Prologue: The History of Oceanography & Chapter 1

The principal divisions of the four eons: The Phanerozoic

541 million years ago

The North Pole is located one-quarter of a circle in degrees latitude from the equator; thus its latitude is ______ degrees north.

90 Reason: Ninety degrees is one-quarter of a circle of 360 degrees.

Which of the following processes added heat to early Earth?

Early Earth was bombarded by particles of all sizes, and some of that energy was converted to heat on impact. The growing layers of accumulated material resulted in the energy of compression being converted to heat.

Which of the following methods of making scientific measurements of the ocean was not available in the early nineteenth century?

Echo sounder: first used in 1925 Automated wave detectors: still used for navigation in the early nineteenth century

The boundaries of the various units of geologic time were established mainly by which two methods? The cooling rates of magma and the rate of sedimentation. True or false?

FALSE Reason: Although both of these measurements are used in geology, neither is precise enough or covers nearly enough time to cover Earth's vast history.

The boundaries of the various units of geologic time were established mainly by which two methods? The half-life of carbon-14 and the appearance of vertebrate fossils? True or false?

FALSE Reason: Carbon-14 only has a half-life of 5,730 years and with current methods can only be traced back no longer than about 23,000 years. Vertebrates appeared about 500 million years ago. Thus, neither of these methods can begin to go back far enough to create boundaries of geologic time since Earth's formation.

The four eons: the Hadean, the Archean, the Proterozoic, and the Phanerozoic, collectively make up what scientists refer to as ______ time.

Geologic time

Order of Eons (oldest to youngest)

Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic, Phanerozoic

A ______ is the time over which one-half of the atoms of a radioactive isotope decay.

Half-life Each radioactive isotope has a characteristic and constant half-life.

Physical Oceanography

Investigates the causes and characteristics of water movements such as waves, currents, and tides and how they affect the marine environment. Includes studies of the transmission of energy such as sound, light, and heat in seawater.

Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate

Measures sound waves over distances in the ocean to determine water temperature

Rank six planets in our solar system in order, beginning with the planet closest to the Sun at the top and working outward.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

Lines of longitude, also known as______ , are formed at right angles to the latitude lines.

Meridians

What time period is based upon the lunar cycle?

Month Reason: The month or "moonth" is 29.5 days, which is the time required for the Moon to go through its phases as seen from Earth.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration combined which of the following entities?

National Ocean Survey, National Weather Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, Environmental Data Service, National Environmental Satellite Service, and Environmental Research Laboratories.

A rotating interstellar cloud of gas and dust is referred to as a ______

Nebula

The origin of our solar system is attributed to the collapse of a single, rotating interstellar cloud of gas and dust known as a(n)

Nebula

Cenozoic (age of the mammals) includes what periods? (oldest to youngest)

Neogene, Quaternary

A light-year is equal to the distance light travels in ______.

One year

The evolution of photosynthetic organisms on the early Earth resulted in an increase in the levels of the gas _____ in its free or "pure" form.

Oxygen

Order of eras (oldest to youngest)

Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic

Which of the following geologic timescale periods are part of the Cenozoic or "Age of Mammals"?

Quaternary

We use isotopes to determine the age of a rock unit using _____ dating. This also helped us determine the age of Earth.

Radiometric dating

Outer planets

Rich in ices of water, ammonia, and methane

Inner planets

Rich in metals and rocky materials

The Sun is directly over the two tropics, Cancer and Capricorn, at two times during the solar year. These two dates are called

Solstices Reason: The solstices occur on June 21 and December 21. On those dates, the Sun is north of the equator at the Tropic of Cancer (June 21) or south of the equator at the Tropic of Capricorn (December 21).

Chemical Oceanography

Studies the compositions and the history of the water, its processes, and its interactions.

The boundaries of the various units of geologic time were established mainly by which two methods? The appearance or disappearance of certain fossils and radiometric dating. True or false?

TRUE Reason: The appearance of specific fossils, called index fossils, along with radiometric dating by measuring the decay of isotopes, are the key ways to delineate the boundaries of geologic time.

Cretaceous

The Cretaceous period is part of the Mesozoic era or "Age of Reptiles."

Ordovician

The Ordovician period is part of the Paleozoic era.

The "" were highly accomplished seamen who engaged in extensive exploration, trade, and colonization for nearly three centuries from about 793 to 1066

The Vikings

The boundaries of the various units of geologic time were established mainly by which two methods?

