OCE1001 Chapter 1
Of the following statements about density stratification, which is/are true?
Density stratification has caused the highest-density material to be found at Earth's core. The origin of Earth's oceans and atmosphere are a result of density stratification. Density stratification has caused Earth's internal structure to be layered. Outgassing is a direct result of density stratification.
Which of the following statements regarding continental and oceanic crust is TRUE?
Continental crust is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust.
All of the following are oceanographic sampling activities that are completed on board the ship, EXCEPT:
DNA analysis of marine organisms
One of the reasons that free oxygen in our atmosphere is important to the development and maintenance of life on Earth is because oxygen:
can form ozone and block some UV radiation.
Core
composed mostly of iron and nickel with a liquefied metallic outer layer
lithosphere
crust and the uppermost mantle consisting of a solid rock layer
The lithosphere consists of Earth's __________.
crust and uppermost mantle
Using the map of present-day oceanic plateaus and other submerged crustal fragments, determine which feature is most likely to be accreted onto a continent. (Animation/Graph Question)
Galapagos Rise
A. Adriatic B. Black C. Caspian D. Indian E. Mediterranean
Indian
The separation of the Earth into layers while it was molten was the result of the:
differing densities of the elements that make up the Earth.
A tentative, testable statement about the general nature of a phenomenon is called a/an:
hypothesis.
The vertical movement of Earth's crust due to the addition or removal of weight is called __________.
isostatic adjustment
In science, which one of the following would be considered an observation? Select only one answer.
Waves are seen to approach the beach at an angle.
What is a nebula?
a large, diffuse cloud of dust and gas in space
The important contribution to navigation made by Eratosthenes in the third century BC was __________.
a reasonably accurate calculation of the circumference of our planet
All the following were accomplishments of Captain James Cook except :
all of the above were accomplishments of Captain James Cook.
Determine the relationship that exists between the majority of the following words. Please identify the word and/or phrase that does NOT fit the pattern.
atmosphere
Where did the energy of the Sun come from originally?
thermal energy that was converted from the gravitational energy of the original nebula collapse
Current scientific knowledge indicates that the most likely origin of most of Earth's oceans was due to:
water vapor released from volcanic outgassing.
What does the term "asthenosphere" literally mean?
weak sphere
Earth is about
4.6 billion years old
A container holds 100 atoms of an isotope. This isotope has a half-life of 1.5 months. How many total atoms will be in the container after 3 months?
100 atoms
A container holds 100 atoms of an isotope. This isotope has a half-life of 1.5 months. How many atoms of the radioactive isotope will be in the container after 3 months?
25 atoms
The average depth of the world's oceans is approximately:
3,682 meters (12,080 feet).
When did our Solar System begin to form?
5 Billion Years ago
A rock sample contains 75 atoms of a parent isotope and 25 atoms of a daughter isotope. The half-life of the parent isotope is 100 years. How old is this rock?
50 years old
How did our Solar System begin to form?
A large cloud of dust and gas began to contract under the force of gravity.
Imagine an earthquake occurs at location 2 on the map (southern Alaska) that could generate a tsunami. Which of the following statements are most accurate? (Animation/Graph Question)
All locations (except 9) could benefit from an alert that an earthquake occurred at location 2, because they are near the ocean and might experience a resultant tsunami. All islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean should also receive warnings.
Look again at the map. An earthquake at which of the following locations could cause a tsunami? (Animation/Graph Question)
All of the locations except 9 could produce tsunamis, because all are subduction zones involving at least one oceanic plate.
If all were accessible, which of the following items would be best for geologists to examine to better understand Earth's internal structure?
An iron meteroite
The European "Age of Discovery" began with:
Christopher Columbus's discovery of the "New World."
The first person we are aware of who determined the circumference of the Earth using trigonometry and the angle of sunlight at Alexandria, Egypt, was:
Eratosthenes.
After accretion, which tools could a geologist use to differentiate between a terrane and the continent onto which it accreted? (Animation/Graph Question)
Look at the rock types, and determine if they are distinctly different from the continent. Look for fossils that are distinct from those of the continent. Use paleomagnetic data to tell if the rocks have shifted position significantly. (Paleomagnetism is the study of magnetic properties of a rock to determine the record of Earth's magnetic field).
A. oxygen B. water vapor C. carbon dioxide D. methane E. ammonia
Oxygen
The largest of the ocean basins, which currently covers more than half of the ocean surface, is the:
Pacific Ocean.
What happens during radioactive decay?
Parent isotopes turn into daughter isotopes.
The first humans from Western Hemisphere known to have developed the art of navigation were the:
Phoenicians.
A. Vasco de Gama B. Ptolemy C. Christopher Columbus D. John Cabot E. Ferdinand Magellan
Ptolemy
Which of the following best describes how scientists help the public prepare for an earthquake event? (Animation/Graph Question)
Scientists cannot predict when exactly an earthquake will occur, but they can identify tectonically active areas that are likely to produce earthquake activity and let the public know they are in an earthquake-prone area.
Which of the following ideas about the development of life on Earth make scientific sense?
The "prebiotic soup" of the primitive oceans provided a likely environment for life to develop. As life developed on Earth, it began to significantly change Earth's environment. Early organisms likely evolved into more complex organisms. Primitive life likely existed without the need for oxygen.
Of the following statements about the asthenosphere, which is/are true?
The asthenosphere is a plastic layer that extends from the base of the lithosphere to a depth of about 700 kilometers (430 miles). The asthenosphere is very hot and contains areas of partially molten rock.
Which of the following best describes why the ground surrounding the students looks dry and solid, while the ground underneath them is wet and muddy? (Animation/Graph Question)
The motion of the students' bodies in the water-rich soil caused it to flow like a fluid.
Two containers hold the same radioactive isotope. Container A contains 1000 atoms, and container B contains 500 atoms. Which of the following statements about containers A and B is true?
The rate of decay of atoms in container A is greater than the rate of decay of atoms in container B.
Which of the following is the best description of what happens to water-saturated soils during an earthquake? (Animation/Graph Question)
The shaking causes water from between grains to move and push grains apart, weakening the material and allowing it to flow like a slurry.
Jogging on a beach where the sand is packed together, near where ocean waves meet the sand, you notice that your footprints quickly fill with water after each step. Waves are not filling them up. Instead, there is another reason. Where is the water coming from? (Animation/Graph Question)
The water is from the pore spaces between the sand grains.
According to the Geologic Time Scale, which selection lists the correct order of coexistence, from earliest to latest?
Trilobites and amphibians, insects and dinosaurs, dinosaurs and birds, flowering plants and fishes, humans and reptiles
If a container ship that is floating on water has weight removed from the deck, it would float __________ in relation to its previous position.
higher
Since the end of the last Ice Age, the melting of glaciers has caused continental landmasses to ride __________ with respect to the mantle.
higher
During the height of the last Ice Age (~21,000 years ago), large glaciers made the continents ride __________ with respect to the mantle.
lower
Ptolemy
mapped world with Roman knowledge showing latitude and longitude
The water in Earth's oceans came __________.
mostly from volcanic outgassing and partly from comets
The Sun and the rest of the solar system formed about 5 billion years ago from a huge cloud of dust and gas called a:
nebula.
Basalt
oceanic crust
Earth's current atmosphere supports animal life because __________.
plant photosynthesis provides oxygen that is critical for aerobic respiration
In the ship's name, what does R/V stand for? (Animation/Graph Question)
research vessel
Solar System
the Sun and the eight major planets revolving around it
What is the scientific definition of half-life?
the amount of time over which the number of parent isotopes decreases by half
