Exam 12: The Ocean and the Atmosphere

Christopher Columbus sailed west to America on which of the illustrated surface ocean currents?

The transition zone in the figure of the ocean's temperature layering is called the _____.

The stratosphere contains approximately _____of the atmosphere's mass.

The salinity of seawater averages between 3.3-3.7 percent.

At the base of a wave-cut cliff,one will usually find a_____.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from approximately 320 ppm to over 360 ppm in the past 50 years.

A ridge of sand and gravel that connects an island to a mainland is a(n)_____.

Temperatures in the ocean deep zone (see figure below)reach down on average to _____°C.

The process in which wave energy is realigned parallel to the contours of the seafloor is _____.

A complete water circulation in the ocean "conveyor belt" takes _____ years.

Surface currents in the Northern Hemisphere tend to curve to the right (clockwise).

Salt in ocean water comes from volcanic sources and rock weathering.

The type of energy absorbed by the ocean when water evaporates and then freezes upon release is referred to as _____.

Two processes that tend to make seawater saltier are_____ and evaporation of surface water.

A current within the surf zone that,as shown in the figure below,parallels the shoreline is a(n)_____ current.

Where do surface currents derive their energy,and why are they predictable?

Why does the accumulation of salt in the oceans NOT provide a means to estimate how long the oceans have existed?

Atmospheric convection cells in low latitudes (0°-30°)are called _____cells.

Barrier islands typically feature _____.

A long,narrow,sandy island lying offshore and parallel to a lowland coast is a(n)_____.