The two most abundant elements dissolved in sea water are
A. calcium and carbon.
B. sodium and chlorine.
C. oil and gas.
D. bromine and magnesium.
E. sulfur and iodine.
ANSWER: 

The average salinity of the world ocean is about
A. 3.5 o/oo
B. 11.75 o/oo
C. 23.5 o/oo
D. 35.0 o/oo
E. 55.9 o/oo
ANSWER: 

Which of the following is not considered a property of water?
A. high heat capacity
B. high surface tension
C. easily compressible
D. transmits sound
E. considered the universal solvent
ANSWER: 

Water density increases when
A. the temperature decreases.
B. the salinity increases.
C. the pressure increases.
D. All of the above.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

The salt content in sea water
A. lowers the freezing point.
B. raises the boiling point.
C. increases electrical conductivity.
D. increases due to evaporation.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

The upper 200 meters of the open ocean
A. are the densest waters of the sea.
B. are the coldest waters.
C. are well mixed by waves and currents.
D. are not affected by seasonal cnages.
E. make up about 80 percent of the volume of the world's oceans.
ANSWER: 

The concept of the "three layered ocean" is based upon
A. changes in light penetration with depth.
B. three distinct temperature zones with depth.
C. three layers of differing salinity.
D. three life zones: invertebrates, fish and mammals.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

Surface temperatures in the ocean generally vary between
A. 0oC and 100oC.
B. -2oC and 30oC.
C. -10oC and 25oC.
D. 15oC and 42oC.
E. 34oC and 37oC.
ANSWER: 

The gases that are dissolved in sea water tend to
A. decrease as salinity increases.
B. decrease as pressure inceases.
C. decrease as temperatures decrease.
D. increase as temperatures increase.
E. increase as salinity increases.
ANSWER: 

In regions where evaporation is greater than precipitation
A. the surface waters of the ocean tend to have greater salinity.
B. the surface waters tend to be relatively fresh.
C. the surface waters will be unaffected.
D. the surface temperature will drop to lower readings.
E. fewer marine organisms can survive.
ANSWER: 

Any abrupt change in temperature with depth is called a
A. Nansen Zone.
B. mixed zone.
C. thermocline.
D. bottom layer.
E. bathythermograph.
ANSWER: 

The non-conservative properties of sea water are
A. those substances that do not change greatly with time.
B. substances such as sodium chloride and inert gases.
C. substances not utilized by organisms for life processes.
D. substances that change rapidly due to metabolism and respiration.
E. abundant materials that do not need conserving at this time. 
ANSWER: 

The present shorelines of the world are considered to be
A. ancient geoogic features.
B. stable zones separating land and sea.
C. unaffected by seasonal or long range climatic changes.
D. a dynamic environment affected by both long and short-term cycles.
E. a well-balanced environment not affected much by human activities.
ANSWER: 

Most of the landforms associated with the beach are a result of erosion or depsition by
A. glaciers.
B. streams.
C. waves.
D. wind storms.
E. deep sea currents.
ANSWER: 

Marine geologists find evidence of widespread ancient seas in
A. marine sedimentary layers in the Grande Canyon.
B. marine fossils found in the Appalachian Mountains.
C. remains of coral reefs in present mid-continent areas.
D. thick marine rocks at the top of the Himalayas.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

Waves erode the rocks of the coast by
A. dissolving out soluble minerals.
B. abrading and grinding the surfaces.
C. hydraulic action that opens cracks in the rocks.
D. undercutting cliffs and causing landslides.
E. All of these are important processes of wave erosion.
ANSWER: 

Several sand spits along the coast of the Pacific Northwest have grown
A. northward in response to swells coming from the northwest Pacific.
B. southward in response to swells coming from the southwest Pacific.
C. northward in response to swells coming from the southwest Pacific.
D. southward due to the greater amounts of sand being supplied from the Columbia River.
ANSWER: 

Oceanographers are particularly interested in the last Ice Age because of the effects it had on the ocean. These effects include evidence that
A. the seas froze even in the tropics.
B. sea level was lowered 300-400 feet during the maximum advances of the ice.
C. the dinosaurs in the sea were finally killed off by the cold water.
D. sea level was raised 400 feet above its present level by melting of the ice.
E. most of the continents were flooded as the seas expanded inland. 
ANSWER: 

Most of the sand on the beach is supplied to the beach by
A. rivers and streams.
B. wave-cut cliffs.
C. glaciers.
D. sand bars.
E. longshore currents.
ANSWER: 

