SCIN 136 Midterm Exam All Possible Questions

http://www.homework-bank.com/downloads/scin-136-midterm-exam-all-possible-questions/

Question 1

Early voyagers used a variety of observations to help guide them including:

A. their sense of smellB. cloud formationsC. the appearance of more birdsD. the direction of wavesE. all of the above

Question 2

The scientific theory about the formation of the oceans is that they first formed from (the original source of the water):

A. Magma displacements. B. comet impacts C. degassing of the early Earth D. all of the aboveE. both b and c

Question 3

Besides the Navy the primary organizations who carry out “classified”

A. The U.N.B. Green PeaceC. Sierra Club D. Oil companies. E. BoeingF. the banking industry

Question 4

One use today of the Navy’s SOSUS System is to monitor________ to prevent loss of life.

A. dumping of waste in the oceans B. tsunamis

C. fish populationsD. oil drillingE. tidal cycles F. surfing championships

Question 5

The two types of technology that are mostly used to monitor deep-water oil drilling and to locate and recover deep shipwrecks are:

A. AUV’s and compassesB. ROV’s and Side-scan sonarC. GPS and radarD. Chronometers and sextantsE. B.P. stock price forecasts and FEMA bureaucrats.

Question 6

The reason that ancient sailors had trouble calculating their LONGITUDE is that they did not have reliable

A. sextantsB. astrolabesC. clocksD. compassesE. all of the above

Question 7

Our Sun is but one of billions of stars in the ________ galaxy.

A. AndromedaB. Milky WayC. Almond JoyD. NebularE. Ursa Major

Question 8

Earth is approximately how old?

A.2500 yearsB.120 million yearsC.4.6 billion years D.8.4 billion years E.10 billion years

F. It is a tie with Larry King.

Question 9

The determination of the age of rocks by studying the decay of isotopes is called:

A. carbon-14 datingB. relative datingC. radiometric datingD. absolute datingE. internet datingF. Face book dating

Question 10

The boundaries or eras of geologic time units were first set by noting:

A. which rock units were found on top of othersB. the appearance and disappearance of fossilsC. changes in the predominant color of the rocksD. the location of major faultsE. the variable location of the water tableF. They just asked Larry King.

Question 11

This is another term for Greenwich Mean Time. Think also of the military version.

A.ZULU timeB. standard timeC. Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) D. all of the aboveE. a and c above

Question 12

Earth rotates ______ degrees of longitude each hour. Thus this is roughly equal to one time zone.

A.10B.12C.15D.30E.60

Question 13

Which is the largest of the oceans?

A. The AtlanticB. The SouthernC. The IndianD. The PacificE. the Arctic

Question 14

The largest region of the Earth in terms of its volume is the:

A. crustB. mantleC. outer coreD. inner coreE. lithosphereF. the current Federal deficeit

Question 15

The reason the continents stick up higher than the ocean basins is that:

A. continents are basalt, ocean floors are quartziteB. continents are granite, ocean floors are serpentine C. the mantle pushes harder under continentsD. continents drain water, ocean floor rock absorbs itE. continents are granite, ocean floors are basalt F. the core bulges under continents

Question 16

The Theory of Plate Tectonics was first proposed by:

A. Issac HayesB. Francis BaconC. Alfred WegenerD. Frank TaylorE. Edward SuessF. It was created by CNN on a slow news day.

Question 17

About 250 million years ago there was a single landmass we call:

A. LaurasiaB PanthalassaC. PangeaD. GondwanalandE. Tethys

Question 18

At various times in the Earth’s history, North America has been part of which “supercontinent”?

A. La-La Land/OzB. LaurasiaC. GondwanalandD. PangeaE. a and cF. b and dG. a, b, and c

Question 19

Among the evidence Wegener used to support his ideas was:

A. similar old mountain ranges on different continentsB. similar fossils older than 150 million years on different continentsC. the fit of continental coastlinesD. all of the aboveE. b and c onlyF. he’d seen it on a Fox News panel discussion.

