Download Essentials of Oceanography, 10e (Trujillo/Keller)

Introduction to Oceanography Midterm Practice Test
1) The four principle oceans of the Earth are the:
A) Atlantic, Arctic, Mediterranean, and Pacific Oceans.
B) Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
C) Atlantic, Antarctic, Mediterranean, and Pacific Oceans.
D) Antarctic, Caspian, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
E) Antarctic, Arctic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
2) One distinction between an "ocean" and a "sea" is that a sea:
A) contains more shallow water.
B) is composed of salt water.
C) is smaller than an ocean.
D) may be enclosed by either land or ocean currents.
E) All of the above are correct.
3) The correct arrangement of astronomical bodies from oldest to youngest is:
A) galaxy, solar system, planet.
B) planet, galaxy, solar system.
C) planet, solar system, galaxy.
D) solar system, galaxy, planet.
E) solar system, planet, galaxy.
4) The nebular hypothesis suggests that:
A) all bodies in the solar system formed from an enormous gas cloud.
B) Earth's moon is an asteroid captured by the Earth's gravity.
C) galaxies such as the Milky Way form independent of one another.
D) the Earth was formed by a cosmic explosion, a "big bang".
E) the moon is derived from a protoplanet.
5) The separation of the Earth into layers was the result of the:
A) decrease in temperature downward toward the core.
B) differing densities of the rock and mineral materials.
C) gravitational force created by the rotating Earth.
D) initial collection of materials and their position in Earth.
E) presence of water at Earth's surface.
6) Oceanic crust is primarily:
A) basalt.
B) carbonate sedimentary rocks.
C) clay minerals.
D) granite.
E) siltstone.
7) Which of the following statements regarding continental and oceanic crust is TRUE?
A) Continental crust and oceanic crust have equivalent densities.
B) Continental crust is thicker and denser than oceanic crust.
C) Continental crust is thinner and denser than oceanic crust.
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D) Continental crust is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust.
E) Continental crust is thinner and less dense than oceanic crust.
8) Earth's primordial atmosphere most likely included:
A) ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.
B) carbon dioxide, water vapor, sulfur dioxide, and methane.
C) hydrogen, helium, and oxygen.
D) nitrogen, ozone, and sulfur dioxide.
E) all of the above.
9) Organisms that break down organic molecules and release energy are called:
A) autotrophic organisms.
B) bacteria.
C) biotic organisms.
D) fungi.
E) heterotrophic organisms.
10) Radioactive isotopes can sometimes be used to determine the:
A) absolute age of the rock.
B) chemical composition of the rock.
C) formation method.
D) metamorphism.
E) relative age of the rock.
11) The "Age of Discovery" began with:
A) Christopher Columbus' discovery of the "New World."
B) Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe.
C) Phoenician exploration of the Mediterranean.
D) Polynesian colonization of Pacific Islands.
E) Viking voyages to North America.
12) The scientific method includes all of the following except:
A) data collection.
B) evaluation of data.
C) hypothesis formation.
D) hypothesis testing.
E) validation of theory.
Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of
words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
13) A. Baltic
B. Black
C. Caspian
D. Indian
E. Mediterranean
14) A. autotrophic
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B. chemosynthesizers
C. cyanobacteria
D. heterotrophs
E. sulfur bacteria
15) A. calcium carbonate
B. carbon dioxide
C. chlorophyll
D. oxygen
E. water
Match the term with the appropriate phrase. You may use each answer once, more than once or
not at all.
A) divergent plate boundary
B) convergent plate boundary
16) hydrothermal vents
17) island arc
18) mountains
19) oceanic trench
20) rift valley
21) volcanoes
22) Fossils found in sediments can be used to:
A) indicate the relative age of the sediments.
B) provide evidence for plate movement.
C) suggest ancient climate characteristics.
D) support the idea that land masses were joined.
E) all of the above.
23) All continents fit together with the least number of overlaps and gaps when the continents are
matched along:
A) contours at around 2000 meters in depth.
B) current shorelines.
