Oceans 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. ___ Wind moves from an area of higher temperature to an area of lower temperature.
5. ___ Upwelling is the upward movement of ocean water from the deeper ocean to the surface.
6. ___ During an El Niño event, the eastern Pacific has abundant rainfall and the western Pacific is unusually
dry.
7. ___ In general, there are fewer eastern Pacific hurricanes than normal during El Niño years.
8. ___ Upwelling cold water promote the growth of phytoplankton.
9. ___ As the concentration of phytoplankton in a given area decreases, the ocean water’s ability to uptake
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere increases.
10. ___ Under normal conditions, the trade winds blow the warm equatorial waters from west to east.
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
11. 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
12. In which of the following ways does an El Niño event affect fish catches in the equatorial Pacific?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
El Niño reduces upwelling of nutrient-rich water that supports coastal fish populations.
Severe weather associated with El Niño reduces the work season of fishermen.
Higher sea surface temperatures during El Niño drive fish to the north of their normal habitat.
Fresh water from flooded rivers reduced salinity and reduces coastal fish populations.
All of the above.
13. 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
14. 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.
15. 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
16. 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.
17. 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
18. Scientists who study the ocean are called
a. oceanographers.
b. meteorologists.
c. biologists.
d. astronomers.
19. What factors happens to the thermocline of the Pacific during an El Nino event?
a. It tilts so it is higher in the west.
b. It tilts so it is higher in the east.
c. It flattens out.
d. It sinks.
20. The deflection of planetary winds (the Coriolis effect) is a direct result of the
a. gravitational forces within Earth.
b. rotation of Earth.
c. convection currents within the asthenosphere.
d. revolution of Earth.
21. 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.
22. Air pressure at the equator is ______.
a. High
b. Low
c. hot
d. cold
23. Which of the following is defined as a large region of ocean water that has similar temperature and salinity?
a. isocline
b. water mass
c. thermocline
d. pycnocline
24. 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.
25. 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. The town that is at a higher elevation
b. The town on the west coast
c. The town on the east coast
d. Neither, the climates would be the same
26. Why is the Peru Current a cold current?
a. The Peru Current forms at high latitudes.
b. Snow and ice from the Andes Mountains in Peru cool the water.
c. Winds that form the Peru Current are very cold.
d. Currents that flow north are always cold.
27. The surface winds set up ocean gyres that are __________ in the northern hemisphere.
a. clockwise.
b. counter-clockwise
28. Which term is defined as “a deviation from the average values?”
a. None of these
b. supposition
c. interval
d. anomaly
29. 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
30. Salinity refers to …
a. temperature
b. salt content
c. color
d. humidity
31. The density of ocean water in increased by
a. cooling and melting of freshwater ice.
b. heating and freezing of freshwater ice.
c. heating and melting of freshwater ice.
d. cooling and freezing of freshwater ice.
32. Which of the following shows a typical oceanic food chain?
a. Smaller fish to zooplankton to phytoplankton to larger fish
b. Sea birds to phytoplankton to smaller fish to larger fish
c. Zooplankton to phytoplankton to smaller fish to sea birds
d. Phytoplankton to zooplankton to small fish to larger fish
33. The term “thermohaline” current refers to:
a. current that depends on heat and salinity
b. the Ocean Conveyor
c. deep ocean circulation
34. The TOPEX/Poseidon NASA satellite gives us data on
a. Vegetation types
b. sea surface elevation
c. cloud cover
d. hurricane paths
d. all the above
35. Warmer water is associated with ________ elevations on the ocean surface.
a. Lower
b. higher
c. The sea surface is the same throughout.
36. 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
37. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
a. Both the deep ocean currents as well as the surface currents
are important in regulating earth’s climate.
b. Both deep and surface circulation patterns are affected by the winds.
c. The deep ocean circulation is governed by difference in density.
d. The deep ocean current flows more slowly than the surface currents.
38. What is the primary energy source for almost all oceanic food chains?
a. The Sun
b. Deep ocean currents providing water movement
c. Wave action providing water movement
d. Infrared energy from the ocean water
39. 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
40. 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
41. What is the relationship between the Southern Oscillation and El Nino?
a.
b.
c.
d.
The Southern Oscillation refers to the decline of the fishing industry.
The Southern Oscillation triggers El Nino.
The Southern Oscillation refers to all the flooding that happens in Peru.
The Southern Oscillation refers to the reversal of air pressure in the Pacific during an El Nino.
42. 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
43. 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.
44. 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
45. 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
46. What is the difference between climate and weather?
a. Climate refers to short-term atmospheric conditions, while weather refers to long-term conditions.
b. Climate refers to long-term atmospheric conditions, while weather refers to daily events.
c. The words are synonyms for the same concept.
47. 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 #48-55, answer the following question:
How could global warming affect the following : (bubble A for INCREASE and B for DECREASE)
48. polar albedo values: increase / decrease
49. melting of the Arctic sea ice: increase / decrease
50. temperature of the Arctic ocean: increase / decrease
51. salinity of the Arctic ocean: increase / decrease
52. density of the Arctic ocean: increase / decrease
53. sinking of the Arctic waters: increase / decrease
54. circulation of the Deep Ocean Conveyor: increase / decrease
55. temperatures of the northern hemisphere: increase / decrease