The ultimate effect of wave refraction is to
A. build out embayments.
B. expand headlands seaward.
C. block beach sediment.
D. eventually straighten the coastline.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The two most abundant minerals in continental beach sands are usually
A. basalt and cinders.
B. olivine and obsidian.
C. quartz and feldspar.
D. calcite and magnetite.
E. cobbles and shingles.
ANSWER: 

A "summer" beach is characteristically
A. a rocky platform.
B. steep and narrow.
C. covered with boulders and cobbles.
D. wider and covered with sand.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

Tides are important in the beach zone because they
A. bring new sand to the beach.
B. strongly erode sea cliffs.
C. increase the range over which the waves can operate.
D. carry the sand to deep waters.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

A coast would be considered "primary" if its configuration is the result of
A. wave erosion.
B. wave deposition.
C. shaping by tidal currents.
D. activities of non-marine agencies.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The loss of sand along Southern California beaches is related to
A. erosion from strong summer waves.
B. damming of streams and rivers.
C. erosion from high spring tides.
D. strong summer longshore currents.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

Most human activities in the coastal zone
A. tend to increase the width of the sandy beach areas.
B. tend to result in beach erosion.
C. increase the variety and abundance of native coastal plants.
D. enhance the natural resources of the coast.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

A secondary coast would be one formed by
A. activities of non-marine agencies.
B. activities of marine agencies.
C. wave action.
D. B and C.
E. glaciers.
ANSWER: 

Generally speaking, the intertidal area is
A. rich in life, but only a few species live there.
B. rich in life, with considerable species diversity.
C. not particularly rich in life.
D. not particularly rich in life, but rich in food.
E. virtually devoid of life because of the difficulty of surviving there.
ANSWER: 

One reason for the great productivity of estuaries is due to
A. nutrients being washed in by stream.
B. their large sizes.
C. the larvae that grow there.
D. the scouring of tidal currents.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

Perhaps the most devastating problem confronting intertidal organisms is
A. wave shock.
B. predation.
C. parasitism.
D. inadequate solar radiation.
E. overcrowding.
ANSWER: 

The ? in the oceanic crust records the earth's past ? field.
A. iron, gravitational
B. sediments, gravitational
C. sediments, magnetic
D. iron, magnetic
E. andesite, magnetic
ANSWER: 

To prevent drying out, intertidal organisms
A. hide in cracks and crevices.
B. clamp down to the rock to seal water within the shell.
C. close trap doors within a shell structure.
D. migrate toward water.
E. All these strategies are used.
ANSWER: 

The most difficult habitat within the intertidal zone is probably
A. the rocky shore.
B. muddy estuaries.
C. exposed rocky headlands.
D. the sand beach.
E. harbor pier pilings.
ANSWER: 

The intertidal areas most susceptible to damage by pollution are
A. developed harbors.
B. rocky intertidal areas.
C. sandy beaches.
D. estuaries.
E. protected rocky shores.
ANSWER: 

Food in the intertidal zone is
A. not particularly abundant.
B. abundant but inaccessible.
C. abundant and accessible, but there are no organisms able to take advantage of it.
D. abundant and accessible and there are many animals able to take advantage of it.
ANSWER: 

The greatest species diversity can be found in
A. zones 1 and 2.
B. zones 1 and 4.
C. zones 3 and 4.
D. zones A and 3.
E. zones A and B.
ANSWER: 

The intertidal life zone nearest to shore is traditionally designated
A. zone 1.
B. zone 2.
C. zone 3.
D. zone 4.
E. zone A.
ANSWER: 

The continental shelf off Southern California may be described as being
A. intensely faulted.
B. broke into a series of islands, basins, and banks.
C. in an active seismic zone.
D. narrow compared to the world averge.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

The continental shelves of the world
A. are transition zones between the continents and the deep ocean basins.
B. may be submerged or dry land, depending on climatic and tectonic events.
C. have variable landscapes, usually related to the structure of the nearby land areas.
D. may be wide and flat.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

Dredging operations on continental shelves sometimes bring up rounded beach pebbles, sand from sand dunes, and glacial debris. This indicates that
A. strong waves are moving the sediments to deep water over the shelf.
B. the shelf was once dry land and these are deposits from the Ice Age.
C. most of the features on the shelf result from storms.
D. most of the shelf is exposed at low tide.
E. the shelf is a stable unchanging environment through geological time. 
ANSWER: 

Shelf dams are important
A. for their use in forming natural harbors.
B. for mariculture ponds and farms.
C. because they are natural hazards in the shipping lanes.
D. in holding sediments from the land against the continents.
E. in preventing predatory fish from coming into shallow waters.
ANSWER: 

