Geol 1340 Exam 4

55 Questions | By Irisnohemy | Updated: Mar 22, 2022 | Attempts: 458

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1.

The salinity of oceans vary from 34 to 37 parts per thousand. What is the definition of salinity?
- A.
  
  Grams of sodium per kilogram of dissolved ions.
- B.
  
  Grams of solution per cubic kilometer of seawater.
- C.
  
  Grams of dissolved ions in 1 kilogram of solution.
- D.
  
  Grams of water in 1 kilogram of solution.
2.

Why does ocean water have higher salinity in subtropical regions than along the equatorial belt?
- A.
  
  Rainfall within subtropical regions has a higher salt content than along the equator.
- B.
  
  Precipitation is greater in the subtropics than along the equatorial belt.
- C.
  
  Evaporation exceeds precipitation in the subtropical region, whereas the reverse occurs along the equator.
- D.
  
  More streams and rivers empty into the ocean within subtropical regions than along the equatorial belt.
3.

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding surface water in the oceans?
- A.
  
  Motion of the surface layer is primarily driven by wind and deflected by the Coriollis force.
- B.
  
  The surface layer is heated by the sun.
- C.
  
  The temperature of surface water varies with latitude and the seasons.
- D.
  
  Most surface water originates near Greenland and Antarctica and afterwards flows as surface water towards the equator.
4.

Which of the following statements is TRUE?
- A.
  
  Coastlines are always in equilibrium with oceans and therefore never change.
- B.
  
  The sea surface is everywhere smooth and flat.
- C.
  
  Global sea level has risen and fallen many times throughout Earth history.
- D.
  
  Ocean currents generate the tides.
5.

The following configuration of the Earth-Moon-Sun system will result in__________.
- A.
  
  Neap tide
- B.
  
  Ocean gyres
- C.
  
  Spring tide
- D.
  
  A lunar eclipse
6.

Which of the following will cause a global rise in sea level?
- A.
  
  Global cooling during an ice age
- B.
  
  Assembly of continents into a supercontinent.
- C.
  
  Decrease in the volume of mid-ocean ridges
- D.
  
  Global warming during an interglacial cycle
- E.
  
  Removing fish from the oceans
7.

For incoming ocean waves approaching a coast, which of the following wave forms occur closest to the beach?
- A.
  
  Crests
- B.
  
  Swells
- C.
  
  Surf
- D.
  
  Breakers
8.

Which of the following statements regarding waves approaching a coast is FALSE?
- A.
  
  Wave crests bunch closer together when approaching the beach.
- B.
  
  Approaching wave crests align parallel with the coastline in what is known as wave refraction.
- C.
  
  Waves speed up when approaching the beach.
- D.
  
  Wave crests increase in height when approaching the beach.
9.

Which of the following depositional features along a coast is called a Bay barrier or baymouth bar?
- A.
  
  A
- B.
  
  B
- C.
  
  C
- D.
  
  D
- E.
  
  E
10.

Which of the following structures is a breakwater?
- A.
  
  A
- B.
  
  B
- C.
  
  C
- D.
  
  D
11.

For the following figure, where is the greatest amount of coastal erosion occuring?
- A.
  
  Cove
- B.
  
  Bay
- C.
  
  Headlands
- D.
  
  Coastal erosion is the same everywhere
12.

Which of the following statements about beach drift and longshore currents is TRUE?
- A.
  
  Beach drift causes beach sand to remain in place.
- B.
  
  Longshore currents prevent waves from striking the beach.
- C.
  
  Beach drift transports sediment in the same direction as does longshore current.
- D.
  
  The zigzag motion of sand describes sediment transport by longshore currents.
13.

Atoll, barrier, and fringing describe different types of ________.
- A.
  
  Coastal erosional features
- B.
  
  Coastal depositonal features
- C.
  
  Wetlands
- D.
  
  Coral reefs
14.

Which of the following is LEAST LIKELY associated with wetlands?
- A.
  
  Mangroves
- B.
  
  Salt marshes
- C.
  
  Bogs
- D.
  
  Wave-cut platform
- E.
  
  Flood plain
15.

Which of the following features of an Alpine glacier is (are) formed by deposition rather than erosion?
- A.
  
  U-shaped valley
- B.
  
  Paternoster lakes
- C.
  
  Horn
- D.
  
  Lateral moraine
- E.
  
  Cirque
16.

Which of the following lines is (are) pointing to an Arete?
- A.
  
  A
- B.
  
  B
- C.
  
  C
- D.
  
  D
17.

Stratified drift is most likely deposited by ___________
- A.
  
  Glacial meltwater
- B.
  
  Glacial ice and snow
- C.
  
  Terminal moraines
- D.
  
  Drumlins
18.

For an alpine glacier, which of the following features or processes occurs within the zone of accumulation?
- A.
  
  Terminal moraine
- B.
  
  Calving
- C.
  
  Crevasses
- D.
  
  Cirque
19.

Which of the following statements best describes an esker?
- A.
  
  Small hill or knob of poorly sorted gravel deposited by a melting glacier
- B.
  
  Hole in the ground left behind after a large block of ice melts
- C.
  
  Sinuous, narrow ridge of coarse sand and gravel formed by a meltwater stream that flowed beneath a glacier
- D.
  
  Elongated deposit of till streamlined in the direction of ice movement by a continental glacier
20.

The figure below illustrates features associated with a continental glacier. Which of the following letters corresponds to the outwash plain?
- A.
  
  A
- B.
  
  B
- C.
  
  C
- D.
  
  D
- E.
  
  E or F (check explanation for the correct answer)
21.

Which of the following would LEAST LIKELY characterize a periglacial landscape?
- A.
  
  Patterned ground forms due to frost action in the soil.
- B.
  
  Expansion of water when freezing disrupts the soil and fractures rocks.
- C.
  
  Melting of permafrost beneath a building constructed on the ground surface causes the structure to collapse.
- D.
  
  Ice wedges develop in fractures below the ground surface.
- E.
  
  Areas in subarctic and polar climates where the ground is cold but never freezes.
22.

Which of the following events MOST-LIKELY occurred during the last ice age when glaciers reached maximum extent ~18,000 years ago?
- A.
  
  Global sea level rose
- B.
  
  Plants and animals characteristic of colder climates migrated southward to lower latitudes
- C.
  
  Earth's crust in areas covered by glaciers rebounded to higher elevations
- D.
  
  Land bridges and continental shelves became submerged under water
23.

Ice cores recovered in Greenland and Antarctica provide a record of changes in atmospheric temperature and composition dating back to over 100,000 years ago. Based on ice core data, which of the following statements is TRUE?
- A.
  
  The atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane have actually decreased over the last 50 years.
- B.
  
  Ice cores indicate that global temperatures have been fairly constant over the last few tens of thousands of years.
- C.
  
  Atmospheric temperature has been steadily increasing over the last 12 thousand years and we are presently in an interglacial cycle
- D.
  
  The concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases increase dramatically during periods of glaciation and global cooling.
24.

How can sunspot activity possibly affect Earth's climate?
- A.
  
  Higher sunspot activity pushes Earth's orbit further from the sun, thus cooling the planet
- B.
  
  Lower sunspot activity allows more solar radiation to escape the Sun and reach Earth, thus warming the planet
- C.
  
  Higher sunspot activity increases the solar wind, which in turn warms Earth's upper atmosphere
- D.
  
  The amount of sunspot activity never changes and therefore cannot affect Earth's climate
25.

Changes in the angle of tilt of Earth's rotational axis occurs approximately in _________ year cycles.
- A.
  
  100,000
- B.
  
  26,000
- C.
  
  1
- D.
  
  41,000