Oceanography 100 Final Exam |88 Questions and
Answers
How does heat affect density? - -Hot water expands
-Which layer composes the plates? - -Lithosphere
-In which tectonic setting(s) do trenches form? - -Convergent, ocean-ocean, ocean-cont.
-What characteristic or process drives plate motions? - -Sea Floor Spreading
-In what direction is the Pacific Plate moving relative to the North American plate? * - -
North West
-At what rate does seafloor spreading occur? - -2-5 cm per year
-Which tectonic features form the deepest locations in the oceans? - -Trenches
-How old is the oldest oceanic crust? - -208 Ma
-In which type(s) of tectonic setting do volcanoes form? - -Divergent; Convergent
-In which type(s) of tectonic setting do earthquakes occur? - -All
-Where is the oldest oceanic crust? - -farthest from mid-ocean ridges
-Based on current plate tectonic motion, how is the size of the Pacific changing? - -smaller
-What type of plate boundary do we live on? - -transform
-What type of plate boundary occurs north of Mendocino, CA? - -Transform
-What type of continental margin do we live on? * - -Continental-Oceanic
-What is lithogenous sediment? - -Land Sediment (rocks, pebbles)
-How does sea level effect the distribution of marine sedimentary rocks? - -displaced bc of
shrinking sea levels
-Within the US where is the continental shelf widest? - -Coastline
-Which sediment size is more common in the deep oceans? - -Pelagic (fine sand)
-What charge does the oxygen atom in the water molecule have? - -Positive
, -Which phase of water is most energetic? - -gas
-Describe the characteristics of the densest ocean water. - -coldest, high salinity
-What is the most abundant ion in seawater? - -Chlorine
-What is the average salinity of seawater? - -35 0/00
-What is the main source of salt to the oceans? - -rivers, volcanic activity, hydrothermal
activity
-On what two days of the year is there equal 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of dark
everywhere on earth? - -Equinoxes: vernal March 21, autumnal September 23
-At what angle does the Earth tilt on its axis? - -23.5
-What is the longest day in the northern hemisphere? - -Summer solstice
-Which wind system originates from the STH and moves back towards the equator? - -
trade winds
-What kind of pressure is created by rising air? - -low pressure
-What are the primary permanent gases in the atmosphere? - -Nitrogen + Oxygen
-Which gas is in greatest concentration? - -Nitrogen
-In which direction are objects deflected by Coriolis in the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres? - -North--right
South--left
-What causes waves? - -Wind
-What causes tides? - -gravitational pull by moon
-What causes thermohaline circulation? - -temp; salinity difference
-What is the relative temperature of currents on the west coast versus the east coasts
continents? - -East Coast - warm waters
West Coast - cold waters
-Winds from the North cause which in CA: upwelling or downwelling? - -upwelling
-Which phase of ENSO results in upwelling in S. America? * - -ENSO code phase
Answers
How does heat affect density? - -Hot water expands
-Which layer composes the plates? - -Lithosphere
-In which tectonic setting(s) do trenches form? - -Convergent, ocean-ocean, ocean-cont.
-What characteristic or process drives plate motions? - -Sea Floor Spreading
-In what direction is the Pacific Plate moving relative to the North American plate? * - -
North West
-At what rate does seafloor spreading occur? - -2-5 cm per year
-Which tectonic features form the deepest locations in the oceans? - -Trenches
-How old is the oldest oceanic crust? - -208 Ma
-In which type(s) of tectonic setting do volcanoes form? - -Divergent; Convergent
-In which type(s) of tectonic setting do earthquakes occur? - -All
-Where is the oldest oceanic crust? - -farthest from mid-ocean ridges
-Based on current plate tectonic motion, how is the size of the Pacific changing? - -smaller
-What type of plate boundary do we live on? - -transform
-What type of plate boundary occurs north of Mendocino, CA? - -Transform
-What type of continental margin do we live on? * - -Continental-Oceanic
-What is lithogenous sediment? - -Land Sediment (rocks, pebbles)
-How does sea level effect the distribution of marine sedimentary rocks? - -displaced bc of
shrinking sea levels
-Within the US where is the continental shelf widest? - -Coastline
-Which sediment size is more common in the deep oceans? - -Pelagic (fine sand)
-What charge does the oxygen atom in the water molecule have? - -Positive
, -Which phase of water is most energetic? - -gas
-Describe the characteristics of the densest ocean water. - -coldest, high salinity
-What is the most abundant ion in seawater? - -Chlorine
-What is the average salinity of seawater? - -35 0/00
-What is the main source of salt to the oceans? - -rivers, volcanic activity, hydrothermal
activity
-On what two days of the year is there equal 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of dark
everywhere on earth? - -Equinoxes: vernal March 21, autumnal September 23
-At what angle does the Earth tilt on its axis? - -23.5
-What is the longest day in the northern hemisphere? - -Summer solstice
-Which wind system originates from the STH and moves back towards the equator? - -
trade winds
-What kind of pressure is created by rising air? - -low pressure
-What are the primary permanent gases in the atmosphere? - -Nitrogen + Oxygen
-Which gas is in greatest concentration? - -Nitrogen
-In which direction are objects deflected by Coriolis in the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres? - -North--right
South--left
-What causes waves? - -Wind
-What causes tides? - -gravitational pull by moon
-What causes thermohaline circulation? - -temp; salinity difference
-What is the relative temperature of currents on the west coast versus the east coasts
continents? - -East Coast - warm waters
West Coast - cold waters
-Winds from the North cause which in CA: upwelling or downwelling? - -upwelling
-Which phase of ENSO results in upwelling in S. America? * - -ENSO code phase
