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Ocean Currents and Tides Test Review

Total questions: 30

Worksheet time: 17mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What role do ocean gyres play in Earth's climate?

a)

They create hurricanes and tropical storms

b)

They transfer heat from the tropics to the polar regions

c)

They prevent oceans from freezing

d)

They regulate rainfall patterns in desert regions

2.

What causes surface currents in the ocean?

a)

Temperature and salinity differences

b)

Wind pushing water across the surface

c)

Earth's rotation

d)

Gravitational pull of the moon

3.

What is the main cause of tides on Earth?

a)

Ocean currents

b)

Wind patterns

c)

Gravitational pull of the moon and sun

d)

Earth's rotation alone

4.

Which of the following best defines an ocean gyre?

a)

A deep ocean trench

b)

A system of rotating ocean currents around a central point

c)

An area where two ocean currents meet

d)

The upward movement of cold water from the deep ocean

5.

Which of the following is a characteristic of cold surface currents?

a)

Heavy rainfall on nearby coasts

b)

Low evaporation rates

c)

High humidity

d)

Decreased cloud cover

6.

During El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean:

a)

Trade winds strengthen

b)

Upwelling along South America strengthens

c)

Eastern Pacific waters become warmer

d)

Food webs thrive due to increased nutrients

7.

The Coriolis Effect causes ocean currents to:

a)

Speed up near the equator

b)

Move in straight lines

c)

Spiral clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere

d)

Spiral counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere

8.

Tidal patterns that have one high and one low tide each day are called:

a)

Semidiurnal tides

b)

Diurnal tides

c)

Mixed tides

d)

Spring tides

9.

The Global Ocean Conveyor Belt is also known as:

a)

The Gulf Stream

b)

Thermohaline circulation

c)

El Niño Southern Oscillation

d)

The Humboldt Current

10.

La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean are characterized by:

a)

Weaker than normal trade winds

b)

Stronger than normal trade winds

c)

Warmer waters in the eastern Pacific

d)

Decreased upwelling off South America

11.

The vertical difference in water level between high and low tide is called:

a)

Tidal range

b)

Tidal cycle

c)

Tidal circulation

d)

Tidal bulge

12.

What tidal pattern is shown by the graph below?

a)

Diurnal Tides

b)

Semidiurnal Tides

c)

Mixed Tides

d)

Rip tides

13.

Which tide has the smallest tidal range of the month?

a)

Spring tide

b)

Neap tide

c)

Flood tide

d)

Ebb tide

14.

What would happen to many estuaries without daily tidal circulation?

a)

They would become more biologically diverse

b)

They would become hypoxic (low oxygen) or hypersaline (very salty)

c)

They would dry up completely

d)

They would become deeper

15.

The inflow of tide into bays and estuaries is called:

a)

Ebb tide

b)

Flood tide

c)

Slack tide

d)

Spring tide

16.

When the moon and sun are at a 90° angle to one another relative to Earth, what type of tide occurs?

a)

Spring tide

b)

Neap tide

c)

Diurnal tide

d)

Semidiurnal tide

17.

Which of the following is NOT a factor that influences tidal patterns?

a)

Shape and size of the coastline

b)

Ocean basin size

c)

Ocean currents

d)

Gravitational pull of the sun and moon

18.

What causes vertical currents in the ocean?

a)

Wind patterns

b)

Temperature and salinity differences

c)

Earth's rotation

d)

Gravitational pull of the moon

19.

What tidal pattern is shown by the graph below?

a)

Diurnal Tides

b)

Semidiurnal Tides

c)

Mixed Tides

d)

Rip tides

20.

Downwelling occurs when:

a)

Surface water rises due to wind patterns

b)

Warm water spreads across the ocean surface

c)

Dense, salty water sinks

d)

Trade winds push water toward the shore

21.

The period during which there is no tidal movement is called:

a)

Ebb tide

b)

Flood tide

c)

Slack tide

d)

Spring tide

22.

What tidal pattern is shown by the graph below?

a)

Diurnal Tides

b)

Semidiurnal Tides

c)

Mixed Tides

d)

Rip Tides

23.

Which statement best describes the upwelling off the western coast of South America during El Niño, La Niña, and normal conditions?

a)

El Niño decreases upwelling, La Niña increases it, and normal conditions maintain moderate upwelling.

b)

El Niño increases upwelling, La Niña decreases it, and normal conditions maintain moderate upwelling.

c)

El Niño and La Niña both increase upwelling, while normal conditions decrease it.

d)

El Niño and La Niña both decrease upwelling, while normal conditions increase it.

24.

A flat area that has dark colored, sticky, smelly mud is a:

a)

intertidal zone

b)

beach

c)

tidal flat

d)

jetty

25.

The number of organisms increase as the ocean depth decreases.

a)

True

b)

False

26.

Which layer of the ocean would have the highest water pressure

27.

As you swim deeper towards the ocean floor, ______ ​ and ______​ increase.

a)
pressure
b)
salinity
c)
light
d)
temperature
28.

As you swim deeper towards the ocean floor, ​​_____ and ​______decrease.​

a)
light
b)
pressure
c)
temperature
d)
salinity
29.

The ​_____________________ is the gently sloping submerged surface extending from the shoreline.

a)
continental shelf
b)

continental margin

c)

continental slope

d)

abyssal plain

30.

Which ecosystem is this? : These ecosystems are the areas of shorelines that are left uncovered during low tide but which are underwater during high tide; they are usually rocky, but in tropical areas they may be sandy; organisms that live here need to adapt to the waves, the sun, and both marine and land predators

a)

Deep sea

b)

Open ocean

c)

Intertidal zone

d)

Coral reefs