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Geophysical Oceanography

Description: Geophysical Oceanography Quiz
Number of Questions: 14
Created by:
Tags: oceanography geophysics earth sciences
Attempted 0/14 Correct 0 Score 0

What is the study of the physical properties and processes of the ocean called?

  1. Geophysical Oceanography

  2. Chemical Oceanography

  3. Biological Oceanography

  4. Marine Geology


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Geophysical Oceanography is the study of the physical properties and processes of the ocean, including its circulation, waves, tides, and interactions with the atmosphere and solid Earth.

Which ocean current is responsible for transporting warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic Ocean?

  1. Gulf Stream

  2. Kuroshio Current

  3. North Atlantic Current

  4. Canary Current


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows northward along the eastern coast of North America. It transports warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic Ocean, influencing the climate of the region.

What is the term for the vertical movement of water in the ocean?

  1. Upwelling

  2. Downwelling

  3. Ekman Transport

  4. Thermohaline Circulation


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Upwelling is the vertical movement of water from deeper layers of the ocean to the surface. It occurs when winds push surface water away from the coast, causing deeper, colder water to rise to the surface.

Which force is primarily responsible for driving the global ocean circulation?

  1. Wind

  2. Density Differences

  3. Coriolis Effect

  4. Earth's Rotation


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Wind is the primary force that drives the global ocean circulation. Winds transfer energy to the ocean, causing surface currents to flow. These currents then interact with the Earth's rotation and density differences to create the global circulation patterns.

What is the name of the phenomenon where the Earth's rotation deflects moving objects, such as ocean currents, to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere?

  1. Coriolis Effect

  2. Ekman Transport

  3. Thermohaline Circulation

  4. El Niño-Southern Oscillation


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Coriolis Effect is the phenomenon where the Earth's rotation deflects moving objects, such as ocean currents, to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This deflection is due to the Earth's rotation and the conservation of angular momentum.

Which ocean basin is the largest in the world?

  1. Pacific Ocean

  2. Atlantic Ocean

  3. Indian Ocean

  4. Arctic Ocean


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean basin in the world, covering approximately 165.25 million square kilometers (63.8 million square miles).

What is the deepest point in the ocean?

  1. Challenger Deep

  2. Puerto Rico Trench

  3. Mariana Trench

  4. Java Trench


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Challenger Deep, located in the Mariana Trench, is the deepest point in the ocean, with a depth of approximately 11,034 meters (36,201 feet).

Which ocean current is responsible for transporting cold water from the Antarctic Ocean to the North Atlantic Ocean?

  1. Benguela Current

  2. Canary Current

  3. North Atlantic Current

  4. Labrador Current


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The Labrador Current is a cold ocean current that originates in the Arctic Ocean and flows southward along the eastern coast of Canada. It transports cold water from the Antarctic Ocean to the North Atlantic Ocean, influencing the climate of the region.

What is the term for the global conveyor belt of ocean currents that transports heat and nutrients around the world?

  1. Thermohaline Circulation

  2. Ekman Transport

  3. Coriolis Effect

  4. El Niño-Southern Oscillation


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Thermohaline Circulation is the global conveyor belt of ocean currents that transports heat and nutrients around the world. It is driven by differences in temperature and salinity, which cause water to sink in some regions and rise in others.

Which ocean basin is the second largest in the world?

  1. Pacific Ocean

  2. Atlantic Ocean

  3. Indian Ocean

  4. Arctic Ocean


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean basin in the world, covering approximately 106.4 million square kilometers (41.1 million square miles).

What is the term for the phenomenon where warm water from the Pacific Ocean flows eastward across the equatorial Pacific Ocean?

  1. El Niño

  2. La Niña

  3. Southern Oscillation

  4. Pacific Decadal Oscillation


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

El Niño is the phenomenon where warm water from the Pacific Ocean flows eastward across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle.

Which ocean current is responsible for transporting warm water from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean?

  1. Agulhas Current

  2. Benguela Current

  3. Canary Current

  4. North Atlantic Current


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Agulhas Current is a warm ocean current that originates in the Indian Ocean and flows southward along the eastern coast of Africa. It transports warm water from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, influencing the climate of the region.

What is the term for the phenomenon where cold water from the Pacific Ocean flows westward across the equatorial Pacific Ocean?

  1. El Niño

  2. La Niña

  3. Southern Oscillation

  4. Pacific Decadal Oscillation


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

La Niña is the phenomenon where cold water from the Pacific Ocean flows westward across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is the cold phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle.

Which ocean basin is the third largest in the world?

  1. Pacific Ocean

  2. Atlantic Ocean

  3. Indian Ocean

  4. Arctic Ocean


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean basin in the world, covering approximately 70.56 million square kilometers (27.24 million square miles).

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