World Oceans Final

When did the Greeks conduct the first scientifc studies of the oceans?

350 BC -150 AD

The average depth of the ocean is about _________.

3800 m

Freshwater has its maximum density at

4 degree C

____________ is the study of past climate

Paleoclimatology

a coastal circulation cell includes

-longshore transport -rip currents -onshore transport

what are the two mitigation strategies?

-reduce the amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere -store the carbon dioxide somewhere else

what are Earth's climate variables?

-temperature -precipitation -length of seasons

most of the volume of the ocean contains water in which temperature range

0-4 degree C

seafloor spreading is continuing at a rate of approx _______

1 to 10 cm/year

What percent of a parent radioactive element would remain after three half lives of decay to its daughter isotope?

12.5

When did the Phoenicians trade and explore the Mediterranean SEa?

1200-146 BC

the Big Bang occurred roughly ______ years ago

14 billion

When did the Chinese explore and trade in the Pacific and Indian Oceans?

1405 - 1433 AD

When did the Polynesians navigate throughout the west Pacific islands?

1500 BC - 800 AD

Water covers _____ percent of Earth's surface.

71%

When did the Europeans explore across the Atlantic Ocean?

800-1500 AD

the average movement of all water affected by Ekman Transport is _______ to the ________ of the wind motion in the Northern Hemisphere

90; right

Approx. what percentage of water on Earth is contained within the oceans?

97%

who proposed continental drift?

Alfred Wegener

who mapped the gulf stream?

Benjamin Franklin

which letter on the above cross section would have the highest heat flow through the crust?

C (seamounts)

the south pole is tilted toward the sun on what day?

December Solstice

Sources of the oceans' salts are believed to include

Earth's crust, Earth's early atmosphere, and volcanic eruptions.

Calcareous sediments are well-preserved in cold, deep water below the CCD

False

Nutrients and dissolved gases in seawater are considered conservative substances.

False

Phytoplankton do not respire

False

When water is evaporated from a surface exposed to air, the surface is warmed; when condensation of evaporated water occurs, the air is cooled.

False

Oil and gas represent 50% of the mineral value presently taken from the seafloor

False (it's 95%)

La Nina indicates warmer than normal surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific.

False.

who proposed seafloor spreading?

Harry Hess

the low pressure area near the equator is known as the

Intertropical Convergence Zone

which statement is true about continental crust?

It is composed of granitic-type rock and has a lower density than oceanic crust.

The first oceanography textbook was published by...

Matthew F. Maury

the earliest recorded explorations of the sea took place in the _______

Mediterranean Sea

________ cycles influence Earth's long-term climate

Milankovich

The first world atlas was produced by

Ptolemy

the coriolis effect arises primarily from the

Rotation of the earth around its axis

A low pressure system develops over India during the wet phase of the south Asian monsoon.

True

Carbon dioxide concentrations in seawater increase with depth.

True

In general, sedimentation rates decrease the further offshore.

True

Pressure increases by about 1 atm for every 10 m of depth in the ocean

True

The process of reverse osmosis uses pressure to separate fresh water from salt water through a semipermeable membrane

True

The mechanism causing lithospheric plates to move is thought to be ______.

a combination of convection in the mantle and "slab pull" caused by subducting lithosphere

the drift sector in coastal circulation includes all of the following except _____

a sediment source, longshore transport, an accreting beach, deposition of sediment

the ratio of reflected radiation to incident radiation is called ______

albedo

Chemosynthetic communities are found associated with a. salt brine seeps b. oil and gas seeps c. hydrothermal vents d. all of these are correct e. none of these are correct

all correct

Coral bleaching results in a. the weakening of corals and higher levels of disease b. the expulsion of zooxanthellae from corals c. the death of many corals d. all of these are correct e. none of these are correct

all correct

Cartilaginous fish including sharks are able to sense pray by their ability to detect a. smells b. sound c. electric fields d. all of the above

all of the above

Marine mammals use echolocation to detect objects. For echolocation to work, marine mammal must be able to a. generate rapidly produced clicks of short duration b. screen out unrelated loud noises in the sea c. detect faint echoes as their clicks reflect back from objects d. evaluate the time and direction of return sounds e. all of these are correct

all of these are correct

Intertidal zonation on a rocky beach is primarily controlled by the

amount of time an organism spends out of water

the Earth's exterior envelopes include all of the following except _____

asthenosphere

heat energy gained at low latitudes is redistributed to higher latitudes by

atmospheric circulation and ocean currents, low pressure systems, ocean currents, and atmospheric ciruclation.

