SCIN 136 Midterm Exam All Possible Questions

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Question 1
Early voyagers used a variety of observations to help guide them including:
A.their sense of smell
B.cloud formations
C.the appearance of more birds
D.the direction of waves
E.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 above
E.both b and c

Question 3
Besides the Navy the primary organizations who carry out "classified" A.the U.N.
B.Green Peace
C.Sierra Club D.oil companies. E.Boeing
F.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
1 of 20 B.tsunamis
C.fish populations
D.oil drilling
E.tidal cycles

SCIN-136 Mid-Term Exam

B.tsunamis
C.fish populations
D.oil drilling
E.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 compasses
B.ROV's and Side-scan sonar
C.GPS and radar
D.Chronometers and sextants
E.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.sextants
B.astrolabes
C.clocks
D.compasses
E.all of the above
Feedback: Remember the Forum 1-B questions about John Harrison.
Question 7
Our Sun is but one of billions of stars in the ________ galaxy.
A.Andromeda
B.Milky Way
C.Almond Joy
D.Nebular
E.Ursa Major

Question 8
Earth is approximately how old? A.2500 years
B.120 million years

2 of 20 C.4.6 billion years D.8.4 billion years E.10 billion years

F.It is a tie with Larry King.

SCIN-136 Mid-Term Exam

B.120 million years
C.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 dating
B.relative dating
C.radiometric dating
D.absolute dating
E.internet dating
F.Facebook 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 others
B.the appearance and disappearance of fossils
C.changes in the predominant color of the rocks
D.the location of major faults
E.the variable location of the water table
F.They just asked Larry King.

Might human remains become index fossils at some point? Something to think about. Extinction isn't nice but in the
Earth's history it's normal.
Question 11

This is another term for Greenwich Mean Time. Think also of the military version.
A.ZULU time
B.standard time
C.Universal Time Coordinated (UTC)
D.all of the above
3 of 20 E.a and c above 10/11/14, 4:54 PM

.
SCIN-136 Mid-Term Exam
C.Universal Time Coordinated (UTC)
D.all of the above
E.a and c above

Question 12
Earth rotates ______ degrees of longitude each hour. Thus this is roughly equal to one time zone.
A.10
B.12
C.15
D.30
E.60

Question 13
Which is the largest of the oceans?
A.The Atlantic
B.The Southern
C.The Indian
D.The Pacific

E.the Arctic

Question 14
The largest region of the Earth in terms of its volume is the:
A.crust
B.mantle
C.outer core
D.inner core
E.lithosphere
F.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
quartzite
B.continents are granite, ocean floors are serpentine C.the mantle pushes harder under continents
4 of 20 D.continents drain water, ocean floor rock absorbs it E.continents are granite, ocean floors are basalt F.the
core bulges under continents

B.continents are granite, ocean floors are serpentine

C.the mantle pushes harder under continents
D.continents drain water, ocean floor rock absorbs it
E.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 Hayes
B.Francis Bacon
C.Alfred Wegener
D.Frank Taylor
E.Edward Suess
F.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.Laurasia
B.Panthalassa
C.Pangea
D.Gondwanaland
E.Tethys

Question 18
At various times in the Earth's history, North America has been part of which "supercontinent"?
A.La-La Land/Oz
B.Laurasia
C.Gondwanaland
D.Pangea
E.a and c
F.b and d
G.a, b, and c

Question 19
Among the evidence Wegener used to support his ideas was:

A.similar old mountain ranges on dierent continents

B.similar fossils older than 150 million years on dierent continents
C.the fit of continental coastlines
5 of 20 D.all of the above
E.b and c only
F.he'd seen it on a Fox News panel discussion.

C.the fit of continental coastlines

D.all of the above
E.b and c only
F.he'd seen it on a Fox News panel discussion.

Question 20
The MAJOR force or mechanism driving plate movements would be:___________________. Thus an
earthquake can occur anywhere on Earth.
A.convection cells in the mantle
B.tidal forces pulling on ocean water
C.rotational forces
D.gravitational forces acting at trenches and ridges due to crustal rock densities
E.a and c

Question 21
The site down INSIDE the Earth where an earthquake/seismic event begins is called the:
A.Epicenter
B.Mantle
C.Outer Core
D.Focus

Question 22
Spreading rates for plates are on the order of:
A.1 - 10 mm/yr
B.1 - 20 cm/yr
C.1 - 10 km/yr
D.20 - 30 cm/yr

E.40 - 50 mm/yr

Question 23
Besides paleomagnetism one of the largest sets of "proof" for plate tectonics are: A.distribution of fossils
B.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:

Japan, the Marinas, Gilbert and other areas near the deep sea trenchs are called:
A.mid-ocean ridge systems
B.tablemounts
C.spreading zones
D.rift valeys
E.island arcs

