PSCI Final
Latent heat is the quantity of heat gained or lost as a substance undergoes a:
change in state
The worldwide effects of El Nino include all of the following except:
drought in the US Gulf coastal states
Negatively charged subatomic particles that orbit an atomic nucleus
electrons
All of the following processes decrease the salinity of the water except
evaporation
Which type of current flow moves in a circular path around a subtropical convergence, reflecting Ekman transport, gravity, and the Coriolis Effect?
geostrophic circulation
Layer of the ocean that experience a rapid change in salinity with depth
halocline
The states of matter in which water exists is primarily determined by:
temperature
Equatorial currents are driven by the...
trade winds
The boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere
tropopause
The lowermost portion of the atmosphere where the most weather occurs is the
troposphere
A doppler flow meeter is a scientific instrument used to measure current flow rates
True
As a whole, the ph of the ocean is slightly alkaline
True
In distillation, saltwater is highly pressurized to drive water molecules through a membrane to remove salts
False
Processes that decrease seawater salinity include evaporation and sea ice formation
False
Surface currents affect about 90% of the world's ocean water
False
Surface ocean currents are vertical currents in the water that are density-driven.
False
Surface or wind-driven currents move water primarily in a vertical direction in the ocean
False
The Gulf Stream moves water away from the equator; the Benguela Current moves some of this same water back toward the equator
False
The West Wind Drift occurs at 60N around the Arctic Circle
False
The autumnal equinox occurs when the sun directly overhead along the equator in March
False
The density of seawater is slightly lower than the density of pure water
False
The maximum Coriolis effect occurs at the equator due to slower rotational velocity compared to higher latitudes
False
The place traced by Earth's orbit is called the vernal equinox
False
The trade winds can be found between 30 and 60N and S latitudes
False
Thermohaline circulation is wind-driven
False
Water can pile up higher than the edge of a container due to its low surface tension
False
Within the troposphere, the atmosphere gets warmer with increasing altitude
False
During winter months, monsoon winds over the Indian Ocean:
flow from land to sea and are dry
Deep ocean currents often move cold, dense water away from the poles
True
Deep ocean masses have characteristic temperatures and salinities
True
Deep ocean water can be enriched in oxygen when it is mixed with surface water
True
Deep ocean water contains more carbon dioxide than surface water because deep water is colder and has the ability to dissolve more gases
True
Downwelling may be the result of winds blowing parallel to the coast or the convergence of surface currents.
True
Dynamic topography can be used to determine current direction and velocity
True
Evaporation causes cooling the liquid left behind
True
Except for the water itself, the chloride ion is the most abundant constituent in seawater
True
Independent of the actual amount of salinity, the ratios or proportions of the major dissolved constituents of seawater such as chloride, sodium, and magnesium are relatively constant
True
Near the poles, more energy is reflected back into space than is absorbed
True
Precipitation, runoff, melting icebergs, and sea ice formation all decrease salinity
True
The Coriolis effect describes how moving objects on Earth appear to follow curved paths due to Earth's rotation
True
The circular movement of surface water currents driven by the major wind belts are called gyres.
True
The doldrums can be found at the Equator
True
The five subtropical gyres exhibit geostrophic flow, related to pressure gradients, friction, and the Coriolis effect
True
The heat capacity of liquid water is 1 calorie per gram per degree C.
True
The latent heat of vaporization is larger than the latent heat of melting
True
The main current in Antarctic waters is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, also called the West Wind Drift.
True
The overall electrical charge of most atoms is balanced, because each atom contains an equal number of protons and electrons
True
The percentage of incident light radiation reflected back to space is termed albedo
True
Warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air
True
Water molecules exhibit strong cohesion
True
Which does not belong? A. nitrogen B. albedo C. oxygen D. troposphere E. water vapor
B. albedo
The average salinity of typical seawater is
3.5%
The average albedo of Earth's surface is about...
30%
The area of the globe (latitude) that is characterized by falling air masses and little precipitation is labeled number:
6
Which of the following is not an eastern boundary current?
Gulf Stream
Which of the following statements is true of surface ocean currents?