Surface coral formations growing around completely submerged seamounts are called

atolls

The dissolving ability of water is related to

attraction between the water molecule's positive and negative charges and charges on other atoms.

the _______ wavelengths of light penetrate deepest into the ocean.

blue

Which of the following is not part of the benthic epifauna? a. sea star (starfish) b. glass sponges c. crabs d. burrowing clams

burrowing clams

Compared with rocky substrates, soft substates in the benthic environment are better suited for

burrowing infauna

heat is measured in

calories

the hydrosphere includes all of the following except _____.

carbon dioxide

the pH of seawater is regulated by

carbon dioxide

which gas has the highest concentration throughout the entire ocean?

carbon dioxide

Bacteria that make their own organic compounds by obtaining energy from chemical compounds and not directly from light are known as

chemosynthetic

Ozone destruction appears to be related to increasing levels of _________ in the atmosphere.

chlorine

_______ is the weather conditions of a given region, when averaged over a long time period (at least 30 years)

climate

Earth's ______ _______ is comprised of interactions among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, biosphere, and anthrosphere

climate system

Salinity may be measured by checking the water's

conductivity

Water heated from below distributes the added heat by _____, whereas the still surface of water heated from above distributes the added heat by ______

convection; diffusion and conduction

real tides in ocean basins feel the effect of the

coriolis effect, continents, water depth, ocean basin's standing wave

which of the following is least likely to be a major component of marine sediments?

cosmogenous materials

Some oceanic basins promote rotary standing tide waves. In the Northern Hemisphere, the tide wave rotates __________ and the tidal current rotates _______.

counterclockwise; clockwise

the polarity of water molecules is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT

covalent bonding

As a general rule, as you move up a trophic pyramid total biomass _________, size of individuals _________ and number of individuals ________.

decreased; increases; decreases

The particle size of terrigenous sediments generally ________ with distance from shore.

decreases

thermohaline circulation in the Great Ocean Conveyer Belt is driven by changes in

density

The base of the food chain in a hydrothermal vent community is

dependent on bacteria that oxidize hydrogen sulfide to generate energy

lithogenous sediment is

derived from rock

The silica rich oozes of the Pacific Ocean are due to _______ at high latitudes and ______ at low latitudes.

diatoms; radiolarians

_________ ________ __________ are due to absorption and emission infrared radiation or solar radiation

direct radiative effects (W/m2)

earthquakes occur at all of the following except _______

earthquakes occur at all of the above settings. (continental rift valleys, covergent boundaries between two oceanic plates, convergent boundaries between two continental plates, mid ocean ridges)

The only zone of the ocean with sufficient light for photosynthesis is the

euphotic zone

________ results in excess phytoplankton growth, leading to excess organic material; bacterial decomposition results in ________

eutrophication; hypoxia

a spring tide occurs approximately

every two weeks

Anarctic Bottom Water is formed from low density water at the sea surface along the coast of Antarctica

false

Animals that burrow into the seafloor are members of the epifauna

false

In an area where surface currents converge, the water upwells.

false

Large benthic algae (seaweeds) have holdfasts that absorb nutrients in the same way roots absorb nutrients for land plants

false

Sunlight usually penetrates to a greater depth in coastal waters than in the open sea

false

The most numerous organisms in the sea are the largest organisms

false

The sun plays a greater role in producing the tides than the moon.

false

a decrease in pH of about 0.1 pH units is very small, and unlikely to have negative consequences on marine organisms

false

an ebb tide occurs when rising water moves into a region

false

breakers occur when the wave crest slows more than the wave trough near shore

false

if humans were not present on earth, climate would remain constant.

false

primary coasts are coasts that have features created by marine processes

false

the Gulf Stream current in the North Atlantic Ocean _______

forms the northern boundary of the North Atlantic Gyre and carries the warm water from near Florida to Northern Europe