The appearance or disappearance of certain fossils and radiometric dating Reason: The appearance of specific fossils, called index fossils, along with radiometric dating by measuring the decay of isotopes, are the key ways to delineate the boundaries of geologic time.

Which of the following of Earth's radii is greater? The polar radius is greater than the equatorial radius. The equatorial radius is greater than the polar radius. Both the equatorial and polar radii are equal.

The equatorial radius is greater than the polar radius. Reason: The equatorial radius of 6378.1 km is 21.3 km greater than the polar radius. Earth is an oblate spheroid, not a perfect sphere.

Cenozoic

The era lasting from 66 mya until the present, encompassing the radiation and proliferation of mammals such as humans and other primates.

What is the primary force that causes Earth to have a greater equatorial radius than the polar radius?

The force of rotation causes Earth to have a greater equatorial radius than the polar radius. Reason: The outward pull due to centrifugal force caused by Earth's rotation causes Earth to "bulge" at the equator.

During the first few hundred million years after Earth was formed, its interior reached the melting point of iron and nickel. How did this process lead to even hotter temperatures occurring in Earth's interior?

The iron and nickel melted and migrated toward the center of the planet, and frictional heat was generated.

Geological Oceanography

The study of Earth at the sea's edge and below its surface, and the history of the processes that form the ocean basins.

Marine metorology

The study of heat transfer, water cycles, and air-sea interactions. Also included in physical oceanography.

Summer Solstice

The sun stands above the Tropic of Cancer

Winter solstice

The sun stands above the Tropic of Capricorn

Which of the following are types of evidence that support the presence of oceans on two of Jupiter's moons?

There are induced magnetic fields around both moons, indicating that they both consist partly of strongly conducting material, such as seawater. The surfaces of the moons are ice covered, but heat is generated by friction from Jupiter's strong gravitational force.

Dark Matter

This is thought to make up about 24% of all energy in the universe and does not interact with light.

Dark Energy

This is thought to make up about 71% of all energy in the universe and to be causing the expansion of the universe.

Normal Matter

This kind of matter is found in atoms and the world around us, making up only about 5% of the energy in the universe.

How was knowledge of oceanography useful during World War II?

To predict ocean and shore conditions for amphibious landings To move personnel and materials by sea to remote locations To chart beaches and harbors from aerial reconnaissance

Mesozoic (age of reptiles) includes what periods? (oldest to youngest)

Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous

During the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun is directly overhead at which of the following locations?

Tropic of Capricorn Reason: The Sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, which is 23.5°S latitude. This is the degree of Earth's tilt from the equator.

The _____ project collects real-time data from a massive array of nearly seventy moored buoys stretching across the tropical Pacific Ocean basin.

Tropical Atmosphere Ocean

The Phoenix Probe landed on Mars and collected soil and ice samples that confirmed the presence of water on Mars.

True Reason: Correct, this was the first time water was directly identified on another planet.

Which of the following are the four closest planets to the Sun?

Venus, Mercury, Earth, and Mars

Any circle at Earth's surface with its center at Earth's center is called

a great circle

A nautical mile is equal to one minute of ____length of latitude or longitude at the equator.

arc

A half-life is the time over which one-half of the atoms of a radioactive isotope ____.

decay

Stars create heavier elements through the process of nuclear ____.

fusion

Nuclear ______ is the process by which stars create elements that can have a greater atomic weight than lithium.

fusion Reason: Fusion is the process in which stars create heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen, and even iron by slamming their nuclei together at extremely high temperatures and gravitational pressures.

Quaternary

geologic timescale periods are part of the Cenozoic or "Age of Mammals"

The equatorial radius is ___ than the polar radius

greater (by 21.3 km)

GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation is widely used because

it is worldwide now and extremely accurate Reason: GPS has revolutionized navigation all over the world due to its accuracy.

A _____ _____ struck the planet just two and a half years ago, killing 96% of all life.

massive extiniction

Mesozoic Era

middle life (245-144 million years ago); rise of mammals and dinosaurs; the rise of birds; extinction of dinosaurs, rise of flowering plants

A(n) ______ is equal to one minute of arc length of latitude or longitude at the equator.

nautical mile

A satellite sensor for oceanography called the Coastal Zone Color Scanner provides data on the ______.

ocean's chlorophyll distributions and productivity

The strong tidal influence of Jupiter and magnetic measurement data together are strong evidence for _____ on Europa and Callisto.

oceans, water, liquid

The strong tidal influence of Jupiter and magnetic measurement data together are strong evidence for ... on Europa and Callisto.

oceans, water, liquid water, liquid oceans, or slushy ice

The most important gaseous element to accumulate in Earth's atmosphere, which had to await the evolution of photosynthesis in order to exceed its loss to space, is

oxygen Reason: As the hot, early Earth degassed, much of the free oxygen gas was lost into space. It was not until the evolution of photosynthetic organisms in the early oceans, approximately 3.2 billion years ago, that the levels of oxygen in the atmosphere began to rise toward the levels that exist on Earth today.

