MODULE 3 QUIZ: Oceanography 101

Check the Course Syllabus for the DUE DATE of this quiz.

Come to class on the due date with a SCANTRON filled in with your answers.  You must submit a SCANTRON to receive credit, not a printout with boxes checked.

This Quiz Set covers Chapter 8, Chapter 9, and Chapter 10 in the Essentials of Oceanography textbook (9th edition by Trujillo & Thurman).  I encourage you to print out the quiz and work on it as you read each chapter.  There are 45 questions, 15 for each chapter.  The questions are in random order; that is, not necessarily in the order the topics are covered in each chapter.

Chapter 8

  1.

Forces that cause ocean waves include

(a) wind.

(b) underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.

(c) the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun.

(d) human activities.

(e) All of the above.

  2.

Waves at the ocean surface are examples of ___________________ waves, because ___________________.

(a) transverse waves ... because the water moves up-and-down as the waves pass by.

(b) orbital waves ... the water moves in a circle or ellipse as the waves pass by

(c) longitudinal waves ... the water is compressed, like the air is compressed by a sound wave

(d) internal waves ... the water moves at the boundary between the water and the air

(e) stadium waves ... the water moves up-and-down like fans making a wave at a football stadium.

  3.

Imagine a wave with a 300 foot wavelength approaching the shore. What is the "wave base" for this wave? (In other words, at what water depth will water motion in the wave begin to touch the sea floor?)

(a) 600 feet.

(b) 300 feet.

(c) 150 feet

(d) 50 feet.

(e) Can't tell without more information.

  4.

A LIMPET is a

(a) type of tsunami warning system.

(b) a satellite that measures ocean wave heights from space.

(c) A system for generating electrical power from waves.

(d) A type of OTEC system.

(e) None of the above.

  5.

Which tsunami caused the greatest number of deaths in human history?

(a) Krakatau tsunmai of August 27, 1883

(b) Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004

(c) Sea of Japan tsunami of July 12, 1993

(d) Irian Jaya tsunami of February 17, 1996

(e) The Alaska (Aleutian Trench) tsunami of April 1, 1946

  6.

Internal waves are most closely associated with

(a) tropical cyclones.

(b) undersea earthquakes.

(c) the pycnocline.

(d) shallow water.

(e) constructive interference.

  7.

Which of the following is CORRECT regarding the speed of waves? (Hint: check Figure 8.6.)

(a) A wave will generally speed up as it comes into shallow water.

(b) The longer the wavelength, the faster the wave.

(c) A transitional wave will travel faster than a deep-water wave.

(d) A short period wave will be faster than a long period wave.

(e) A wind wave will be faster than a tsunami.

  8.

The growth of wind waves depends on

(a) the fetch.

(b) the duration of the wind (how long the wind blows).

(c) the wind speed.

(d) (a), (b) and (c) above.

(e) None of the above.

  9.

A storm far out at sea has made waves of many different wavelengths. As these waves move away from the storm area

(a) they will slow down, since the storm wind will no longer push them along.

(b) the short wavelength waves will overtake and pass the long wavelength waves.

(c) the wave trains will move at twice the speed of the waves themselves.

(d) the waves will be bent into curving paths by the Coriolis effect.

(e) the waves will separate out into uniform, symmetrical groups of waves called swells.

  10.

As waves out at sea come into shallow water near shore

(a) the wavelength decreases.

(b) the waves slow down.

(c) the wave height increases.

(d) the waves break when their height:length ratio gets larger than 1:7.

(e) All of the above.

  11.

What do "rogue waves" and "surf beat" have in common?

(a) They both have regular, predictable occurrences.

(b) They both occur far from shore.

(c) They both are products of wave interference.

(d) They both behave like deep-water waves.

(e) These are two different terms for the same thing.

  12.

Waves coming in toward the shore tend to bend and become more parallel to the shore as a result of

(a) constructive interference.

(b) destructive interference.

(c) pollution.

(d) refraction.

(e) reflection.

  13.

The waves observed on the U.S. Navy tanker ship Ramapo were unique because

(a) they hold the record for the largest wind waves ever measured.

(b) they were the first meteorite impact-generated waves seen by people.

(c) they were they first rogue waves ever photographed.

(d) no waves had ever sunk such a large ship before.

(e) they had the most awesome left-breaking tubes, dude!

  14.

A tsunami could be caused by

(a) storms far out at sea.

(b) undersea volcanic eruptions, fault movements, or landslides.

(c) a seismic sea wave.

(d) constructive interference of several smaller waves to make a very large wave.

(e) strong and persistent prevailing winds and a very large fetch.

  15.

Which of the following is/are CORRECT regarding a tsunami?

(a) Either the crest or the trough of a tsunami may arrive at the shoreline first, causing either a landward surge or a seaward withdrawal of water.

