Question 1

The castle on the island of Mont Saint-Michel,France,can be accessed ________ a day during ________ tide,but ________ during neap tide.

Accepted Answer

A) twice;high;all day 
B) once;low;all day 
C) twice;low;never 
D) once;high;never 
A) twice;high;all day 
B) once;low;all day 
C) twice;low;never 
D) once;high;never C

Question 2

You have been given the extraordinary opportunity to take Alvin (a submersible)down into the Atlantic Ocean to examine how the seafloor sediments have changed throughout geologic history.You can use Alvin in only one location,however.Where do you pick to visit to get the most out of your trip inside Alvin?

Accepted Answer

A) down along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge 
B) any spot in the abyssal plain 
C) just off the coast of Iceland 
D) just off the coast of North America 
A) down along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge 
B) any spot in the abyssal plain 
C) just off the coast of Iceland 
D) just off the coast of North America D

Question 3

Mid-ocean ridges (MORs),which are the sites of new oceanic crust formation,are linear mountain chains that run along divergent plate boundaries.Why does an MOR sit up higher than the surrounding oceanic crust?

Accepted Answer

A) Hot materials are less dense and shrink,thus the new crust will sit higher than the surrounding crust. 
B) As the hot magma exits the MOR,it shoots up higher than the surrounding crust. 
C) Hot materials are less dense and expand,thus the new crust will sit higher than the surrounding crust. 
D) Hot,geothermal waters cause the new crust to expand and sit higher than the surrounding crust. 
A) Hot materials are less dense and shrink,thus the new crust will sit higher than the surrounding crust. 
B) As the hot magma exits the MOR,it shoots up higher than the surrounding crust. 
C) Hot materials are less dense and expand,thus the new crust will sit higher than the surrounding crust. 
D) Hot,geothermal waters cause the new crust to expand and sit higher than the surrounding crust. C

Question 4

At the equatorial ocean basins,the sea surface temperatures may reach 25°C or greater.What is the range of temperatures for the seafloor,approximately 4-5 km below?

Accepted Answer

A) slightly warmer (33°
C)  
B) about room temperature (25°
C)  
C) cool (10°C-15°
C)  
D) near freezing (1°C-2°
C)  
A) slightly warmer (33°
C)  
B) about room temperature (25°
C)  
C) cool (10°C-15°
C)  
D) near freezing (1°C-2°
C)

Question 5

High tide will be ________ during a full moon than normally.

Accepted Answer

A) the same 
B) lower 
C) higher 
D) reversed 
A) the same 
B) lower 
C) higher 
D) reversed

Question 6

You are running a sonar survey to map the bathymetry of an ocean basin.Using the following continuous sonar data giving the depth of the seafloor,what feature have you just discovered?

Accepted Answer

A) an abyssal plain 
B) a deep trench 
C) a mid-ocean ridge 
D) a continental shelf 
A) an abyssal plain 
B) a deep trench 
C) a mid-ocean ridge 
D) a continental shelf

Question 7

Bioturbation is the ________.

Accepted Answer

A) generation of turbidity currents by sea creatures 
B) mixing of sediment by plankton 
C) mixing of sediment by burrowing organisms 
D) formation of biochemical sedimentary rocks 
A) generation of turbidity currents by sea creatures 
B) mixing of sediment by plankton 
C) mixing of sediment by burrowing organisms 
D) formation of biochemical sedimentary rocks

Question 8

Saline ocean water is ________ dense than fresh water and provides ________ buoyancy to objects floating in it.

Accepted Answer

A) less;more 
B) less;less 
C) more;more 
D) more;less 
A) less;more 
B) less;less 
C) more;more 
D) more;less

Question 9

In the figure below,which way is the wave moving?

Accepted Answer

A) to the right 
B) to the left 
C) back and forth 
D) The wave is stationary. 
A) to the right 
B) to the left 
C) back and forth 
D) The wave is stationary.

Question 10

Which of the following would be an area of the ocean with the least dense water?

Accepted Answer

A) the mouth of the Amazon River 
B) off the coast of Greenland 
C) the middle of the Pacific Ocean 
D) off the coast of Madagascar 
A) the mouth of the Amazon River 
B) off the coast of Greenland 
C) the middle of the Pacific Ocean 
D) off the coast of Madagascar

Question 11

Compared with the continental crust,the oceanic crust is ________.

Accepted Answer

A) denser 
B) less dense 
C) about the same density 
D) about half as dense 
A) denser 
B) less dense 
C) about the same density 
D) about half as dense

Question 12

Which portion of the seafloor is most steeply sloped?

Accepted Answer

A) abyssal plains 
B) continental shelves 
C) continental slopes 
D) continental rises 
A) abyssal plains 
B) continental shelves 
C) continental slopes 
D) continental rises

Question 13

What will eventually happen to the headlands in the figure below?

