Physical Oceanography Exam 1:
Circulation KEY
Aquatic Science/Earth-Space Science
1. What is one thing that ocean currents do
NOT do?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Moderate climate
Transport pollutants
Form tsunamis
Influence the diversity of life in the ocean
2. The Global Ocean Conveyor Belt is
caused by differences in…
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Water temperature
Dissolved oxygen content
Ocean Salinity
All of the above
None of the above
3. This picture, taken during the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean
Race, took place in the Southern Ocean. What wind was
creating these massive waves?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Trade Winds
Horse Latitudes
Doldrums
Roaring Forties
Polar Easterlies
4. What would be the net direction of
water in the North Pacific if the wind
direction is coming from 45°?
A. 0°
B. 90°
C. 135°
D. 225°
E. 315°
5. What creates garbage patches in the
middle of the oceans?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Waves
Tides
Surface Ocean Currents & Gyres
Thermohaline Conveyor Belt
Longshore Currents
6. Which picture is showing an El Nino?
(refer to the key for what the colors mean.)
A
B
D.
7. Which elements are more common
percentagewise in the ocean than in the
atmosphere? (Mark all that apply)
A. Ar; B. O; C. C; D. N
gas
molecule
% in
% in
surface
atmosphere
seawater
ml/litre
sea
water
mg/kg
(ppm)
in sea
water
molecular
weight
mmol
/
kg
Nitrogen N2
78%
47.5%
10
12.5
28.014
0.446
Oxygen O2
21%
36.0%
5
7
31.998
0.219
Carbon dioxide
CO2
0.03%
15.1%
40
90 *
42.009
2.142
Argon
1%
1.4%
.
0.4
39.948
0.01
8. Why is the Antarctic Circumpolar
Current so powerful?
A. It is so cold
B. It is so dense
C. It’s extremely
nutrient-rich
D. It has no land to get
in the way
9. Where does water sink to form the
Thermohaline Conveyor Belt?
A
.
D
B
C
10. If Crush and Squirt ride the EAC, what
ocean are they in?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Atlantic
Arctic
Indian
Pacific
Southern
11 – 14. Match the desert with the
upwelling that forms it.
11. Atacama
12. Sahara
13. Namib
14. Sonoran
A.
B.
C.
D.
Benguela
California
Canary
Peru
15. Within two months of the BP oil disaster in April 2010,
what current took the Deepwater Horizon’s oil back to British
shores?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Benguela
Canary
Gulf Stream
Prevailing Westerlies
Labrador
16. Over the last several years, Arctic sea
ice has recently …
A. … been decreasing
B. …been increasing
C. …remained constant
Match the surface current with the
prevailing wind that drives it.
17. Gulf Stream
18. Brazil Current
19. Antarctic Circumpolar
20. Equatorial
Countercurrents
A.
B.
C.
D.
Prevailing Westerlies
Roaring Forties
Trade Winds
Doldrums
21.In the Indian Ocean north of the
equator, the driving climate force is a
current that changes direction annually.
What is this phenomenon called?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Agulhas
Benguela
El Nino
Monsoon
22. What kind of ocean current would be
most likely to cause an upwelling like this?
A. Ekman Spiral
B. Eastern Boundary
Current
C. Western
Boundary Current
D. Drift Current
E. Longshore
Current
23-25. Identify the following on the map…
23. Furious Fifties; 24. Horse Latitudes; 25. ITCZ.
A.
B.
C.
D
26. Where might the best fishing be? C
E
D
C
B
A
27. What was the Younger Dryas, how did
it start, and how did it affect climate?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It was a glacier that formed in Texas, bringing about
another Ice Age.
It was started by a massive flood from a broken ice dam,
that damaged the thermohaline conveyor belt by emptying
way too much freshwater into the North Atlantic, causing
another ice age.
It was a warming period named after the butterflies that
were abundant during this period, then went extinct.
It was a strengthening of the thermohaline conveyor belt
that caused intense global warming.
28. This could soon be a typical scene for much
of Europe, due to …
A. El Niño
B. La Niña
C. Breakdown in the
Gulf Stream
D. Reinforcement of
the Gulf Stream
29. Believe it or not, it snows in Brazil! If coastal blizzards are the result of
collision between 2 opposing ocean currents, what two ocean currents would
manufacture the white stuff in this part of the world?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Agulhas & Mozambique
Brazil & Malvinas
Labrador & Gulf Stream
Doldrums & Roaring
Forties
E. Ekman & Equatorial
Counter
30. Which letter indicates the
presence of the Gulf Stream?
D
A
C
E
B
31. During leg 5 of the 2011/2012 Volvo Ocean Race, with their
latitude at 55°S, what wind propelled Teams Telefonica, Puma, and
Groupama in their battle for first place?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Polar Easterlies
Furious Fifties
Southeast Trades
ITCZ
32. Read this, then answer the question.
An extreme negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) characterized winter 2009/2010, leading
to a strong Beaufort Gyre, a weak Transpolar Drift Stream (TDS), and near normal ice flow out
of Fram Strait. In term of impacts on ice transport, autumn and winter of 2009/2010 saw
above-average ice transport from north of the Canadian Archipelago westward into the
eastern Beaufort and western Chukchi seas.. Ice originating from this location is some of the
oldest and thickest in the Arctic. Typically, ice that forms within, or drifts into, the Beaufort
Gyre may circulate within the Canada Basin for several years, becoming thicker with time.
Eventually, the thick ice enters the TDS and exits the Arctic through Fram Strait. A stronger
Beaufort Gyre, as tends to accompany the negative phase of the AO, should therefore foster
the development of older, thicker ice that survives summer melt, meaning more ice in
September.
