Deck 12: The Ocean and the Atmosphere

Question 1

Sea level fluctuates as the result of _____.

A)changes in water volume due to ocean warming
B)changes in ocean basin volume from shifts of lithospheric plates
C)tidal forces
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

A rogue wave may have a trough-to-crest height reaching _____ m.

A)2
B)5
C)10
D)20
E)29

Answer 2

E

Question 3

The figure below indicates that water on Earth may have come originally from inside the Earth,through volcanoes,and from _____.

A)lakes
B)the moon
C)rainwater
D)comets and meteorites
E)stars

Answer 3

D

Question 4

A land/sea area between Russia and Alaska,which became passable during the Ice Age,is the _____.

A)Bering Land Bridge
B)Isthmus of Panama
C)Trans-Alaska Highway
D)Aleutian Island
E)Pribiloff Island

Question 5

A shoreline with lots of bedrock in the water and coastal cliffs with terraces is probably _____.

A)emerging from the ocean
B)tectonically passive (inactive)
C)submerging in the oceans
D)due to tsunamis
E)barred coast

Question 6

The upper density zone of the ocean is called the _____:

A)thermocline
B)deep zone
C)thermohaline circulation
D)equatorial zone
E)surface layer

Question 7

At the base of a wave-cut cliff,one will usually find a_____.

A)drift-tide
B)barrier-bar
C)wave-cut bench
D)marine terrace
E)coral reef

Question 8

An enclosed bay inshore from a barrier bar is a(n)_____.

A)estuary
B)beach
C)wave-cut bench
D)lagoon
E)tidal bay

Question 9

Cold,salty water off the coast of Greenland sinks to form a large ocean mass called _____.

A)New England seawater
B)Antarctic Bottom water
C)North Atlantic Deep Water
D)Subtropical Convergence
E)Arctic Top Water

Question 10

Christopher Columbus sailed west to America on which of the illustrated surface ocean currents?

A)Northeast Trades
B)Horse Latitudes
C)Prevailing Westerlies
D)Polar Lows
E)Doldrums

Question 11

The surface ocean current in the figure below,that flows northward into the Atlantic Ocean and east across the Carolina coast,is called the _____:

A)Antarctic Bottom Water
B)Coriolis Effect
C)North Atlantic Deep Water
D)Gulf Stream
E)Northeast Trades

Question 12

Barrier islands typically feature _____.

A)spits
B)tombolos
C)bay barriers
D)tidal inlets
E)all of the above

Question 13

The Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States are mostly _____ coast.

A)rocky (cliffed)
B)lowland beach and barrier island
C)coral reef
D)tectonic
E)wave-cut

Question 14

A complete water circulation in the ocean "conveyor belt" takes _____ years.

A)10
B)100
C)1000
D)50
E)5

Question 15

The term "conveyer belt circulation" is also referred to as _____.

A)the ocean tides
B)the thermohaline circulation
C)deep ocean circulation
D)North Atlantic Current
E)Antarctic bottom water

Question 16

At a depth of _____,wave motion becomes negligible.

A)1 m
B)10 m
C)l/2
D)1 km
E)10 km

Question 17

A ridge of sand and gravel that connects an island to a mainland is a(n)_____.

A)barrier bar
B)tombolo
C)spit
D)estuary
E)jetty

Question 18

There may be two tides per day in a given area because of the effect of the Moon's gravity,and because of _____.

A)surface currents
B)winds
C)inertial force
D)Coriolis Effect
E)tidal bore

Question 19

Wave activity that occurs between the line of breakers and the shore is called _____.

A)refraction waves
B)reflection waves
C)surf
D)longshore current
E)a wave base

Question 20

The elements sulfur,potassium and sodium in ocean salt comes from _____.

A)the sun's rays
B)chemical weathering of rocks
C)evaporation of seawater
D)meteorites landing
E)sea shells

Question 21

Which of the following class of compounds is believed to cause destruction of stratospheric ozone?

A)alcohols
B)greenhouse gases
C)hydrocarbons
D)chlorofluorocarbons
E)methane

Question 22

The troposphere contains approximately 50% of the atmosphere's mass.

Question 23

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from approximately 320 ppm to over 360 ppm in the past 50 years.

Question 24

The world ocean covers 71% of Earth's surface.

Question 25

The amount of water in the air is expressed by the term _____.

A)convection
B)convergence
C)humidity
D)atmosphere
E)fog

Question 26

Global warming is suspected to be responsible for sea level changes of _____.

A))10 mm/yr
B)24 mm/yr
C)200 cm/yr
D)2)4 mm/yr
E)100 mm/yr

Question 27

The "ozone hole" is most noticeable over _____?

A)North America
B)Europe
C)Antarctica
D)Asia
E)Australia

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a significant benefit of coral reefs?