Accepted Answer

A) They will join as the bays in between fill with sediment. 
B) They will become a straight line of cliffs as rock is eroded away. 
C) They will remain as they are for millions of years. 
D) The sea will submerge them as the terrace is uplifted. 
A) They will join as the bays in between fill with sediment. 
B) They will become a straight line of cliffs as rock is eroded away. 
C) They will remain as they are for millions of years. 
D) The sea will submerge them as the terrace is uplifted.

Question 14

If a beach is in an east-west orientation and the waves are approaching the shore from a southeasterly direction,in which direction will the longshore drift be?

Accepted Answer

A) northern 
B) western 
C) southern 
D) eastern 
A) northern 
B) western 
C) southern 
D) eastern

Question 15

In the figure below,which direction is the longshore drift?

Accepted Answer

A) south 
B) east 
C) west 
D) It is not possible to tell. 
A) south 
B) east 
C) west 
D) It is not possible to tell.

Question 16

The shallowest portions of an ocean found along the margins of continents are the ________.

Accepted Answer

A) abyssal plains 
B) continental rises 
C) continental shelves 
D) continental slopes 
A) abyssal plains 
B) continental rises 
C) continental shelves 
D) continental slopes

Question 17

Sea level is currently rising at 3.3 mm/yr,and scientists predict that global warming could cause a rise in sea level of 7 m if left unabated.How long will it take the sea to rise 7 m at the current rate?

Accepted Answer

A) 2,121 years 
B) 0.0004 year 
C) 2.121 years 
D) 0.47 year 
A) 2,121 years 
B) 0.0004 year 
C) 2.121 years 
D) 0.47 year

Question 18

Because of wave refraction,erosion along an irregular coastline is ________.

Accepted Answer

A) even along the length of the coast 
B) greatest along headlands 
C) greatest in bays 
D) the same as it would be along a regular coastline 
A) even along the length of the coast 
B) greatest along headlands 
C) greatest in bays 
D) the same as it would be along a regular coastline

Question 19

Major oceanic surface currents travel ________.

Accepted Answer

A) parallel to the prevailing wind direction in a region 
B) in direct opposition to prevailing winds as a result of the Coriolis effect 
C) at an angle to prevailing winds as a result of the Coriolis effect 
D) at an angle to prevailing winds as a result of the Doppler effect 
A) parallel to the prevailing wind direction in a region 
B) in direct opposition to prevailing winds as a result of the Coriolis effect 
C) at an angle to prevailing winds as a result of the Coriolis effect 
D) at an angle to prevailing winds as a result of the Doppler effect

Question 20

Why is a spring tide so much higher than a normal high tide?

Accepted Answer

A) because the Sun is aligned with the moon 
B) because the moon is aligned with Earth 
C) because the moon is directly over the north pole 
D) because the Sun is directly over the north pole 
A) because the Sun is aligned with the moon 
B) because the moon is aligned with Earth 
C) because the moon is directly over the north pole 
D) because the Sun is directly over the north pole

Exam 18: Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

The castle on the island of Mont Saint-Michel,France,can be accessed ________ a day during ________ tide,but ________ during neap tide.

Mid-ocean ridges (MORs),which are the sites of new oceanic crust formation,are linear mountain chains that run along divergent plate boundaries.Why does an MOR sit up higher than the surrounding oceanic crust?

At the equatorial ocean basins,the sea surface temperatures may reach 25°C or greater.What is the range of temperatures for the seafloor,approximately 4-5 km below?

High tide will be ________ during a full moon than normally.

You are running a sonar survey to map the bathymetry of an ocean basin.Using the following continuous sonar data giving the depth of the seafloor,what feature have you just discovered?

Bioturbation is the ________.

Saline ocean water is ________ dense than fresh water and provides ________ buoyancy to objects floating in it.

In the figure below,which way is the wave moving?

Which of the following would be an area of the ocean with the least dense water?

Compared with the continental crust,the oceanic crust is ________.

Which portion of the seafloor is most steeply sloped?

What will eventually happen to the headlands in the figure below?

If a beach is in an east-west orientation and the waves are approaching the shore from a southeasterly direction,in which direction will the longshore drift be?

In the figure below,which direction is the longshore drift?

The shallowest portions of an ocean found along the margins of continents are the ________.

Sea level is currently rising at 3.3 mm/yr,and scientists predict that global warming could cause a rise in sea level of 7 m if left unabated.How long will it take the sea to rise 7 m at the current rate?

Because of wave refraction,erosion along an irregular coastline is ________.

Major oceanic surface currents travel ________.

Why is a spring tide so much higher than a normal high tide?

Cosmology and the Birth of Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Drifting Continents and Spreading Seas

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags,cracks,and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Squeezing Power From a Stone: Energy Resources

Riches in Rock: Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

An Envelope of Gas: Earths Atmosphere and Climate

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Introducing Rocks

a Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

the Rock Cycle in the Earth System

the Earths Interior, revisited: Seismic Layering, gravity, and the Magnetic Field

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Filters

The castle on the island of Mont Saint-Michel,France,can be accessed a day during tide,but during neap tide.

Saline ocean water is dense than fresh water and provides buoyancy to objects floating in it.