Oceans CT Assessment
NAME ________________________
Please do not write on this test. Make sure you answer every question! Ask for help when needed.
Use A for True and B for False for the following ten questions.
1. ___ The oceans play a very minor role in regulating earth’s climate.
2. ___ The currents of the ocean surface waters is heavily influenced by the prevailing winds.
3. ___ Wind moves from an area of higher pressure to an area of lower pressure.
4. ___ Upwelling cold water promote the growth of phytoplankton.
5. ___ Under normal conditions, the trade winds blow the warm equatorial waters from west to east.
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
1. An El Niño event would be expected to be associated with which of the following weather conditions?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Above average temperatures in the mid-western and northeastern United States
Lower rainfall along the western and southeastern coasts of the United States
Lower surface water temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean
Normal weather conditions in Indonesia and coastal South America
2. What process brings vital nutrients to organisms living in the surface waters of the ocean?
a.
deep ocean circulation patterns
b. downwelling
c. upwelling
d. all of these
3. How do ocean currents regulate the Earth’s temperature?
a.
b.
c.
d.
They transport warm water to the equator and cold water to the northern hemisphere.
They prevent evaporation at low latitudes.
They remove heat from the Western Hemisphere and carry it toward the Eastern Hemisphere in large gyres.
They transport warm water to the higher latitudes and cold water to the equator.
.
4. Which of the following factors is NOT directly responsible for the formation of oceanic circulation
patterns?
a.
Density differences
b. Winds
c. fish migrations
d. Coriolis effect
5. During an El Niño event, sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific
a.
cannot be measured.
b. becomes cooler.
c. do not change.
d. become warmer.
6. On average, how often does an El Niño event occur?
a.
Five to seven years
b. eight months
c. one to three years
d. eight to ten years
7. Scientists who study the ocean are called
a.
oceanographers.
b. meteorologists.
c. biologists.
d. astronomers.
8. The deflection of planetary winds (the Coriolis effect) is a direct result of the
a.
b.
gravitational forces within Earth.
rotation of Earth.
c. convection currents within the asthenosphere.
d. revolution of Earth.
9. As a result of the Hadley circulation cell, surface winds blow from the subtropical latitudes _________
the equator.
a. away from
b. towards
c. around
d. along.
10. Air pressure at the equator is ______.
a.
b.
High
Low
c. hot
d. cold
11. What is the name of the prevailing winds in the mid-latitudes?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Tropical easterlies
Trade winds
westerlies
polar easterlies
Use the following map to answer the three questions that follow.
12. Imagine two towns at the same latitude (distance from the Equator), but on opposite coasts of North
America. In which town would you expect to find a warmer climate?
a.
b.
The town that is at a higher elevation
The town on the west coast
c. The town on the east coast
d. Neither, the climates would be the same
13. Why is the Peru Current a cold current?
a.
b.
The Peru Current forms at high latitudes.
c. Winds that form the Peru Current are very cold.
Snow and ice from the Andes Mountains in Peru cool the water. d. Currents that flow north are always cold.
14. The surface winds set up ocean gyres that are __________ in the northern hemisphere.
a. clockwise.
b. counter-clockwise
15. Which term is defined as “a deviation from the average values?”
a.
None of these
b. supposition
c. interval
d. anomaly
16. What ultimately causes wind to blow on earth?
a. Rotation of the earth
b. revolution of the earth around the sun
c. uneven heating of the earth’s surface
d. gravity
17. Salinity refers to …
a.
temperature
b. salt content
c. color
d. humidity
18. The map shows different regions of the United States. Which region would be expected to be drier and
warmer during an El Niño event?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Region A
Region B
Region C
Region D
19. What is the primary energy source for almost all
oceanic food chains?
a.
b.
The Sun
Deep ocean currents providing water movement
c. Wave action providing water movement
d. Infrared energy from the ocean water
20. The convection of warm and cold air in the Pacific is called the
a.
Ferrell Cell
b. Hadley Cell
c. Walker Circulation Cell
d. Eastern Cell
21. Large rotating “mounds” of water in the ocean with centers that are higher than the outer edges are
called
a.
gyres
b. ocean currents
c. hurricanes
d. storms
22. Which of the following water samples would be most dense?
a.
Cold fresh water b. cold salty water
c. warm fresh water
d. warm salty water
23. Why is the usual upwelling of deeper colder water important to the fishing industry of Peru?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Deeper colder water contains nutrients.
Deeper colder water is cleaner.
Deeper colder water contain less salt.
Deeper colder water has fewer predators.
24. During an El Nino year, trade winds reverse direction and blow from..
a.
East to west
b. west to east
c. north to south
d. south to north
25. How does El Nino affect Colorado?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Slightly warmer, slightly less precipitation
Slightly warmer, slightly more precipitation
Slightly cooler, slightly more precipitation
Slightly cooler, slightly less precipitation
26. What is the difference between climate and weather?
a.
b.
c.
Climate refers to short-term atmospheric conditions, while weather refers to long-term conditions.
Climate refers to long-term atmospheric conditions, while weather refers to daily events.
The words are synonyms for the same
concept.
27. The graph shows the annual fish catch in the
eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean from the
years 1957 to 1983. During which year did an
El Niño event most likely occur?
a.
b.
c.
d.
1970
1973
1964
1975
For #28-30, answer the following question:
How could global warming affect the following : (bubble A for INCREASE and B for DECREASE)
28. melting of the Arctic sea ice: increase / decrease
29. salinity of the Arctic ocean: increase / decrease
30. density of the Arctic ocean: increase / decrease
10 Point DIAGRAM: On the circle below, illustrate the global wind patterns. Include and label all of the
following including arrows to show the wind direction:
 Equator, 300 latitudes, 600 latitudes
 High and low pressure areas
 Tropical easterlies, westerlies, polar easterlies
 Hadley cell