C) edge of the continental shelf.
D) edges of the deep sea floor.
E) oceanic trenches in subduction zones.
24) Fossils of ancient polar plants are currently found near the equator because the:
A) entire earth had polar conditions at the time the plants were living.
B) plants lived near the poles, but land masses have drifted to current locations.
C) plants probably were tolerant of both tropical and polar conditions.
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D) plants were distributed to current locations by ancient glacial ice sheets.
E) poles were at the equator at times in the geologic past.
25) Climate distribution on Earth is primarily controlled by:
A) Earth's geologic history.
B) latitude.
C) longitude.
D) presence or absence of glacial debris.
E) plants and animals that live in an area.
26) All of the following provide evidence for continental drift except:
A) age of selected continental rocks.
B) apparent polar wandering.
C) location of coral reef fossils.
D) seafloor magnetic pattern.
E) shape of continental margins.
27) Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between Earth's geographic
and magnetic poles?
A) The geographic pole and the magnetic pole are always the same.
B) The geographic pole wobbles, but stays near the magnetic pole.
C) The geographic poles have reversed themselves periodically through geologic time.
D) The location of the magnetic pole is unrelated to the location of the geographic pole.
E) The magnetic pole wobbles, but stays near the geographic pole.
28) Vine and Matthews determined that new ocean floor was being produced at ocean ridges by
examining:
A) apparent polar wandering.
B) fossils in marine sediments.
C) glacial debris at various locations.
D) the location of ancient coral reefs.
E) the magnetic pattern on the seafloor.
29) Confirmation of seafloor spreading was supported by the:
A) age of seafloor.
B) apparent polar wandering.
C) magnetic reversals found in continental rocks.
D) match of rocks from distant continents.
E) sediment analysis from different areas of the seafloor.
30) The seafloor magnetic pattern is best described as:
A) not related to the location of oceanic ridges.
B) parallel to and symmetric about ocean ridges.
C) parallel to, but not symmetric about ocean ridges.
D) perpendicular to and symmetric about ocean ridges.
E) perpendicular to, but not symmetric about ocean ridges.
31) Oceans become deeper moving away from ridges due to:
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A) decreasing thickness of the lithosphere.
B) increasing density of oceanic basalts.
C) increases in sediment accumulations.
D) polar wandering.
E) thermal contraction of hot asthenosphere.
32) Differences in height between continental crust and oceanic crust are explained by:
A) continental drift.
B) density.
C) isostasy.
D) ophiolites.
E) paleomagnetism.
33) Which of the following statements is true of the asthenosphere?
A) The asthenosphere is composed of continental and oceanic plates.
B) The asthenosphere is composed of outer mantle material.
C) The asthenosphere is composed of the crust and a portion of the outer mantle.
D) The asthenosphere is composed of the inner portion of the mantle and the outer core.
E) The asthenosphere is composed only of crust.
34) Which of the following statements is true of the lithosphere?
A) The lithosphere is composed of outer mantle material.
B) The lithosphere is composed of igneous rock.
C) The lithosphere is composed of metamorphic rock.
D) The lithosphere is composed of the crust and the topmost portion of the outer mantle.
E) The lithosphere is composed of the inner portion of the mantle and the outer core.
35) Moving from oceanic ridge to oceanic trench, the thickness of the lithosphere:
A) decreases in proportion to the distance.
B) is unrelated to the distance from the ridge.
C) increases in proportion to the distance.
D) randomly varies.
E) remains the same.
36) Deep ocean trenches are associated with:
A) rift valleys.
B) subduction zones.
C) submarine canyons.
D) transform faults.
E) turbidity currents.
37) The Hawaiian Islands are located where the Pacific plate is:
A) being subducted beneath the North American plate.
B) being subducted beneath Japan.
C) being thrust over the North American plate.
D) diving under Japan.
E) moving over a hot spot.
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38) The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of a:
A) convergent boundary (continent-continent).
B) convergent boundary (continent-oceanic).
C) convergent boundary (oceanic-oceanic).