Question 25
The scientific justification for burying radioactive waste in the trenches is that:
A.the water is already radioactive
B.the waste will be carried back into the radioactive mantle by plate movement
C.cold sea water neutralizes radioactivity
D.it is cheap and easy
E.it will help deep sea fish glow in the dark
F.all of the above

Question 26
The life span of a hot spot is thought to be about __________ years.
A.100,000
B.1 million
C.20 million
D.200 million
E.1 billion

Question 27
A good example of a hot spot is:
A.Hawaii
B.Iceland
C.Yellowstone
D.Tahiti
E.a and c

Feedback: Remember hot spots are volcanic features that are not on plate boundaries. Iceland is on the plate
boundary. Yellowstone and Hawaii are not.
Question 28
Which of the following places are part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?
A.Azores
B.Greenland
C.Gibraltar
D.Iceland
E.both a and d

Question 29
Which of the following locations is LEAST likely to have a major earthquake due to its location?
A.Chile
B.Iran
C.New Zealand
D.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.focus
B.Moho
C.epicenter D.fault line E.fracture zone

Question 31
Deep-sea volcanic vents are called:
A.subduction zones
B.island arcs
C.atolls
D.ridge systems
E.black smokers
Question 32

Feedback: These black-smokers contain very valuable metal sulfides that can and on a very small scale are being
mined. Many rich ore deposits on land were once undersea black-smokers that were tectonically
up-lifted.
Question 32
Bermuda is an example of what oceanographers call:
A.a barrier island
B.a volcano
C.a ridge system
D.a tablemount/seamount
E.a rift valley
F.home of pink police vehicles

Question 33
The deepest point in the oceans is found in the
A.Middle America Trench
B.Java Trench
C.Mariana Trench

D.Mid-Atlantic Ridge
E.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 eect on ocean sediment distribution.
Question 35
An underwater mudslide down the continental slope is called a:
A.turbidity current
B.circumpolar current
C.gyre
D.Agulhas current
E.Eckman spiral
Question 36
Manganese nodules are found MOSTLY (the main source) in the deep areas of which of the following oceans?

Question 36
Manganese nodules are found MOSTLY (the main source) in the deep areas of which of the following oceans?
A.Atlantic
B.Arctic
C.Pacific
D.Indian E.Both a and b F.Both c and d
G.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 there.
C.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. Congress
B.Green Peace
C.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 mining
B.Treasure salvage
C.Right of passage for ships D.Fishing boundaries
E.All of the above
10 of 20

Question 40

E.All of the above

Question 40
The Hadal Zone is found at which of the following oceanic features?
A.Abyssal plains
B.Continental Slope
C.Continental Shelf
D.Trenches

Question 41
The average salinity of the oceans is about ______ 0/000. A.35
B.30
C.37
D.28
E.18
F.the same as the stu Donald Trump sprays on his comb-over hair.
Feedback: It is almost the same as the ion concentration in human blood plasma. Rumor has it that Trump uses
Super-Glue.
Question 42
Deep water is often rich in:
A.dissolved gas
B.plant life
C.nutrients
D.all of the above
E.a and c

Question 43
The density of seawater increases with:
A.increasing salinity
B.increasing temperature
C.decreasing pressure
D.decreasing temperature
E.a and d

Question 44
Which of these physical forces travels the greatest distance in seawater? A.light penetration
B.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.temperature
B.pressure
C.salinity
D.all of the above E.a and c

Question 46
Oxygen is put into seawater primarily by the process of:
A.Chemosynthesis
B.Respiration
C.Upwelling
D.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 respiration
B.there are few animals at depth and cold water can hold more oxygen
C.more volcanic activity and sediment deposition
D.warmer water near the vents and less sediment deposition
E.all of the above
F.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 dierent "zones" of the oceans?
A.dierences in water density caused by temperature and salinity

Question 48
Which of these is the major cause of the layering of the water column in the dierent "zones" of the oceans?
A.dierences in water density caused by temperature and salinity
B.the shape of the oceans floor in dierent areas C.plate movement which disturbs the water column
D.the dierences in sedimentation rates in dierent areas of the oceans

Question 49
Which of these places has the highest albedo?
A.The Congo
B.The Australian Outback
C.Siberian tiaga
D.The lava fields of the Big Island of Hawaii
E.Antarctica
F.The Jersey Shore

Question 50
The worst season (when they would be the greatest hazard) for icebergs in the North Atlantic would be:
A.Spring
B.Fall
C.Winter
D.Summer
E.Holiday Shopping
F.football

Question 51
Which of the following countries owns a large territory that gives it considerable coastline on the Arctic
Ocean?
A.Sweden
B.Denmark
C.Britian