Electrodialysis produces ________ from low-salinity seawater.

fresh water

who developed a bottle for deep water sampling?

fridtjof nansen

a beach in a steady state (dynamic equilibrium)

gains and loses sand in equal quantities

the restoring force of a fully developed wind wave is

gravity

using equilibrium tidal theory, the tide may be considered a wave with a wavelength approximately

half the circumference of Earth

Large scale sea studies require that governments, universities, and national and international programs _______.

have common priorities, set common goals, and share program results

As organic material sinks through the ocean, much of it is respired by

heterotrophic bacteria

In most open ocean pelagic locations, the euphotic zone is characterized by _______ conditions.

high light, low nutrient

Earth's surface winds are caused by air moving from a region of ______ to a region of ________.

high pressure; low pressure

in a deep fjord with a shallow entrance sill, the deep basin water probably has

high salinity and is stagnant

Records indicating rapidly rising temperature of about 1° C since the the 1950s provides evidence for

human-induced climate change

The density of Earth materials _____ as the core is approached.

increases

If a fish has body fluids that have a lower salt content than the surrounding seawater, water will pass through the animal's body tissues from the ________ to the ________ because of _________.

inside; outside; osmosis

Which ion has the shortest residence time in the oceans?

iron

at temperate mid-latitude locations, the seasonal thermocline found in surface waters disappears when surface water temperature

is equal to deeper water temperature

Earth's surface is protected from extreme temperature change and water loss by ______.

its orbital distance from the sun, its period rotation, and its atmosphere

who accurately measured longitude at sea?

james cook

Which of these is an example of a jawless fish? a. Lamprey b. Ray c. Whale shark d. Skate e. Shark

lamprey

A Secchi disk is used to measure the attenuation of

light

when talking about plate tectonics, which of the Earth's layers comprises the plates?

lithosphere

The crust and the mantle are divided into the following layers in order of increasing depth:

lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere

When waves arrive at monitoring stations set up long distances from a storm center, which waves arrive first?

long-period waves

Hurricanes derive their energy from _______ pressure zones in the ______ latitudes.

low; tropical

Keeping accurate time at sea is necessary to make

measurements of longitude and accurate maps

gas hydrates are rich in

methane

high-energy waves of winter storms

move sand from the beach out to bars

The symbiotic relationship between coral polyps and zooxanthellae is an example of

mutualism

Higher seafloor heat flow values are found _______.

near ocean ridge systems

the solar system began forming about 4.6 billion years ago as a(n) _______ began rotating.

nebula

_______ feedback is heating that results in cooling

negative

________ forcing is cooling of the troposphere

negative

To which group do the tuna, salmon, and swordfish belong? a. plankton b. intertidal c. benthos d. photon e. nekton

nekton

Which zone is more likely to undergo seasonal changes?

neritic

the most abundant gas in the atmosphere is

nitrogen

Which of the following are found along subduction zones?

oceanic trenches, island arc systems, active earthquake zones

arrange the following reservoirs in order from greatest to least volume of water.

oceans, ice and glaciers, groundwater, freshwater lakes, atmosphere, rivers

diurnal tide cycle occur

once a day

the orbital motion of a deep-water wave extends to a depth equal

one-half the wavelength

The two most important inorganic nutrients for photosynthesis are

phosphate and nitrate

Dinoflagellates and coccolithophores belong to the

phytoplankton

Measurements of chlorophyll a fluorescence are made at sea to determine the biomass of

phytoplankton

______ are increasingly common sources of marine pollution

plastics

A keystone species is an organism that

plays a crucial role in the ecosystem

_______ forcing is heating of the troposphere

positive

________ feedback is heating that results in more heating

positive

Periods of Earth's history with extensive sea ice result in enhanced albedo, leading to more cooling. This is referred to as

positive feedback

The three domains of life include all of the following except a. protista b. archaea c. bacteria d. eukarya

protista

countershading of fish

reduces their visibility from above and below

the residence time for water in any of Earth's principal reservoirs can be calculated by dividing ______

reservoir volume by rate of water supply

In the dark-light bottle experiment, which one of the following is measured in the dark bottle?