D) divergent boundary.
E) transform fault boundary.
39) Which of the following is characteristic of oceanic-oceanic convergent plate boundaries?
A) andesitic volcanoes
B) fracture zones
C) hot spots
D) mid-ocean ridges
E) volcanic island arcs
40) Which of the following is characteristic of oceanic-continental convergent plate boundaries?
A) andesitic volcanoes
B) fracture zones
C) hot spots
D) mid-ocean ridges
E) volcanic island arcs
41) The Hawaiian Islands-Emperor Seamount Chain was formed:
A) at a subduction zone in the Pacific Ocean.
B) by magma from the upper mantle rising to the surface.
C) formed when the Pacific plate moved across a hotspot.
D) is associated with a trench.
E) parallels a Pacific Ocean subduction zone.
42) All of the following are true of the Wilson Cycle except:
A) the Wilson Cycle is a technique used to date ocean sediments.
B) the Wilson Cycles describes the formation of seafloor features.
C) the Wilson Cycle predicts the movement of lithospheric plates.
D) the Wilson Cycle uses plate tectonic processes to describe the development of ocean basins.
E) the Wilson Cycle was named in honor of geophysicist John Tuzo Wilson.
43) The San Andreas Fault:
A) is a continental transform fault.
B) is an oceanic transform fault.
C) is associated with deep focus earthquakes.
D) lies next to the Mendocino Fracture Zone.
E) is located in the Juan de Fuca Plate.
44) Coral reefs:
A) are most common in the tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean basin.
B) can be found at latitudes above 60º.
C) form when underwater volcanoes are thrust upward during a tectonic event.
D) include atolls, barrier, and fringing reefs.
E) were first described by Christopher Columbus during his voyage to the Caribbean Island of
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Hispanola.
Refer to the figure below. Match the term to the numbered ocean floor feature on the figure.
You may use each answer once, more than once, or not at all.
A) G
B) D
C) C
D) B
E) E
45) abyssal plain
46) continental rise
47) continental slope
48) oceanic ridge
49) trench
50) The method that is most frequently used to investigate sediment and rock layers of the sea
floor is:
A) direct observation.
B) drilling.
C) light waves.
D) satellite observation.
E) sound waves.
51) Passive continental margins are characterized by all of the following except:
A) broad continental shelf.
B) deep-sea trenches.
C) shallow coastal waters.
D) thick sediment accumulation.
E) very little volcanic and earthquake activity.
52) Characteristics of active continental margins include all of the following except:
A) broad continental shelf.
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B) chains of islands.
C) deep-sea trenches.
D) thin sediment accumulation.
E) volcanic and earthquake activity.
53) The correct order of marine provinces from the coast to the mid-ocean ridge is:
A) abyssal plain, rise, slope, shelf.
B) abyssal plain, shelf, slope, rise.
C) rise, abyssal plain, slope, shelf.
D) shelf, slope, rise, abyssal plain.
E) slope, rise, shelf, abyssal plain.
54) Directly seaward of the continental shelf is a more steeply sloping region called the:
A) abyssal plain.
B) continental rise.
C) continental slope.
D) mid-ocean ridge.
E) trench.
55) Submarine canyons were most likely formed by:
A) deposition of terrestrial sediment.
B) earthquake activity.
C) erosion by major rivers in the past.
D) erosion by turbidity currents.
E) scouring by glaciers during the last ice age.
56) The sea floor feature in the figure is most likely a result of:
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A) pillow lava.
B) submarine fans.
C) turbidity currents.
D) underwater boundary currents.
E) volcanic activity.
Refer to the below. Use the labeled features on the figure to answer the following question(s).
57) Tablemounts are the features labeled:
A) 1.
B) 2.
C) 3.
D) 4.
58) Wave action and plate movement are significant factors in the formation of the feature
labeled:
A) 1.
B) 2.
C) 3.
D) 4.
59) Seamounts are the feature labeled:
A) 1.
B) 2.
C) 3.
D) 4.