D.Korea
E.China

Question 52

Question 52
Icebergs float with only about ______ percent of their mass above water. A.5
B.12
C.18
D.25
E.30

Question 53
The main interest by countries competing in the Arctic Ocean is: A.undersea oil exploration
B.underwater cable laying
C.deep-sea mining operations for metal-sulfides from black smokers D.fish resource research
E.beach resort development
Question 54
Which of the following navigation instruments WOULD NOT work well in the Arctic?
A.GPS
B.Astrolade
C.Sextant
D.Loran
E.Compass

Question 55
Continentality causes:
A.hurricanes
B.moderate air temperature changes winter to summer
C.extreme air temperature changes winter to summer

14 of 20 D.typhoons

10/11/14, 4:54 PM

E.extremely high humidity

C.extreme air temperature changes winter to summer

D.typhoons
E.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 C
B.1 to 2 C
C.2 to 5 C
D.5 to 8C
E.15 to 20 C
F.12 to 14 C

Question 57
In which of these places maximum seasonal change in sea surface temperature, would be seen?
A.o of California
B.o of Maine
C.o of Tahiti
D.o of North & South Carolina
E.o of Alaska
F.o of Hawaii

Question 58
The Coriolis Eect is caused by:

A.the pull of Sun and Moon's gravity

B.tectonic plate movements
C.revolution of the Earth around the Sun
D.rotation of the Earth.
E.party power shifts in Congress.

Question 59
The Coriolis eect:
15 of 20 A.is maximum at the equator
B.is zero at the poles
C.causes all objects in motion to be deflected due to the Earth's rotation.
D.all of the above

The Coriolis eect:

A.is maximum at the equator
B.is zero at the poles
C.causes all objects in motion to be deflected due to the Earth's rotation.
D.all of the above
E.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 forests
B.dense swamps like the Everglades
C.tropical rainforests
D.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 Winds
B.Polar Easterlies
C.Doldrums
D.Westerlies

Question 62
The region of rising air at the Equator is called the:
A.horse latitudes
B.equatorial high pressure belt
C.doldrums
D.monsoon
E.prevailing westerlies

Question 63

A strong wind at high LATITUDES that influences weather patterns is called (can bring really frigid
weather in
16 of 20 winter)
A.the jet stream
B.the easterlies
C.the upper air monsoon

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 easterlies

C.the upper air monsoon D.a typhoon
E.none of the above

Question 64
In the vicinity of Hawaii, the Trade Winds blow:
A.From the west towards the east
B.From the northwest towards the southeast
C.From the northeast towards the southwest
D.From the east towards the west
E.From the south towards the north

Question 65
Hurricanes and typhoons cannot cross the Equator due to:
A.lack of heat energy in that area
B.strong surface ocean currents
C.lack of Coriolis spin at O-degrees latitude
D.strong seismic forces in that area
E.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-Aug
B.Dec-Mar
C.Jul-Jan
D.Jun-Nov
E.Feb-Jul
F.just when your Time-Share is available

Question 67

New England for the summer. They have to stay north of a line o of Cape Hatteras N.C. until early
November or they have to pay huge premiums on their hurricane-damage insurance.
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 aect the food supply for millions of people are called:
A.rain shadow
B.monsoons
C.advective winds
D.doldrums
E.all of the above

Question 68
Tornadoes develop from which of the following weather phenomenon?
A.Squall-lines of thunderstorms
B.Nor' Easters
C.High Pressure Systems
D.Trade Winds
E.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.Railroads
C.Airlines
D.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 o of Japan with a resulting tsunami. B.A typhoon hitting Australia.
C.El Nino
D.A turbidity current o of Malaysia

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

Question 71
Which of the following navigational routes might become a major shipping route due to possible climate
change?
A.The Panama Canal
B.The Suez Canal
C.The Strait of Hormuz
D.The Northwest Passage
E.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 Canal
B.The Suez Canal
C.The Greenland-Iceland Gap
D.The Northwest Passage
E.Drakes Passage

Question 73
El Nio eects which of these phenomenon:
A.volcanic eruptions
B.weather patterns
C.tidal cycles
D.photosynthesis
E.plate movements

Question 74
The El Nino cycles seem to occur every (how often do the occur):
A.1 - 2 years
B.3-7 years
C.8- 10 years
D.11- 15years
E.20 - 30 years

Question 75
19 of 20 La Nia 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 Nia weather patterns are associated with which of the following?
A.unusually cold surface water in the eastern tropical Pacific
B.unusually strong trade winds
C.dry conditions over western South America
D.wet conditions in the western Pacific basin
E.all of the above/all weather phenomenon cited above

F.higher divorce rates among Hollywood stars