Oceanography Quiz

What is the primary focus of oceanography?

• The study of freshwater ecosystems

• The study of atmospheric conditions

• The systematic study of the ocean environment on all scales

• The study of terrestrial wildlife

What percentage of the Earth's surface is covered by oceans?

• Over 50%

• Over 60%

• Over 70%

• Over 80%

Which of the following is NOT a discipline within oceanography?

• Geo

• Bio

• Chemical

• Astro

What does limnology study?

• Small ponds

• Large lakes

• The atmosphere

• Deserts

Which ocean is the most shallow?

• Pacific Ocean

• Atlantic Ocean

• Indian Ocean

• Arctic Ocean

How can ocean depth be measured indirectly?

• By using a ruler

• By measuring the weight of the water

• By using pressure, sound waves, satellites, etc.

• By calculating the temperature of the water

Who was the German meteorologist and geophysicist that first advanced the idea of mobile continents in 1912?

• Charles Darwin

• Alfred Wegener

• Isaac Newton

• Albert Einstein

What was one of the main pieces of evidence used to support the theory of continental drift?

• The similarity of cloud patterns across continents

• The fit of continents together

• The distribution of deserts across the world

• The matching of ocean currents

What new technology in the 50s and 60s provided evidence for the theory of sea floor spreading?

• Radio carbon dating

• Deep sounding equipment

• Satellite imagery

• Microscopes

What observation supported the idea of sea floor spreading related to Earth's magnetic field?

• The presence of magnetic rocks on the moon

• Stripes of dip polarized rocks on ocean bottom

• The alignment of magnetic minerals in volcanic ash

• The magnetic properties of continental rocks