(b) A typical tsunami is a rapidly rising rush of water onto land, not a down-crashing wave.

(c) Most destructive tsunami occur in the Atlantic Ocean, and the main tsunami warning system is located in the Atlantic too.

(d) Both (a) and (b) above are correct.

(e) Both (b) and (c) above are correct.

 

 

Chapter 9

  16.

The main force that causes ocean tides is

(a) the rotation of the Earth.

(b) water displaced by underwater earthquakes and landslides.

(c) Ekman Transport and the Coriolis effect.

(d) the gravity of the Sun and the Moon.

(e) the trade winds.

  17.

The timing of the tides follows the lunar day. Therefore, if a high tide is at 3:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon, then on Tuesday afternoon you would expect a high tide at about ______________.

(a) 2:10 p.m.

(b) 3:00 p.m.

(c) 3:50 p.m.

(d) 4:30 p.m.

(e) 5:00 p.m.

  18.

A tidal bore is

(a) a tide that just talks about itself and never shuts up.

(b) the rotary movement of a tidal wave around an amphidromic point.

(c) a special type of tidal surge that occurs only in certain areas of Scandinavia.

(d) a tidal process most likely to be seen during the first quarter and third quarter phases of the Moon.

(e) a wave caused by an incoming tide moving up a river.

  19.

A tidal pattern with two nearly equal high tides and two nearly equal low tides per lunar day is called

(a) diurnal.

(b) quasidiurnal.

(c) semidiurnal.

(d) metrodiurnal.

(e) mixed.

  20.

In the open ocean, tides can best be described as doing what?

(a) Rotating around an amphidromic point.

(b) Cresting.

(c) Boring.

(d) Flooding.

(e) Ebbing.

  21.

The greatest tidal ranges will occur when the Moon is at ___________ and the Earth is at ___________.

(a) perigee ... perihelion

(b) perigee ... aphelion

(c) apogee ... perihelion

(d) apogee ... aphelion

(e) aphelion ... apogee

  22.

Tides are caused by the Earth rotating under two tidal bulges. Therefore, if a place on one side of the Earth is having a high tide, a place on the exact opposite side of the Earth will likely have __________________ at the same time.

(a) a semidiurnal tide

(b) a neap tide

(c) a low tide

(d) a high tide

(e) a mixed tide

  23.

The tides along the coast of California are _____________ tides, whereas the tides along the east coast of the US are _______________ tides. (Hint: check out Figure 9.15.)

(a) semidiurnal tides ... diurnal tides

(b) diurnal tides ... mixed tides

(c) mixed tides ... semidiurnal tides

(d) flood tides ... ebb tides

(e) lunar tides ... solar tides

  24.

When the Sun, Moon, and Earth are all in line, 

(Hint: the answer relates to the formation of spring and neap tides.)   

(a) the overall gravitational attraction on the oceans will be less.

(b) the arrival of the high tide will be delayed.

(c) the arrival of both the high and low tides will be sped up.

(d) there will be little difference between high tide and low tide.

(e) the highest high and lowest low tides will occur.

  25.

What would tides be like on Earth if the Moon did not exist?

(a) Since the Moon makes the tides, there would be no tides at all.

(b) Since the Sun also has an effect on the tides, there would still be tides but the tidal range would be less.

(c) Tides would occur, and the tidal range would be greater.

(d) Since the Earth would still orbit the Sun, there would be hardly any difference compared to the tides we have now.

(e) Tides would occur, but they would only be mixed tides.

  26.

Of the options given, which phase of the Moon would have the smallest tidal range?
(Hint: the answer relates to the formation of spring and neap tides.)  

(a) Crescent Moon

(b) New Moon

(c) Full Moon

(d) Quarter Moon

(e) Gibbous Moon

  27.

Which of the following would you expect to see in the Bay of Fundy?

(a) powerful ebb currents

(b) the world's largest tidal range

(c) the tidal range increasing from the mouth of the bay northward to the head of the bay

(d) (a), (b) and (c) above.

(e) None of the above.

  28.

An amphidromic point is

(a) a place where the tides start each tidal day.

(b) a place where the tides stop each tidal day.

(c) a point in the ocean around which the tide wave rotates, and where there is little or no tidal range.

(d) a place where the tidal range (the vertical sea surface change from high tide to low tide) is greatest.

(e) the breaking crest of a tidal bore.

  29.

Which of the following represents the main disadvantage of generating electricity from the tides?

(a) Tides are too powerful to be used for electrical power generation, although people have tried.

(b) The lunar day is not equal to the solar (24 hour) day.

(c) Spring tides are not equal to neap tides.

(d) Tides are reversing currents, but electrical turbines can spin in only one direction.

(e) There are less than ten places on earth where tidal ranges are great enough to generate electricity effectively.

  30.