60) Old lithosphere is destroyed in association with:
A) deep-sea trenches
B) fracture zones
C) hydrothermal vents
D) mid-ocean ridges
E) spreading centers.
61) New lithosphere is produced in association with:
A) deep-sea trenches.
B) fracture zones.
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C) hydrothermal vents.
D) mid-ocean ridges.
E) transform faults.
62) With respect to mid-ocean ridges, transform faults are:
A) associated with hydrothermal vents.
B) located in submarine canyons.
C) parallel to the direction of plate movement.
D) parallel to the rift valley.
E) perpendicular to the ridge axis.
63) Underwater avalanches of muddy water mixed with rocks and debris are:
A) deep sea fans.
B) graded bedding.
C) turbidity currents.
D) turbidite deposits.
E) white smokers.
64) The major force bringing continental sediments to the open ocean is (are):
A) glaciers.
B) neritic currents.
C) rivers.
D) turbidity currents.
E) wind.
65) High energy environments are most likely to contain which one of the following?
A) clay-sized particles
B) cosmogenous sediments
C) large particles such as gravel
D) manganese nodules
E) silt-sized particles
66) Which of the following contains calcium carbonate (CaCO3)?
A) diatoms
B) foraminiferans
C) glauconite
D) phosphorites
E) radiolarians
67) Which of the following contains silica (SiO2)?
A) coccolithophores
B) corals
C) foraminiferans
D) phosphorites
E) radiolarians
68) Sediments derived form preexisting rocks are called:
A) cosmogenous.
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B) biogenous.
C) hydrogenous.
D) lithogenous.
E) volcagenic.
69) Sediments produced by plants and animals in the sea are called:
A) cosmogenous.
B) biogenous.
C) hydrogenous.
D) terriginous.
E) volcagenic.
70) Sediments produced as a result of chemical reactions in seawater are called:
A) cosmogenous.
B) biogenous.
C) hydrogenous.
D) lithogenous.
E) volcagenic.
71) Sediments with an extraterrestrial origin are called:
A) cosmogenous.
B) biogenous.
C) hydrogenous.
D) lithogenous.
E) volcagenic.
72) All of the following are lithogenous sediments except:
A) beach sand.
B) diatom ooze.
C) glacial deposits.
D) illite clays.
E) volcanogenic particles.
73) Manganese nodules are an example of:
A) biogenous sediments.
B) cosmogenous sediments.
C) hydrogenous sediments.
D) terrigenous sediments.
E) volcagenic sediments.
74) Calcium carbonate is most likely to dissolve in water with which characteristics?
A) low carbon dioxide and warm temperatures
B) lots of carbon dioxide and cold temperatures
C) lots of carbon dioxide and warm temperatures
D) low pressure and warm temperatures
E) low pressure and cold temperatures
75) The element found in some sediments which suggest that a meteorite or asteroid impact
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occurred nearby is:
A) iridium.
B) manganese.
C) strontium.
D) uranium.
E) yttrium.
76) Sediments found on continental margins are called:
A) continental.
B) estuarine.
C) neritic.
D) oceanic.
E) pelagic.
77) A very important way to increase the settling rate of fine particles in the open ocean is via:
A) carbonate dissolution.
B) deposit feeders.
C) fecal pellets.
D) precipitation.
E) wind.
78) The K-T Event is:
A) a catastrophic event that quickly cooled the Earth's climate resulting in the extinction of the
dinosaurs.
B) a layer of iron and nickel deposits in shallow water off the Caribbean coast of Mexico.
C) associated with a time period in which amphibians evolved and colonized land.
D) the period during which tree ferns and large flowering plants dominated the landscape.
E) the start of a long period of global warming during which animals increased their terrestrial
distribution to include all land masses.
79) The type of marine sediment that forms the thickest deposits world-wide is:
A) abyssal clay deposits.
B) manganese nodule deposits.
C) neritic coarse lithogenous sediment deposits.
D) neritic siliceous sediment deposits.
E) pelagic biogenous calcareous deposits.
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