Question 1

A zone in which the ocean's salinity changes rapidly with increasing depth is called .

Accepted Answer

A)  halocline 
B)  thermocline 
C)  pycnocline 
D)  metacline

Question 2

What processes are responsible for the ocean's salinity?

Accepted Answer

A)  weathering and evaporation 
B)  weathering and outgassing 
C)  evaporation and outgassing 
D)  condensation and evaporation

Question 3

Sound can travel for much greater distances through water than light waves can before being absorbed because .

Accepted Answer

A)  Sound waves continue to travel until something physically stops it. 
B)  Sound waves pick up speed the longer it travels. 
C)  Sound waves get absorbed and then retransmitted through the ocean every 50 feet allowing it to bounce faster than light waves. 
D)  Sound waves travel through water more efficiently than light waves.

Question 4

At the present time, the salinity of the ocean seems to be .

Accepted Answer

A)  increasing due to evaporation as the Earth warms up 
B)  decreasing due to several years of excessive rainfall 
C)  increasing due to pollution 
D)  in chemical equilibrium, where ions are added to the ocean at the same rate as they are being removed

Question 5

The hydrogen bonds of water molecules account for which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  Water can cause surface tension and wetting. 
B)  Water has a long residence time in the atmosphere . 
C)  Water has a low boiling point. 
D)  Water has a low heat capacity.

Question 6

The components of ocean water whose quantities are less than 1 part per million (ppm) are considered .

Accepted Answer

A)  excess volatiles 
B)  minor constituents 
C)  major constituents 
D)  trace elements

Question 7

The density of seawater is affected by both temperature and salinity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

The deepest thermoclines can be found .

Accepted Answer

A)  in temperate zones 
B)  in Antarctica 
C)  in the tropics 
D)  anywhere, depending on water salinity

Question 9

Cold water can dissolve more CO2 than warm water.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Oxygen enters seawater .

Accepted Answer

A)  through the respiration of animals 
B)  as a byproduct of photosynthesis and diffusion from the atmosphere 
C)  as a result of decomposition of plant and animal remains 
D)  through the oxidation of metal ions in seawater

Question 11

Frozen water is more dense than liquid water.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Water resists rising in temperature as heat is added, or falling in temperature when heat is removed.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Which statement best reflects global temperatures with respect to San Francisco, California and  Norfolk, Virginia, two cities that lie along the same latitude?

Accepted Answer

A)  San Francisco is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. 
B)  Norfolk is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. 
C)  San Francisco and Norfolk have nearly identical temperatures all season long. 
D)  San Francisco is cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer.

Question 14

The two most abundant elements (ions) dissolved in seawater are .

Accepted Answer

A)  fluorine and iodine 
B)  gold and silver 
C)  bromine and boron 
D)  sodium and chloride

Question 15

The most precise way to calculate the salinity of seawater is to evaporate a known weight of seawater and weigh the residue.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Why does the concentration of dissolved oxygen decreases with depth and carbon dioxide increases with depth?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why does the concentration of dissolved oxygen...

Question 17

Describe the factors that affect the distance and the rate at which sound travels in the ocean. Would you expect sound to travel faster through warm or cold water? Shallow or deep? Why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the factors that affect the distance...

Question 18

Where do dense water masses form?

Accepted Answer

A)  near polar continental shelves 
B)  along the equatorial zone 
C)  in enclosed basins where river runoff is great 
D)  along active continental margins

Question 19

Which of the following statements about pH is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The pH scale measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. 
B)  A pH of 3 is alkaline, a pH of 10 is acid. 
C)  An acid is a substance that combines with a hydrogen in solution. 
D)  On average, the pH of the ocean is moderately acidic.

Question 20

Heat and temperature both measure random vibrations of an atom or a molecule.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 4: Water and Ocean Structure

A zone in which the ocean's salinity changes rapidly with increasing depth is called .

What processes are responsible for the ocean's salinity?

Sound can travel for much greater distances through water than light waves can before being absorbed because .

At the present time, the salinity of the ocean seems to be .

The hydrogen bonds of water molecules account for which of the following?

The components of ocean water whose quantities are less than 1 part per million (ppm) are considered .

The density of seawater is affected by both temperature and salinity.

The deepest thermoclines can be found .

Cold water can dissolve more CO₂ than warm water.

Oxygen enters seawater .

Frozen water is more dense than liquid water.

Water resists rising in temperature as heat is added, or falling in temperature when heat is removed.

Which statement best reflects global temperatures with respect to San Francisco, California and Norfolk, Virginia, two cities that lie along the same latitude?

The two most abundant elements (ions) dissolved in seawater are .

The most precise way to calculate the salinity of seawater is to evaporate a known weight of seawater and weigh the residue.

Why does the concentration of dissolved oxygen decreases with depth and carbon dioxide increases with depth?

Describe the factors that affect the distance and the rate at which sound travels in the ocean. Would you expect sound to travel faster through warm or cold water? Shallow or deep? Why?

Where do dense water masses form?

Which of the following statements about pH is true?

Heat and temperature both measure random vibrations of an atom or a molecule.