Oceanography Exam 2 Essay Example

Oceanography Exam 2 Paper What best explains why the atmosphere transports heat toward the poles? the latitudinal imbalance of incoming solar radiation The Coriolis parameter is at largest _______ and zero at the _____. poles and equator The prevailing winds on each side of the equator are: Easterly winds Geostrophy is the balance between what 2 forces? Pressure gradient and Coriolis What hemisphere does ONLY cyclonic flow rotate counter-clockwise? Northern Hemisphere Neutrally buoyant (sub-surface) ocean current floats are best tracked using: sonar In the Northern Hemisphere, the NET motion of water in an Ekman spiral is ______ the wind direction. 90 degrees to the right of. What factor best explains why the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is so unique? its east-west path is uninterrupted by continents Waters diverge to form subpolar gyres because of which two prevailing wind systems? Westerlies and Polar Easterlies. Subtropical gyres in the Southern Hemisphere flow: counter-clockwise What is the underlying cause of the westward intensification of subtropical gyres? Weak Coriolis parameter near the equator Subtropical gyre western boundary currents are: warm In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes fluids to be deflected to the ____ of their natural path, and geostrophic balance would cause ocean currents to flow ____around seas surface lows. right counter-clockwise. What scenario would most likely produce coastal upwelling? southerly winds along the South American west coast Coastal upwelling water tend to be: cold and nutrient rich Why is there a cold tongue in the easter tropical pacific? upwelling due to Ekman divergence What condition does not characterize El Nino? high rainfall in Indonesia El Nino events occur approximately every ___ years. 2-7 years In the Walker Circulation, what force balances the pressure gradient force? nothing Which factors form a positive feedback loop in the equatorial Pacific? warm pool atmospheric low strong winds Once Surface waters become dense enough to form deep waters, what is the most likely reason that their temperature would change significantly in the deep sea? by mixing with other water masses How does sea surface salinity near the equator compare to that of the subtropical gyres? lower near equator due to higher precipitation The most common reason for the existence of the pynocline is that _____ decreases with increasing depth. temperature The mixed layer will typically extends to a depth of about: 100-200m What sources of energy directly drive the upwelling that leads to the thermohaline circulation? winds and tides Which is NOT a mechanism leading to denser surface water and therefore deep water formation? increased runoff from melting ice sheets Wave orbits are negligible at depths below: 1/2 wavelength The only wave type restored by cohesion is: capillary A wave that propagates away from a disturbance without without continued application of force is called: free Which wave type is almost always considered a shallow water wave? tsunami Which is NOT a characteristic of shallow water waves? cannot break Which factor does NOT contribute to large wave growth? high temperature Deep water wave celerity depends on the variable _____, while shallow water wave celerity depends on the variable ____. wavelength, water depth A wind wave is approaching shore first contacts the seafloor at a water depth of: Waves usually break when their height exceeds: 1/7 wavelength Why do waves bend (refract) as they approach shore? speed is decreased in shallow water A tsunami is usually imperceptible to a ship at sea because it has a: very long wavelength The Sumatra tsunami of December 2004 was caused by a: subduction zone earth quake Why does an unusual sea level drop often precede the arrival a tsunami? the trough of the tsunami wave sometimes arrives before the crest What technology does the pacific tsunami warning network rely on? pressure sensors on the seafloor THe equilibrium theory of the tides would apply for a hypothetical Earth: completely covered by a very deep ocean. The gravitational attraction between two celestial objects increases with their ____, and decreases with the square of their____. masses.. distances In Earth-moon system, where are gravitational attraction and intertia in balance? center of earth On earth, solar tides are about ____ the strength of lunar tides. half Neap (weak) tids occur: during quarter moons The side of Earth facing the moon will have a high tide while th opposite side of the Earth will have: a high tide