Earth?

antarctic circumpolar

The principal reason that oil and water do not mix, even when shaken, is that oil molecules __________.

are nonpolar

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: The same waves break against both headlands and in nearby bays, but their energy is different BECAUSE wave reflection causes the distribution of wave energy to change between them.

assertion correct reason incorrect

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: The main cause of rogue waves is theorized to be an extraordinary case of destructive wave interference BECAUSE rogue waves are the suspected cause of many of the approximately 1,000 sinkings that occur each year.

assertion correct, reason incorrect

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: Ocean waves are not considered body waves BECAUSE they transmit energy through the upper part of the ocean near the interface between the atmosphere and the ocean.

assertion incorrect reason correct

Which of the following is the smallest reservoir of the Earth's hydrologic cycle?

atmospheric water vapor

The basic building blocks of all matter are called ________.

atoms

In the Northern Hemisphere, September 23 is known as ________.

autumnal equinox

Which of the following best defines temperature?

average kinetic energy of a substance's molecules

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: Board surfers tend to avoid plunging breakers BECAUSE they break right at the shoreline.

both incorrect

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: The circular orbit of wave motion returns the floating object to its exact original position BECAUSE the half orbit in the trough is at the same velocity as the crest half of the orbit.

both incorrect

Which of the following currents contributes to the South Western United States being arid?

california current

Which of the following is true for downwelling?

carries dissolved oxygen to the deep sea floor

Latent heat is the quantity of heat gained or lost as a substance undergoes a:

change in state

Which of the following is the most abundant negatively charged component of seawater?

chloride

Calcite-secreting organisms such as __________ and __________ live in the ocean's sunlit surface waters and form the basis of most marine food webs.

coccolithophores, foraminifers

A cold air mass moving into an area occupied by relatively warm air is called a(n) ________.

cold front

Which conditions in the ocean promote high productivity?

cold water, rich nutrients

The densest water found in the ocean has what characteristics?

cold, salty, deep

The Principle of Constant Proportions states that:

concentrations of the major ions in seawater does not change

On an annual basis which of the following fluxes between reservoirs of the hydrologic cycle is the smallest?

continent to ocean

Downwelling can result from __________.

converging surface currents

The salinity curve for high latitudes shows ________ salinity at the surface and ________ salinity at depth. Whereas, the salinity curve for low latitudes shows ________ salinity at the surface and ________ salinity at depth.

decreased increased increased decreased

There is a general trend of decreasing pH with increasing water depth in the ocean. What is the cause of this pattern?

deeper, colder ocean water

Deep ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ .

density differences

Of the following statements about the pH of seawater, which is/are true?

dissolving, the ph, the carbonate

Which method would be most appropriate for directly measuring the flow rate of the Gulf Stream? View Available Hint(s)

drift bottles

Of the following methods, which are indirect methods for measuring currents?

dynamic topography, pressure gradients, doppler flow meter

The California Current is an example of which of the following types of currents?

eastern

The area in the enclosed rectangle in the false-color map of sea surface temperatures is an example of which of the following features?

eddies

Which process in the hydrologic cycle is most effective at increasing ocean salinity on a global scale?

evaporation

The majority of tsunami are caused by underwater ________.

fault movement

What type of force is the Coriolis effect?

fictitious

During winter months, monsoon winds over the Indian Ocean ________.

flow from land to sea and are dry

The prevailing westerly winds blow in which of the following directions in the Southern Hemisphere?

from northwest to southeast

Which type of current flow moves in a circular path around a subtropical convergence, reflecting Ekman transport, gravity, and the Coriolis effect?

geostrophic

The world's two main iceberg-producing regions are ________.

greenland and antarctica

Which of the following currents contributes to the South Eastern United States being humid?

gulf stream

Rapidly changing salinity with depth is called the ________.

halocline

Which of the following surface seawater salinity conditions would you predict for the following location: Latitude: 20°N Longitude: 180°W

high surface seawater salinity due to evaporation

Water can pile up a short distance above a container's rim due to:

high surface tension

Of the following conditions, which is/are related to strong El Niño events? Choose all that apply.

hurricanes, higher sea levels, increase in sea-surface temperature

The transfer of water between the atmosphere, the oceans, and the continents is known as the:

hydrologic cycle

Dissolved ions are removed from the ocean through which of these processes?

hydrothermal activity at the mid-ocean ridge

Tidal movement, turbidity currents, wind stress, and even passing ships at the surface create ________ waves.

internal

Human consumption of which of the following components of seawater helps prevent goiter?

iodine

What type of bonding does table salt have?

ionic

A beaker contains a mixture of ice and pure liquid water at 0oC. What happens to the temperature of the liquid water as heat is added?

it remains constant until the ice melts

The thickness of sea ice is limited primarily by __________.

its insulating nature

Which swift-flowing surface current in a major subtropical gyre transports a large volume of warm water from the equator toward the mid-latitudes?

kuroshio current

Deep-water currents move ________ volumes of water and are much ________ than surface currents.

larger, slower

Which of the following surface seawater salinity conditions would you predict for the following location: Latitude: 60°N Longitude: 20°W

low surface seawater salinity due to precipitation

Which of the following is the least frequent cause of a tsunami in recent centuries?

meteorite impacts

Van der Waals forces are relatively weak interactions that exist between electrically ________ molecules because of the molecules' uneven distribution of charge.

neutral

Which wind belt curves to the right due to the Coriolis effect and blow from northeast to southwest?

northeast trade winds

The North Atlantic Current is an example of which of the following types of currents?

northern

On an annual basis which of the following fluxes between reservoirs of the hydrologic cycle is the largest?