Question 20

The MAJOR force or mechanism driving plate movements would be:___________________. Thus anearthquake can occur anywhere on Earth.

A. convection cells in the mantleB. tidal forces pulling on ocean waterC. rotational forcesD. gravitational forces acting at trenches and ridges due to crustal rock densitiesE. a and c

Question 21

The site down INSIDE the Earth where an earthquake/seismic event begins is called the:

A. EpicenterB. MantleC. Outer CoreD. Focus

Question 22

Spreading rates for plates are on the order of:

A. 1 – 10 mm/yrB. 1 – 20 cm/yrC. 1 – 10 km/yrD. 20 – 30 cm/yrE. 40 – 50 mm/yr

Question 23

Besides paleomagnetism one of the largest sets of “proof” for plate tectonics are:

A. distribution of fossilsB. radioactivity in surface rocks C. world-wide tidal cycles D. variance of water depths E. all of the above

Question 24

Japan, the Marinas, Gilbert and other areas near the deep sea trenchs are called:

A. mid-ocean ridge systemsB. table mountsC. spreading zonesD. rift valleysE. island arcs

Question 25

The scientific justification for burying radioactive waste in the trenches is that:

A. the water is already radioactiveB. the waste will be carried back into the radioactive mantle by plate movementC. cold sea water neutralizes radioactivityD. it is cheap and easyE. it will help deep sea fish glow in the darkF. all of the above

Question 26

The life span of a hot spot is thought to be about __________ years.

A. 100,000B. 1 millionC. 20 millionD. 200 millionE. 1 billion

Question 27

A good example of a hot spot is:

A. HawaiiB. IcelandC. YellowstoneD. TahitiE. a and c

Question 28

Which of the following places are part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

A. AzoresB. GreenlandC. GibraltarD. IcelandE .both a and d

Question 29

Which of the following locations is LEAST likely to have a major earthquake due to its location?

A. ChileB. IranC. New ZealandD. Australia

Question 30

The place where seismic/earthquake waves come to the surface and is thus usually the center of rthe damage area and gets reported in the news is called the:

A. focusB. MohoC. epicenter D. fault line E. fracture zone

Question 31

Deep-sea volcanic vents are called:

A. subduction zonesB. island arcsC. atollsD. ridge systemsE. black smokers Question 32

Bermuda is an example of what oceanographers call:

A. a barrier islandB. a volcanoC. a ridge systemD. a tablemount/seamountE. a rift valleyF. home of pink police vehicles

Question 33

The deepest point in the oceans is found in the

A. Middle America TrenchB. Java TrenchC. Mariana TrenchD. Mid-Atlantic RidgeE. Aleutian Trench

Question 34

Which of the following has the greatest influence on the pattern of sediment distribution on the ocean floor? A. Wave action and tides.B. Weather systems and storms. C. Ocean floor rock types. D. Distance from land-masses.

Feedback: Remember distance from land has a great effect on ocean sediment distribution.

Question 35

An underwater mudslide down the continental slope is called a:

A. turbidity currentB. circumpolar currentC. gyreD. Agulhas currentE. Eckman spiral

Question 36

Manganese nodules are found MOSTLY (the main source) in the deep areas of which of the following oceans?

A. AtlanticB. ArcticC. PacificD. Indian E. Both a and b F. Both c and dG. All of the oceans listed above

Question 37

The reason that manganese nodules are found in large quantities in the central Pacific and Indian Oceans is:

A. Pacific water is warmer than any other ocean area.B. the North Pacific Gyre concentrates the material thereC. since the material precipitates very slowly out of seawater it’s the only area far enough from land where they do not get covered up by terrigenous sediments.D. Pacific and Indian Ocean waters have a higher concentration of manganese than water in the other oceans.E. because that’s where the U.N. said they should be.

