Download FINAL EXAM: OCEA101 online This Final Exam will have you

FINAL EXAM: OCEA101 online
This Final Exam will have you review and expand your knowledge of 5 key oceanographic
topics. The topics are covered by 5 essay questions worth 12 points each, for a total of 60 points
for the exam.
It is important that you allow adequate time to research and write your answers for this
exam. Make no mistake—these are comprehensive questions and they require comprehensive
answers. Because this is an open-book, open-assignment exam, I expect more from you in terms
of thoroughness and accuracy than if this were a traditional, closed-book, time-limited classroom
exam. As a guideline, approximately 400 words per question represents an appropriate level of
detail. (Less than that will not likely answer each question with an adequate level of detail.) As always, you must use your own words and your own organization in your work. Answers
that simply copy entire sentences and paragraphs blindly from the book, without integrating and
explaining concepts and principles, will receive low scores. And as described in the academic
honesty policy, any exam found with entire sentences copied from other sources without citing
the source will be given a zero due to plagiarism. Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS: Save your answers as a single document, with each answer labeled clearly,
and in the correct order. As always, proofread and run spell-check (otherwise, points off for
sloppiness). Then copy and paste all of your answers together into the box that appears at the
bottom of the page. You can only submit this exam once, so be sure that everything looks right
and is correctly placed before you click "Submit." GOOD LUCK & BEST WISHES!
1. PLATE TECTONICS (12 points)
Imagine that you have taken a time-machine back to the early 1900s and are meeting Alfred
Wegener for lunch. He is very depressed because almost no one believes his theory of
continental drift. Explain to him how science in the decades after his death will confirm his
theory and expand it into the larger theory of plate tectonics. In your explanation to him, be sure
to explain:
- Key discoveries about the ocean floor that happened since his day. (Note: in Wegener's day,
almost nothing was known about the ocean floor. Think about how that later changed, and how
it relates to continental drift.)
- Evidence that proves that the sea floor spreads and that the earth's surface is divided up into
moving plates. (Hint: this evidence includes paleomagnetism, the age of the sea floor, heat flow,
and earthquakes.)
2. THE ORIGIN and PROPERTIES of WATER (12 points)
- What processes do scientists think occurred early in the Earth's history that produced the
Earth’s water, including the oceans?
- Water (H20) is a polar molecule. What does this mean, and what special properties does water
have as a result?
- What is salinity, and what processes control ocean water’s salinity (that is, cause salinity to go
up or down)?
3. OCEAN CIRCULATION (12 points)
The circulation of the oceans is driven by two main processes: 1) the prevailing surface winds,
and 2) differences in density between various water masses. The Coriolis effect also influences
the movement of ocean currents. Use these concepts to explain:
- the movements of SURFACE currents, particularly the subtropical gyres.
- the movements of DEEP (thermohaline) ocean currents and the concept of “conveyor-belt
circulation.” 4. PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY (12 points)
Why is primary productivity high in some ocean areas and low in others? In your answer: identify areas of the ocean have generally high productivity versus generally low productivity evaluate the reasons for those differences in productivity based on the physical properties of the
ocean (particularly water density, temperature, light levels and upwelling/downwelling). Your
discussion of the above questions should include the concepts of the light availability, the
euphotic zone, nutrients, upwelling, and the presence vs absence of a thermocline. 5. ADAPTATIONS OF MARINE LIFE (12 points)
One theme runs consistently through Chapters 14 and 15, the two chapters that discuss the major
types of pelagic and benthic animals. That theme is “adaptation.” Write an essay on the general
theme of how marine animals are adapted to their environment, using at least three specific
examples. In other words, from the many examples described in these two chapters, pick three
key adaptations (physical features and/or behavioral strategies) of marine animals that, to you,
illustrate particularly well this theme of adaptation. Spread your examples around; don’t limit
your examples to fish or cetaceans, but include at least one example from the benthic invertebrate
animals.