A)sandy beach creation
B)increased ecological diversity
C)recycled nutrients
D)dissipated wave energy
E)protected lagoons

Question 29

The Earth's axial tilt (declination),which causes seasons,is _____ degrees from vertical.

A)15.8
B)19.5
C)23.5
D)25.6
E)30.9

Question 30

Seawater is becoming distinctly saltier over time.

Question 31

Like tides,ocean waves are powered by the Moon's gravity.

Question 32

Surface currents in the Northern Hemisphere tend to curve to the right (clockwise).

Question 33

Sea level may rise and fall by thousands of meters.

Question 34

In the ocean zones in the figure,cold,fresh water sinks below warm,salty water in the oceans.

Question 35

Salt in ocean water comes from volcanic sources and rock weathering.

Question 36

The Earth's atmosphere is a mixture of gases dominated by oxygen and nitrogen.The next most abundant gas (in dry air)is _____.

A)helium
B)argon
C)carbon dioxide
D)methane
E)hydrogen

Question 37

The Coriolis Effect is caused by _____.

A)Earth's magnetic field
B)Earth's gravity
C)Earth's rotation
D)Moon's gravity
E)Moon's rotation

Question 38

Tidal bores occur in long,narrow bays such as the Bay of Fundy.

Question 39

The temperature at which the relative humidity is 100% is termed the _____.

A)humidity index
B)dew point
C)water vapor temperature
D)heat index
E)saturation point

Question 40

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)If earth had no mountains or oceans,the major climate zones would all be nearly parallel to the equator.
B)Moisture in the warm air around the equator condenses as it rises and becomes cooler,causing tropical rains
C)Because Earth is not stationary,the flow of air is influenced by the Coriolis Effect.
D)Uneven heating of the land surface by solar radiation gives rise to winds and tides.
E)Tectonic uplifts can elevate old beaches to create marine terraces

Question 41

The tiny coral animals are called_____.

Question 42

The skeletal material secreted by coral is composed of ______.

Question 43

The air in the_____is so tenuous that this zone is defined by rocket scientists to be part of "space."

Question 44

_____are regular,daily cycles of rising and falling sea level that results from the gravitational action of the Moon,the Sun,and the Earth.

Question 45

The Northeast and Southeast _____ Winds in the global pattern as shown,generally blow east-to-west,above and below the Equatorial low pressure zone.

Question 46

Temperatures in the ocean deep zone (see figure below)reach down on average to _____°C.

Question 47

The stratosphere contains approximately _____of the atmosphere's mass.

Question 48

The type of energy absorbed by the ocean when water evaporates and then freezes upon release is referred to as _____.

Question 49

A long,narrow,sandy island lying offshore and parallel to a lowland coast is a(n)_____.

Question 50

Two processes that tend to make seawater saltier are_____ and evaporation of surface water.

Question 51

The salinity of seawater averages between 3.3-3.7 percent.

Question 52

A current within the surf zone that,as shown in the figure below,parallels the shoreline is a(n)_____ current.

Question 53

The process in which wave energy is realigned parallel to the contours of the seafloor is _____.

Question 54

Atmospheric convection cells in low latitudes (0°-30°)are called _____cells.

Question 55

Earth's weather is primarily generated in the _____.

Question 56

Wave-washed sediment along a coast forms a(n)_____.

Question 57

The gases that cause the greenhouse effect are concentrated in the _____layer of the Earth's atmosphere.

Question 58

Beginning at the bottom and moving upward,the four layers of the atmosphere as shown are the _____,stratosphere,mesosphere,and thermosphere.

Question 59

The atmospheric layer that protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet radiation is the _____layer.

Question 60

The transition zone in the figure of the ocean's temperature layering is called the _____.

Question 61

Why does the installation of a breakwater or jetty cause undesirable consequences on nearby shorelines?

Question 62

Why does the figure show it is a "Millionaire's folly" to build a house on a sea-cliff?

Question 63

Where do surface currents derive their energy,and why are they predictable?

Question 64

What factors contribute to creating weather?

Question 65

Why is ocean water layered into zones?

Question 66

In what forms is oxygen found in the atmosphere layers illustrated,and which of those forms shield us from ultraviolet rays?

Question 67

Where do oxygen and carbon dioxide originate in the atmosphere?

Question 68

Assuming that glaciers cut off the "ocean conveyer belt" during the last Ice Age,how might that have affected the duration of the glacial episode?

Question 69

What is the greenhouse effect?

Question 70

Discuss the reasons geologists believe that water on Earth's surface must have been present by 4.0 billion years ago.Consider in your answer how the likely sources of the water might influence when it must have been present.

Question 71

How do incoming waves,as shown in the figure below,transform into a longshore current?

Question 72

Why does Earth have seasons?

Question 73

How does the Pacific Ocean El Nino current affect global climate?

Question 74

Why do waves break as shown below?

Question 75

Why does the accumulation of salt in the oceans NOT provide a means to estimate how long the oceans have existed?