32. With the Arctic Oscillation currently
now in a positive phase, which ocean
current is stronger?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Beaufort Gyre
Transpolar Drift
West Wind Drift
Malvinas
33. Which letter indicates the
presence of the Alaska Current? C
B.
C.
D.
A.
34. Being at 30°N latitude, we are on __________, an
area of light winds, high pressure and overall dry
conditions.
A.
B.
C.
D.
The Polar Front
The Horse Latitudes
Tornado Alley
The Doldrums
35. Our local warm humid climate is almost unique for our
latitude; only one other area in the northern hemisphere has
it. Which area is that? A
A.
B.
C.
D.
36. Our local climate is almost unique for our latitude; only
one other area in the hemisphere has it. What is the cause for
our having such a humid climate? (see next frame)
36. Answer Choices
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Cold Ocean Current
Gulf Stream
Thermohaline upwelling
Warm Gulf Loop Current
Ekman Transport
37. In Ice Age: the Meltdown, Sid, Manny & Diego uncover an
impending disaster. The actual event this is based on is…
A. The Nebraska
Glaciation Event
B. The Eruption of Mt.
Mazama
C. The Flooding of
Beringia
D. The formation of North
America’s Great Lakes
E. The Younger Dryas
38-43. Place the following events in proper
sequential order.
A. Gulf stream is forced further
south. - 42
B. North Atlantic becomes
fresher. - 40
C. Ice caps melt - 39
D. Europe enters into a new “ice
age”. - 43
E. Carbon emissions warm the
planet. - 38
AB. Thermohaline circulation
breaks down. - 41
44. Which ocean is saltiest?
45. Which ocean is warmest?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Atlantic
Arctic
Indian
Pacific
Southern
46. Read the article, then answer the
question in the following frame.
Using Aquaculture to Remove Atmospheric Carbon
"We Provide innovative solutions to remove or absorb atmospheric CO2"
The most commonly talked about carbon sink is forest. The use of trees as a carbon sink has been extensively studied and theorized. There has already been progress on both the
creation of treaties (e.g. the Kyoto Protocol) relating to the use of this resource and trading of credits earned. However, another important carbon sink, one that is perhaps less well
known, is the ocean. The way the ocean works as a sink is CO2 dissolves into it, removing it from the atmosphere. The concentration of CO2 in the ocean increases proportionately as
atmospheric CO2 increases. The ocean acts as a carbon reservoir. However, as with other reservoirs, the carbon can eventually find its way back into the ecosystem. Our company is
focused on ways to permanently remove this carbon from the environment. Such permanent removal is called sequestration.
One way in which carbon can be permanently removed is through aquaculture. How this works is sea water (and fresh water) containing dissolved CO2 is ingested and used by shellfish
and crustaceans. This CO2 is converted within the shellfish and crustaceans, and, with the addition of other elements becomes CaCO3, the major component of the shell and
exoskeleton. The exciting thing about this is that carbon sequestered in this way stays “locked up” and is effectively removed from the environment indefinitely as shells do not break
down.
This is in stark contrast to carbon in forests, as although the carbon is “sunk” into this ecosystem for some time, it is not permanently sequestered from the environment. For example, a
tree absorbs CO2. However, if this tree is burnt the carbon absorbed as CO2 is released back into the atmosphere.
Aquaculture farming systems and by-products can therefore be developed with the incentive of earning carbon credits.
Some example systems include:
1. Shellfish can be cultivated to increase the carbon absorption ability of the sea and fresh water. As dissolved CO2 is absorbed into the shellfish the ocean, rivers and
lakes are able to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere. Thus, the more shellfish that are cultivated the greater is the ability of our oceans, rivers and fresh water lakes to act as carbon
sinks. In addition, the carbon dissolved into the sea and
fresh water can be permanently removed, as it is sequestered into shells,
2. The meat produced from the aquaculture would be an important food source for
both humans and animals. Carbon ingested by those eating the shellfish will be
converted and stored as skeletal carbon. It can also be converted into vegetative
carbon through use as fertiliser for plant and tree growth. A positive side effect of
this aquaculture is the environmental detoxification that occurs, as shellfish
provide a natural filtration system for the sea and fresh water.
3. Bio-ethanol and bio-diesel could be produced from the shellfish meat providing
another source of renewable eco friendly energy for commercial use.
4. The shells themselves also have a number of uses. They can be used in roading,
help with insulation heating of viticulture (the crushed shells insulate the roots of
the grape vines and absorb heat from the sun which is later reflected back towards
the grapes), be used in path and track formation and so on.
Aquaculture Carbon Limited have sought a patent in relation to the right to trade carbon as permanently sequestered CaCO3 and is actively promoting the development of Aquaculture
farming systems and the resulting carbon trading system.
46. From the reading in the previous
frame, what do Ca ions do to sequester C?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
They split ozone (O3) molecules.
They bond with carbonate (CO3) ions.
They bind up atmospheric Argon (Ar).
They lower radiation levels.
They bond with heavy metals.
47.What ocean will the 2014/2015 Volvo
Ocean Race NOT traverse?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Arctic
Atlantic
Indian
Pacific
Southern
Illustrated is an Ekman Spiral.
48. Where is the slowest moving water? A
49. What is slowing down the water?
E
D
C
A
B
A. Gravity
B. Buoyancy
C. Friction
D.Salinity
E. Coriolis Effect
50. What is being shown?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
A pycnocline
A thermocline
A garbage patch
A hypoxic zone
A halocline