Question 38

The Law of the Sea Treaty was proposed by:

A. U.S. CongressB. Green PeaceC. the Kremlin (Putin & Co.)

D. the U.N.E. the Vactican

Question 39

The UNCLOS Treaty contains provisions that cover which of the following?

A. Seabed miningB. Treasure salvageC .Right of passage for ships D. Fishing boundariesE. All of the above

Question 40

The Hadal Zone is found at which of the following oceanic features?

A. Abyssal plainsB. Continental SlopeC. Continental ShelfD. Trenches

Question 41

The average salinity of the oceans is about ______ 0/000.

A. 35B. 30C. 37D. 28E. 18F. the same as the stuff Donald Trump sprays on his comb-over hair.

Question 42

Deep water is often rich in:

A. dissolved gasB. plant lifeC. nutrientsD. all of the aboveE. a and c

Question 43

The density of seawater increases with:

A. increasing salinityB. increasing temperatureC. decreasing pressureD. decreasing temperatureE. a and d

Question 44

Which of these physical forces travels the greatest distance in seawater?

A. light penetrationB. sound waves C. electric current D. magnetic forces

Feedback: That is how sonar and echo-location by marine mammals works.

Question 45

Changes in the density of seawater are caused mostly by changes in:

A. temperatureB. pressureC. salinityD. all of the above E.a and c

Question 46

Oxygen is put into seawater primarily by the process of:

A. ChemosynthesisB. RespirationC. UpwellingD. Photosynthesis Question 47

The main reasons that there is an increase in oxygen in deep ocean water is that:

A. there is more photosynthesis than respirationB. there are few animals at depth and cold water can hold more oxygenC. more volcanic activity and sediment depositionD. warmer water near the vents and less sediment depositionE. all of the aboveF .the Disney creatures that live down there have been told not to breath.

Question 48

Which of these is the major cause of the layering of the water column in the different “zones” of the oceans?

A. differences in water density caused by temperature and salinityB. the shape of the oceans floor in different areas C. plate movement which disturbs the water columnD. the differences in sedimentation rates in different areas of the oceans

Question 49

Which of these places has the highest albedo?

A. The CongoB. The Australian OutbackC. Siberian tiagaD. The lava fields of the Big Island of HawaiiE. AntarcticaF. The Jersey Shore

Question 50

The worst season (when they would be the greatest hazard) for icebergs in the North Atlantic would be:

A. SpringB. FallC. WinterD. SummerE. Holiday ShoppingF. football

Question 51

Which of the following countries owns a large territory that gives it considerable coastline on the Arctic Ocean?

A. SwedenB .DenmarkC. BritainD .KoreaE. China

Question 52

Icebergs float with only about ______ percent of their mass above water.

A.5B.12C.18D.25E.30

Question 53

The main interest by countries competing in the Arctic Ocean is:

A. undersea oil explorationB. underwater cable layingC. deep-sea mining operations for metal-sulfides from black smokers D. fish resource researchE. beach resort development

Question 54

Which of the following navigation instruments WOULD NOT work well in the Arctic?

A.GPSB. AstroladeC. SextantD. LoranE. Compass

Question 55

Continentality causes:

A. hurricanesB. moderate air temperature changes winter to summerC. extreme air temperature changes winter to summerD. typhoonsE. extremely high humidity

Question 56

The maximum seasonal change in sea surface temperature, which occurs anywhere in the world ocean is about:

A. 0 to 2 CB. 1 to 2 °C

C. 2 to 5 °CD. 5 to 8°CE. 15 to 20 °CF.12 to 14 °C

Question 57

In which of these places maximum seasonal change in sea surface temperature, would be seen?

A. off of CaliforniaB. off of MaineC. off of TahitiD. off of North & South CarolinaE. off of AlaskaF. off of Hawaii

Question 58

The Coriolis Effect is caused by:

A. the pull of Sun and Moon’s gravityB. tectonic plate movementsC. revolution of the Earth around the SunD. rotation of the Earth.E. party power shifts in Congress.