respiration

carbon dioxide is added to seawater by

respiration, decomposition, and transfer from the atmosphere

water transported shoreward in the surf zone is returned seaward by

rip currents

emergent coasts with features like marine terraces are formed by all of the following mechanisms except _____

river sediment accumulation

The large ocean surface-current gyres centered on about 30°N

rotate clockwise

a halocline is defined as a depth range in the ocean where _______ increases or decreases with increasing depth

salinity

Which processes cause surface seawater to increase in density?

sea ice formation and surface water evaporation

which of the following evidence most directly supported the theory of seafloor spreading?

seafloor magnetic anomalies

The continental rise is a product of

sedimentation

which scientific field investigates the structure of the mantle?

seismology

A fixed volcanic hot spot on Earth tends to produce a _______ on a moving plate.

series of volcanic peaks

If a chemical is not very abundant in the ocean but has a high rate of delivery to the ocean from land sources, it will have a ______ residence time in the ocean and will ________ become part of the seafloor sediments.

short; quickly

The tidal range toward the center of an ocean basin with a rotary standing tide is _______ the range at the edges of the basin.

smaller than

Changes in water density in the oceans create

sound shadows, the sofar channel, light refraction

magnetic stripes on the seafloor are created at _______

spreading centers

Baleen whales lack

teeth

Historians believe that seagoing ships of all kinds were probably derived from vessels built by _______.

the Egyptians

Air becomes less dense and rises when

the air warms. the water vapor content increases. atmospheric pressure decreases.

sources of oxygen in the open sea include

the atmosphere and photosynthesis

although barrier islands are not ideal locations for home construction, the best place to build on them is _____

the back-island flat

Evolution in the marine environment is driven by all of the following except a. natural selection b. the biological pump c. population adaptation d. mutations in genetic material

the biological pump

Fridtjof Nansen froze the vessel, Fram, into the ice to explore

the current system of the Arctic

the speed of a shallow water wave varies with

the depth of the water

the possibility of obtaining large amounts of energy from the tides exist where

there are large tidal ranges and there are narrow channels with swift tidal currents

Why are meteorites used to establish an age for the Earth?

they are believed to be the same material from which Earth formed and Rocks on Earth have been recycled since the Earth was formed and are not believed to be as old as the Earth itself.

which of the following is NOT true about passive continental margins?

they are commonly at subduction zones

The drilling ships Glomar Challenger and Joides Resolution have been used...

to study Earth's crust beneath the sea

a sand spit formed between an offshore island or rock and the mainland is called a(n)

tombolo

______ are substances that degrade the environment and are harmful to organisms ex: heavy metals, chemical compounds, excess nutrients

toxicants

Plates move horizontally past each other along

transform faults

Because whales are homeotherms, individuals of a single species can migrate between and survive in waters of very different temperatures

true

Invertebrates and most fish are poikilotherms

true

Net primary production equals gross primary production minus the respiration requirements of plants or phytoplankton

true

Nutrients tend to be liberated by decomposition of organic matter at depth and returned to the surface by the physical processes of vertical circulation

true

Primary productivity per square meter of ocean surface is, on the average, higher in the neritic zone than in the oceanic zone

true

Usually temperature, salinity, and pressure distributions cause ocean water density to increase with depth.

true

Waves that approach the shore at an angle produce a longshore current that flows parallel to the beach.

true

constructive interference between waves increases the height of the resulting wave

true

the most common generating force for water waves is wind

true

A zone of surface divergence is an area of _______ and ________ biological productivity.

upwelling; high

which phase change reaction requires the most energy?

vaporization

beaches with dark black or green colored sand are likely formed from eroded _______

volcanic rocks

______ air rises at the equator

warm

the water in the oceans likely came from what source(s)?

water from comets and meteorites that accumulated through earth history and water from rocks in the mantle, released by volcanic eruptions

wave height is controlled by all of the following except

wave period

The speed of a surface gravity wave is described by the

wavelength divided by wave period

throughout time, continents break apart and collide and ocean basins open and close. This cyclical process is known as the ______

wilson cycle