The imbalance (inequality) of the Moon's gravitational force versus the centripetal force created by the orbit of the Earth and Moon around each other

(a) causes all the ocean water to flow to the side of the Earth away from the Moon.

(b) causes spring tides on one side of the Earth and neap tides on the other at the same time.

(c) causes amphidromic tides.

(d) causes two tidal bulges; one at the North Pole and one at the South Pole.

(e) causes two tidal bulges; one facing the Moon, and one on the opposite side of the Earth from the Moon.

 

 

Chapter 10

  31.

A berm is

(a) gently sloping and usually dry.

(b) gently sloping and usually wet.

(c) steeply sloping and usually dry.

(d) steeply sloping and usually wet.

(e) Cannot make any such generalization.

  32.

Worldwide (eustatic) changes in sea level can be caused by

(a) changes in the sizes of glaciers and ice caps.

(b) changes in rates of sea floor spreading.

(c) changes in ocean temperature.

(d) (a), (b) and (c) above.

(e) None of the above.

  33.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (North Carolina) is a good example of dealing with coastal erosion by

(a) beach compartmentalization.

(b) seawall construction.

(c) hard stabilization.

(d) relocation.

(e) beach replenishment.

  34.

Submerging shorelines commonly have

(a) uplifted marine terraces.

(b) drowned beaches and drowned river valleys.

(c) wave-cut cliffs above sea level.

(d) groins and jetties.

(e) All of the above.

  35.

Which of the regions of the beach system listed would be the farthest from land?

(a) backshore

(b) berm

(c) beach face

(d) foreshore

(e) longshore bar

  36.

Along the Pacific Coast of the U.S., heavy wave activity is more common in winter than in summer. Therefore, which of the following is correct about Pacific Coast beaches in winter?

(a) Both the berms and the longshore bars are large.

(b) The berms are large and well-developed, but the longshore bars are small.

(c) The berms are small, but the longshore bars are large.

(d) Both the berms and the longshore bars are small.

(e) Cannot make any such generalization.

  37.

What do the beaches of both the U.S. east coast and U.S. west coast have in common?

(a) Both coasts have abundant barrier islands.

(b) The average longshore drift direction on both coasts is from north to south.

(c) Both coasts are rising, and so are dominated by emergent shoreline features.

(d) Both coasts are sinking, and so are dominated by submergent shoreline features.

(e) None of the above.

  38.

Rip currents flow __________________, and if you are caught in one, you should ___________________.

(a) parallel to shore ... float with the current until it dies out

(b) parallel to shore ... swim toward shore to get back to the beach

(c) away from shore ... say your prayers, because you're as good as dead!

(d) away from shore ... swim hard against the current to get back to the beach

(e) away from shore ... swim parallel to shore to get out of the current

  39.

What happens to the sand at the end of a typical beach compartment? (Hint: see Figure 10.12 and the associated text.)

(a) The sand flows down a submarine canyon.

(b) The sand piles up at a river delta.

(c) The sand accumulates in longshore bars offshore of the beach.

(d) The sand forms a large sand spit.

(e) The sand forms a tombolo.

  40.

Which of the following is true of barrier islands along the coasts of the U.S.?

(a) They are more common on the US west coast than on the US east coast.

(b) They migrate landward with rising sea level.

(c) They are generally separated from the mainland by a lagoon.

(d) (a) and (b) above.

(e) (b) and (c) above.

  41.

Longshore drift (longshore transport) describes the net movement of sand

(a) toward the beach when the waves are small.

(b) away from the beach when the waves are large.

(c) along the beach in the direction the waves are going.

(d) along the beach in the opposite direction the waves are going.

(e) down a submarine canyon.

  42.

Human activities that have contributed to shoreline erosion include

(a) construction of jetties and groins along beaches.

(b) construction of seawalls along beaches.

(c) construction of dams on rivers.

(d) (a), (b) and (c) above.

(e) None of the above.

  43.

Which of the following is a correct statement about changes in sea level?

(a) Sea level changes have been measured by tide gauges and by satellites.

(b) Sea level rise can be caused by polar ice melting and/or by thermal expansion of warmer oceans.

(c) During the sea level fluctuations of the Pleistocene Epoch, global sea level fell more than 1000 feet below present levels.

(d) a) and b) above are both correct.

(e) b) and c) above are both correct.

  44.

Because dams on rivers have in many cases lead to _______________, people have turned to _______________ to help restore eroded beaches.

(a) beach starvation ... beach replenishment

(b) beach progression ... beach regression

(c) beach cementation ... jackhammers

(d) delta formation ... dredging

(e) relocation ... hard stabilization

  45.

Which of the following is NOT a feature of a depositional shoreline?

(a) sand spit

(b) sea arch

(c) bay mouth bar

(d) tombolo

(e) delta