Oceanography – OCNG 251 (Spring 12)
Mid-Term Exam (Minimum total of 44 points)
Quiz #2
Dr. Patrick Louchouarn
Multiple Choice: Answer each question with the one most appropriate answer (8 pts)
1. The measure of the heat energy exchanged for a determined quantity of a substance to change phase: a)
Latent heat; b) heat capacity; c) specific heat; d) kinetic energy; e) potential energy.
2. The principle of constant proportions states that: a) the ratio of minor to major elements is constant in the
ocean, b) the ratio of major gases to chloride is constant in the ocean; c) the ratio of carbonates to silicates
is constant in ocean sediments; d) the ratio of major elements to chloride is constant in ocean water; e)
none of the previous.
3. If the sources of a reservoir are smaller than its sinks balance, the reservoir is: a) in constant flow; b) in
stable residence; c) controlled; d) shrinking; e) in steady-state; ab) none of the previous.
4. Which category(ies) does dissolved iron (Fe) belong to? a) major element; b) biolimiting element; c) trace
element; d) minor element; e) b, and c; ab) b, c, and d.
5. The most abundant gas in the ocean is: a) O2; b) N2; c) CH4; d) CO2; e) Argon.
6. Solubility of gases increase in water with: a) increase in salinity; b) decrease in pressure; c) increase in
temperature; d) increase in evaporation; e) decrease in temperature.
7. The residence time of sodium (Na) in the ocean is measured in: a) 10s years, b) 100s years; c) 1000s
years; d) millions of years; e) 100s millions years.
8. When air warms at the surface of the earth, then _______: a) air molecules moved away from each other, b)
density of air at the surface of the earth decreases, c) air moves up towards the higher atmosphere, d) a low
pressure systems occurs at the surface of the earth, e) a high pressure system occurs in the higher
atmosphere, ab) all the above, ac) none of the above.
True and False: indicate whether the following statements are true or false (4 pts)
9. Blue light from the visible light spectrum penetrates the deepest in the ocean: a) true; b) false.
10. The vast majority (>70%) of the ocean is uniform with respect to temperature and salinity: a) true; b) false.
11. The most abundant gas in the ocean is CO2, because it has the capacity to react with water to form a
dissolved acid: a) true; b) false.
12. The composition of dissolved salts in the ocean is similar to the elemental composition of continental rocks:
a) true; b) false.
Matching: match the statements below with their subsequent counterpart (5 pts)
13. Large respiration rates with little or no photosynthesis e
14. Iron d
15. Minor element a
16. Amount of energy in the form of heat released or absorbed by a substance during a change of phase c
17. Principle of constant proportions b
a) Silicon
b) Na/Cl
c) Latent heat
d) Biolimiting element
e) Lower oxygen and higher CO2 concentrations
Oceanography – OCNG 251 (Spring 12)
Quiz #2
Interpreting graphs (4 pts):
18. The figure below suggests that: a) the vast majority of the ocean volume has a uniform temperature and
salinity; b) oceans’ depths are filled with cold waters; c) most of the oceans’ volume originated in polar
latitudes; d) ocean basins are open systems; e) all of the previous; ab) none of the previous; ac) a, b, and c.
19. The figure below shows that: a) yearly inputs of chloride from rivers are very large; b) major elements are
reactive in the ocean; c) iron has a slow reaction rate in the ocean; d) minor elements have a constant
proportion to major elements; e) major elements have a long residence time in the ocean; ab) all of the
previous; ac) none of the previous.
Major elements
Minor elements
Biolimiting elements
Oceanography – OCNG 251 (Spring 12)
Quiz #2
20. Why is the melting and boiling temperatures of water so much higher than other similar molecules
(figure b, below): a) water is a polar molecule; b) lack of hydrogen bonds in other molecules; c)
magnetic interaction between water molecules; d) all of the above; e) a and b.
21. Identify the most likely reason(s) for the measured differences in temperatures between San Francisco
and Norfolk, as depicted in the figure below: a) the influence of the gulf stream on the east coast; b)
atmospheric circulation bringing Arctic air down along the Pacific coast; c) difference in heat capacity of
water and rocks; d) influence of jet streams blowing from the east.
Oceanography – OCNG 251 (Spring 12)
Quiz #2
Answer on a separate scantron!
Bonus Multiple Choice Questions: Answer each question with the one most appropriate
answer on the separate Scantron sheet – Remember to put your name! (10% max)
1) Which of these literary characters has been the subject of the most movie adaptations? a) James Bond; b)
Tarzan; c) Sherlock Holmes; d) Dracula.
2) Who is the author of the classical book “Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance”? a) Allen Ginsberg; b)
Robert Pirsig; c) Jack Kerouac; d); Paul Theroux; e) Thomas Wolfe.
3) Who was the female partner of Humphrey Bogart in the movie “Casablanca”? a) Lauren Bacall; b) Ingrid
Bergman; c) Ava Gardner; d) Marlene Dietrich; e) none of the above.
4) Who is Samurai Jack’s nemesis? a) Gaku; b) Raku; c) Sake; d) Aku; e) Aiki.
5) What statement(s) concerning these soccer players is (are) right: Pele, Battistuta, Maradona, Ronaldo,
Platini: a) They all wore #10 on their jersey, b) they all are from South America, except Platini who is Italian,
c) they all played forward position for their country’s national team; d) all of the previous; e) none of the
previous.
6) What is aikido? a) the belt that holds the kimono of a samurai; b) a volcano on the Japanese island of
Hokkaido; c) a Japanese form of poetry; d) a martial art.
7) In Homer’s “Odyssey”, who is the wife of Ulysses? a) Ariana; b) Jocasta; c) Antigona; d) Penelope; e)
Electra.
8) Which international treaty established the European Union? a) the treaty of Versailles; b) the treaty of
Amsterdam; c) the treaty of Maastricht; d) the treaty of Rome; e) the treaty of The Hague.
9) El mejor equipo de fútbol en México es: a) los Cementeros; b) las Chivas; c) los Tiburones; d) las Águilas;
e) los Pumas; ab) no hablo Español…