ocean to atmosphere

We might expect to encounter brackish ocean surface water __________.

off the coast of washington and oregon

Salinity is expressed in ________.

parts per thousand

Which type of breaker has a curling crest that moves over an air pocket?

plunging

Based on the characteristics, what is the name of the wind belt being described as cold, dry winds generally from the east?

polar easterlies

Typically, the United States is influenced more by ________ air masses during the winter and more by ________ air masses during the summer.

polar, tropical

A boundary or belt characterized by cold deserts occurs in which of the following regions?

poles (90 degrees)

Polar high pressure occurs in which of the following regions?

poles (90 degrees)

A person experiences a popping feeling in their ears during the takeoff or landing of an airplane or while driving on steep mountain roads due to changes in the ________ of the atmosphere.

pressure

Which of the following is a direct method for measuring surface currents?

propellor flow meter

Which of the following is a layer of rapidly changing density?

pycnocline

Which of the following methods are used to measure ocean surface currents directly?

radio-transmitting float bottles

The correct order of substances from most acidic to most alkaline is _______, ________, __________.

rainwater, pure water, sea water

Earth's atmosphere is heated primarily by __________.

re-radiation of solar energy

Which of the following best describes the Distillation Method for desalination?

saltwater is boiled

Of the following processes, which increases the salinity of seawater?

sea ice formation, evaporation

Dissolved ions enter the ocean through which of these processes?

sea spray

Which of the following best describes the Freeze Separation Method for desalination?

seawater is frozen and thawed multiple times

The covalent bonds between hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a water molecule form as a result of the ________.

sharing of electrons

Of the following locations, where would upwelling be expected to occur?

sharp bend, seamounts, diverging surface currents

The pH of surface seawater is usually 8.1. That means the water is __________.

slightly basic

Records indicate that the ocean is warming faster in the Arctic polar regions than elsewhere. If that continues, a possible consequence could be __________.

slowing of deep-ocean circulation

Which of the following is the most abundant positively charged component of seawater?

sodium

Of the following gyres, which one(s) flow in a counterclockwise direction?

south pacific, south atlantic, indian, northern hemisphere

The West Wind Drift is an example of which of the following types of currents?

southern

If a surfer wishes to have a really long ride, what type of wave should he or she look for?

spilling

The largest loss of life from a hurricane is usually due to:

storm surge

Which of the following is responsible for 90% of the deaths associated with hurricanes?

storm surge

Which of the following statements comparing covalent and hydrogen bonding is correct?

stronger covalent bonds, adjacent water molecules

The observation of a hill of water within all subtropical gyres is an example of which of the following?

subtropical convergence

Part complete The Sun reaches its most northerly point in the sky, directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer, during the:

summer solstice

Of the following properties of water, which is/are caused by the unusual geometry of water molecules?

surface tension, hydrogen bonds, hydrates other ions, dissolves anything

Which type of breaker forms when the ocean bottom has an abrupt slope?

surging

A tsunami may result from:

tectonic activity

The states of matter in which water exists is primarily determined by:

temperature

Which of the following best defines heat capacity?

the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by 1 degree celcius

Which of the following best defines heat?

the energy transfer from one body to another

Hurricanes frequently make landfall on the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, but rarely, if ever, occur on the Pacific coast. The primary reason for the rarity of West Coast hurricanes is that __________.

the ocean water near the US does not get warm enough

Hydrogen bonds form between neighboring water molecules because of:

the polarity of water molecules

The El Niño Southern Oscillation can best be described as:

the relationship between sea surface temperature and changing atmospheric pressure

The Coriolis effect is caused by __________.

the rotation of the earth

In a severe warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), fisheries' productivity on the west coasts of the Americas is dramatically reduced. Which stage of ENSO would come just before the fisheries' collapse?

the thermocline deepens

The Ekman spiral is caused by:

the wind and the coriolis effect

In terms of temperature for high-latitude regions, which layer is absent?

thermocline

Which of the following is a layer of rapidly changing temperature?

thermocline

As a result of the Coriolis effect in the northern hemisphere, winds always are deflected:

to the right of their original direction

Equatorial currents are driven by the:

trade winds

The wind belt(s) with strong, reliable, generally easterly winds is (are) the:

trade winds

________ waves also known as side-to-side waves.

transverse

In which layer of the atmosphere is all weather generated?

troposphere

Which of the following is true of surface water circulation near Antarctica?

two circumpolar currents dominate it

What are tropical cyclones called in the western North Pacific Ocean?

typhoons

Surface waters are pushed away from land and replaced by nutrient-rich bottom water through:

upwelling

Diverging surface waters are areas of ________ and ________ productivity.

upwelling, high

As water boils, it reaches a plateau where all energy added is used to break intermolecular bonds in water, not increase its temperature; this is called ________.

vaporization

The Coriolis effect is due to changes in the ________ of Earth with latitude.

velocity

Which of the following best describes the Reverse Osmosis Method for desalination?

water is pushed under a high pressure through a membrane

The time it takes one full wave to pass a fixed position is called the ________.

wave period

The longer the ________, the faster a deep-water wave travels.

wavelength

Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern. Autumnal equinox Summer solstice Ecliptic Westerlies Vernal equinox

westerlies

The largest wind-generated waves tend to be associated with the:

westerlies

The Agulhas Current is an example of which of the following types of currents?

western boundary

Which of the following is not one of the reasons why water is considered a universal solvent?

when the ions separate, they become attracted to identically charged water molecules

Most ocean waves form as a result of:

wind

Surface ocean currents are driven primarily by ________ and modified by ________.

wind; the Coriolis effect and land