Lines of latitude, also known as ____, are referenced to the equator.

parallels

In the lunar month, the Moon _____.

passes through its four phases

The process of ..... involves organisms converting carbon dioxide and water into organic matter and free oxygen.

photosynthesis

The accomplishments of Lieutenant Matthew F. Maury include ______.

publishing the first atlas of sea conditions and sailing directions initiating a systematic collection of wind and current data from both U.S. and international ships' logs

A scientific method used for determining the age of Earth is based upon the .... decay of isotopes.

radioactive

Lord Kelvin based his estimate of Earth's age on ______, but his results were way off compared to modern-day methods of dating.

temperature Reason: Kelvin looked at the time it would take for a molten Earth to cool to its present temperature.

The major changes in the state of the universe that occurred immediately after the Big Bang were in ______ and ______.

temperature; size Reason: The initial temperature of the Big Bang far exceeded anything that has existed since that moment. From that point onward, all parts of the universe have continued to cool and to expand.

Cenozoic is known as

the age of mammals

Paleozoic is known as

the age of marine invertebrates, fishes, and amphibians

Mesozoic is known as

the age of reptiles

If our galaxy has a thickness of about 1000 light-years, this is equal to

the distance that light can travel in a single year multiplied by 1000

Paleozoic Era

the part of geologic time 570-245 million years ago ; invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, ferns, and cone-bearing trees were dominant

Autumnal and vernal equinox

the sun stands above the equator

A satellite sensor for oceanography called the TOPEX/Poseidon, launched jointly by the United States and France, collects information on ____.

the surface height of the ocean (that is, sea surface elevation)

To determine the age of Earth using radiometric dating, one must ______.

use radioactive isotopes. Radioactive isotopes from existing rocks and minerals are used in radiometric dating, not created isotopes.

The _____ is the time required by Earth to complete one orbit about the sun

year

The principal divisions of the four eons: The Archean

4.0 to 2.5 billion years ago

What is the scientifically accepted age of Earth?

4.5 to 4.6 billion years old This is based upon isotope studies from Earth's rocks and meteorities

The principal divisions of the four eons: The Hadean

4.6 to 4.0 billion years ago

Our solar system formed approximately _____ years ago.

5 Billion

There are _____degrees of longitude east and west of the prime meridian to the international date line.

180

The principal divisions of the four eons: The Proterozoic

2.5 billion to 541 million years ago

The lunar month, whereby the Moon passes through all four phases, takes _____ days.

29 1/2

Which of the following are true regarding a great circle? All longitude lines form great circles. The Tropic of Cancer is a great circle. A great circle connecting any two points on Earth's surface defines the shortest distance between them. All latitude lines form great circles. They include any circle on Earth's surface with its center at Earth's center.

All longitude lines form great circles. A great circle connecting any two points on Earth's surface defines the shortest distance between them. They include any circle on Earth's surface with its center at Earth's center.

Paleozoic (age of marine invertebrates, fishes, and amphibians) includes what periods? (oldest to youngest)

Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian

On the summer solstice, the Sun stand above the Tropic of

Cancer

On the winter solstice, the Sun stand above the Tropic of

Capricorn

Joint Global Ocean Flux Study

Choice A complex ocean biogeochemical research program

World Ocean Circulation Experiment

Choice Uses chemical tracers to model circulation in the ocean and to obtain data to help predict the response of seawater circulation to long-term changes in atmospheric circulation

Biological Oceanograpphy

Concerns marine organisms and the relationship between these organisms and the environment in the oceans.

Identify the most probable (original) sources of the water in Earth's ocean.

Continual addition of water from outer space Earth's mantle, some of which is brought to the surface through volcanic activity

Which of the following pieces of evidence indicate that Mars possessed water?

Data from soil and ice samples analyzed on the planet: The Phoenix Probe landed on Mars and confirmed the presence of water by baking soil and ice samples and analyzing the chemistry of released vapors. Sedimentary rocks with ripple marks

Ocean Engineering

Designs and plans equipment and installations for use at sea.