Surface currents form circular patterns in the major ocean basins called "gyres"
Western boundary currents such as the Gulf Stream transport warm water from the tropics towards higher latitudes
True
The amount of energy that is necessary to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree C is the definition of:
a calorie
Western intensification causes...
all the above effects are the result of western intensification
Compared to an eastern boundary current in a gyre, which of the following statements is true for a western boundary current?
all the above statements are true of the western boundary currents
Inter-tropical Convergence Zone
area where warm, moist air rises close to the equator
basic building blocks of all matter
atoms
Winds blowing out of the north toward the south in the southern hemisphere will appear to...
be deflected towards the east
Canary Current
cold current, northern hemisphere, temperature latitudes
Benguela Current
cold current, southern hemisphere, temperate latitudes
Rising and sinking air masses moving in a circular fashion
convection cell
Bonds that involve the sharing of electrons between atoms
covalent bonds
In the troposphere, air temperature generally
decreases with increasing altitude above Earth's surface
Deep ocean currents are driven primarily by ________.
density differences
Thermohaline circulation is driven by...
density differences
Water can pile up a short distance above a container's rim due to
high surface tension
Bonds that hold adjacent water molecules together
hydrogen bonds
The transfer of water between the atmosphere, the oceans, and the continents is known as the:
hydrologic cycle
Many of the unusual properties of water are attributed to the fact that water:
is a polar molecule
Tropic of Cancer
located at 23.5N latitude
Downwelling
movement of water from the top to the bottom of the water column
The two most abundant components of dry air are
nitrogen and oxygen
Gulf Stream
northern hemisphere, temperature latitudes, warm current
Kuroshio Current
northern hemisphere, temperature latitudes, warm current
All of the following methods are used to desalinate water except
osmosis
Trade winds
prevailing wind patterns at tropical latitudes
A layer in the ocean where a rapid change in ocean density occurs with a change in depth is called a
pycnocline
The covalent bonds that form between hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a water molecule form as a result of the:
sharing of electrons between the atoms
Change in state from solid to a gas
sublimation
The Sun reaches its most northerly point in the sky, directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer during the...
summer solstice
Hydrogen bonds form between neighboring water molecules because of:
the polarity of water molecules
The Principal of Constant Proportions states that
the relative concentrations of the major ions in seawater does not change
The Ekman spiral is caused by...
the wind and the Coriolis effect
As a result of of the Coriolis effect in the northern hemisphere, winds always are deflected
to the right of their original direction
Which of the following is true of surface water circulation near Antarctica?
two circumpolar currents dominate it, one current that moves water to the east and one current that moves water to the west
Surface waters are pushed away from land and replaced by nutrient rich bottom water through:
upwelling
All of the following are true of the movement of Earth's surface except
warm air is less dense than cool air so it tends to sink towards Earth's surface
Geostrophic Current
water flow driven by gravity and modified by the Coriolis Force
A tropical maritime air mass is likely to be...
wet and warm
The polar front is labeled..
1
Variable winds that result in generally clear, dry, and fair conditions with minimal precipitation are labeled number
6
Which does not belong? A. California Current B. Canary Current C. Gulf Stream D. North Atlantic Current E. North Equatorial Current in the Atlantic Ocean
A. California Current
Which one does not belong? A. Gulf of Alaska B. Indian C. North Atlantic D. South Atlantic E. South Pacific
A. Gulf of Alaska
The arrangement of water masses in the southern Atlantic Ocean from the surface to the bottom is
Antarctic Intermediate Water, North Atlantic Deep Water, Antarctic Bottom Water
Which does not belong? A. desalination B. solar distillation C. pycnocline D. electrolytes E. reverse osmosis
C. pycnocline
The apparent deflection of air masses to the right or left (depending on latitude) as they move from one latitude to another is called
Coriolis effect
Which does not belong? A. thermohaline circulation B. density-driven circulation C. Antarctic Bottom Water D. Kuroshio Current E. North Atlantic Deep Water
D. Kuroshio Current
Which does not belong? A. Gulf Stream B. Kuroshio Current C. North Equatorial Current D. Peru Current E. Somali Current
D. Peru Current
Which does not belong? A. sodium ion B. calcium ion C. potassium ion D. hydrogen ion E. magnesium ion
D. hydrogen ion
Which does not belong? A. temperature B. salinity C. thermocline D. pycnocline E. distillation
E. distillation
Which does not belong? A. Australian drought B. decreased fish stock in coastal Peru C. flooding rains in southeastern US D. Peruvian upwelling stops E. strong trade winds
E. strong trade winds
An eastern boundary current is generally narrow and swift
False
At high latitudes, abundant precipitation and runoff from melting of freshwater icebergs both increase salinity
False
The ion in sea water that serves as a buffer is
HCO3-
A beaker contains a mixture of ice and pure liquid water at 0C. What happens to the temperature of the liquid water as heat is added?
It remains constant until the ice melts, and then it begins to rise
The intensity of solar radiation at lower latitudes (near the equator) compared to higher latitudes (near the poles) is
greater
All are true of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current except:
the Antarctic Circumpolar Current contributes to the devolvement of the Antarctic bottom water in the Weddell Sea
