Oceanography and Earth Science Quiz

What is the deepest part of the ocean called?

• Continental shelf

• Abyssal plain

• Oceanic trench

• Mid-ocean ridge

Groundwater is primarily recharged by what process?

• Condensation

• Precipitation

• Evaporation

• Transpiration

Which type of weathering involves the chemical breakdown of rocks?

• Mechanical weathering

• Chemical weathering

• Biological weathering

• Erosional weathering

Karst topography is characterized by which of the following features?

• Volcanoes

• Glaciers

• Sinkholes

• Sand dunes

What drives the ocean surface currents?

• Tidal forces

• Wind

• Thermal convection

• Earth's rotation

Which of the following organisms are considered plankton?

• Whales

• Sharks

• Phytoplankton

• Crabs

Nekton are:

• Microscopic organisms that float in the water

• Animals that swim actively in the water

• Organisms that live on the ocean floor

• Plants that float on the surface of the water

Benthos refers to organisms that:

• Live in the pelagic zone

• Are attached to or move on the ocean floor

• Float on the ocean surface

• Swim actively in open water

What is the primary cause of spring tides?

• The moon's gravity only

• The sun's gravity only

• The combined gravitational pull of the moon and the sun

• Earth's rotation

Neap tides occur when:

• The sun, moon, and Earth are in a straight line

• The sun and moon are at right angles to each other

• The moon is at its closest point to Earth

• The moon is at its farthest point from Earth