Question 59

The Coriolis effect:

A. is maximum at the equatorB. is zero at the polesC. causes all objects in motion to be deflected due to the Earth’s rotation.D. all of the aboveE. none of the above

Question 60

The areas of constant high air pressure on land most likely result in what type of climate in these areas?

A. tiaga forestsB. dense swamps like the EvergladesC. tropical rainforestsD. deserts and grasslands

E. temperate rainforests like the Olympic Peninsula

Question 61

The continential United States (the Lower 48) lies in the _________ prevailing wind belt.

A. Trade WindsB. Polar EasterliesC. DoldrumsD. Westerlies

Question 62

The region of rising air at the Equator is called the:

A. horse latitudesB. equatorial high pressure beltC. doldrumsD. monsoonE. prevailing westerlies

Question 63

A strong wind at high LATITUDES that influences weather patterns is called (can bring really frigid weather in winter):

A. the jet stream B. the easterliesC. the upper air monsoon D. a typhoonE. none of the above

Question 64

In the vicinity of Hawaii, the Trade Winds blow:

A. From the west towards the eastB. From the northwest towards the southeastC. From the northeast towards the southwestD .From the east towards the westE. From the south towards the north

Question 65

Hurricanes and typhoons cannot cross the Equator due to:

A. lack of heat energy in that areaB. strong surface ocean currentsC. lack of Coriolis spin at O-degrees latitudeD. strong seismic forces in that areaE. severe emotional depression leading to the lack of will to do so.

Feedback: Remember these storms require Coriolis spin to maintain their circulation.

Question 66

Hurricane season in most years in the North Atlantic is from:

A. May-AugB. Dec-MarC. Jul-JanD. Jun-NovE. Feb-JulF. just when your Time-Share is available

Question 67 The seasonal wind changes that create the wet and dry seasons for South Asia due to the winds blowing from the ocean or towards the ocean and thus affect the food supply for millions of people are called:

A. rain shadowB. monsoonsC. advective windsD. doldrumsE. all of the above

Question 68

Tornadoes develop from which of the following weather phenomenon?

A. Squall-lines of thunderstormsB. Nor’ EastersC. High Pressure SystemsD. Trade WindsE. Polar Easterly Winds

Question 69

Which of the following modes of transportation causes the greatest exposure to short-wave ionizing radiation?

A. Ship and barge transport B. RailroadsC. AirlinesD. Trucking E. Private cars

Question 70

Which of the following events would have the largest and most long-lasting impact upon the Peruvian upwelling?

A. An earthquake off of Japan with a resulting tsunami. B. A typhoon hitting Australia.C. El NinoD. A turbidity current off of Malaysia

Question 71

Which of the following navigational routes might become a major shipping route due to possible climatechange?

A. The Panama CanalB. The Suez CanalC. The Strait of HormuzD. The Northwest PassageE. Drakes Passage

Question 72

Which of the following navigational routes and its sea-lanes is currently the most problematic due to piracy?

A. The Panama CanalB. The Suez CanalC. The Greenland-Iceland GapD. The Northwest PassageE. Drakes Passage

Question 73

El Niño effects which of these phenomenon:

A. volcanic eruptionsB. weather patterns

C. tidal cyclesD. photosynthesisE. plate movements

Question 74

The El Nino cycles seem to occur every (how often do the occur):

A.1 – 2 yearsB.3-7 yearsC. 8- 10 yearsD. 11- 15yearsE. 20 – 30 years

Question 75

19 of 20 La Niña weather patterns are associated with which of the following?

A. unusually cold surface water in the eastern tropical Pacific B. unusually strong trade windsC. dry conditions over western South America

Question 75

La Niña weather patterns are associated with which of the following?

A. unusually cold surface water in the eastern tropical PacificB. unusually strong trade windsC. dry conditions over western South AmericaD. wet conditions in the western Pacific basinE. all of the above/all weather phenomenon cited aboveF. higher divorce rates among Hollywood stars