The oceanic crust may be described as
A. composed primarily of basalt.
B. covered with a great thickness of sedimentary rock.
C. composed of low density sialic materials.
D. similar in composition and features to the continental crust.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following statements does not apply to igneous rocks?
A. They all have solidified from molten materials.
B. They are the primary rocks of the earth.
C. They are all derived from the products of weathering and erosion of the continents.
D. They may be extrusive and solidify on the surface.
E. They may be intrusive and solidify in the crust.
ANSWER: 

Forces that affect the continental shelves the most are
A. rivers carrying sediments.
B. faulting.
C. coral reef dams.
D. burrowing organisms.
E. A and B.
ANSWER: 

A major difference between oceanic crust and continental crust is that
A. oceanic crust is more dense and has deeper roots.
B. sediment is much thinner on the oceanic crust.
C. continental crust "floats" higher and is more dense.
D. sediment is thinner and younger on the continental crust.
ANSWER: 

During the cold stages of the Pleistocene period
A. the sea flooded low-lying land areas.
B. the sea level rose 300-400 feet.
C. water was removed from the oceans to form glaciers on the land.
D. the continental shelves were under deep water.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

The transition zone between the continental shelf and the deep sea floor is called the
A. continental slope and rise.
B. intertidal zone.
C. littoral zone.
D. abyssal plain.
E. submarine shelf and canyon zone.
ANSWER: 

Submarine canyons are
A. found worldwide, on all kinds of shelves.
B. steep-walled and narrow.
C. cut into solid rock.
D. cut into the shelf and may extend almost to the beach.
E. All of these.
ANSWER: 

The continental rise originates from
A. uplifted, folded, or faulted continental rock.
B. the growth of coral reefs in the tropics.
C. an accumulation of sediments that have washed off the shelves.
D. the upwelling of basalt lavas on the sea floor.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The economically valuable materials found in or on continental shelves include
A. calcium carbonate for cement making.
B. gold.
C. tin.
D. petroleum deposits.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The natural forces that influence the continental shelves include
A. turbidity currents.
B. tsunamis and storm surges.
C. longshore currents.
D. wind waves and internal waves.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Wegener's Theory of Continental Drift was based on the
A. apparent fit of the margins of South America and Africa.
B. occurrence of similar plant fossils on either side of the Atlantic.
C. continuation of mountain ranges across the Atlantic.
D. similarity of certain rock formations on now-separated land masses.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Oceanographers believe the breakup of Pangaea occurred about
A. one to two million years ago.
B. 15 to 20 million years ago.
C. 180 to 200 million years ago.
D. three to four billion years ago.
E. over four billion years ago. We have too little evidence to accurately date the event.
ANSWER: 

The most ancient rocks of the earth are found
A. in the deep-sea trenches.
B. on the crest of the mid-Atlantic Ridge.
C. in the Hawaiian Islands.
D. on the continental shelves.
E. on the continents themselves.
ANSWER: 

The site of sea floor spreading and generation of new earth crust is
A. in the deep-sea trenches.
B. in the rift valley region of the mid-ocean ridges.
C. under the San Andreas Fault.
D. under the abyssal plains.
E. under folded mountain ranges on the continents.
ANSWER: 

The subduction zones
A. occur when crustal plates converge.
B. are at the deep sea trenches.
C. are belts of deep earthquakes.
D. are zones where old sea floor descends into the crust and mantle.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following would not be considered a single crustal plate?
A. the African plate.
B. the Pacific plate.
C. the North American plate
D. the American plate
E. the Eurasian plate
ANSWER: 

On a global map, the plate boundaries always coincide with
A. folded mountain ranges.
B. wide continental shelves.
C. the coastal zones of the continents.
D. belts of frequent earthquakes.
E. All of the above .
ANSWER: 

Divergent plate boundaries occur at the
A. mid-ocean ridges and rises.
B. subduction zones.
C. Pacific deep sea trenches.
D. base of the Himalaya and Appalachian Mountains.
E. All the above.
ANSWER: 

According to modern plate tectonic theory,
A. California is going to fall into the sea.
B. North America is going to overrun parts of Southern California.
C. a part of California west of the San Andreas Fault is moving northward
D. a part of California will be subducted down the Malibu trench.
E. California and Baja California will move south towards the Peru-Chile trench.
ANSWER: 

The magnetic striping (pattern) on sea floor rocks is considered evidence of sea floor spreading and
A. reversals of direction in the earth's rotation.
B. reversals in the gravitational field.
C. flipping of the earth's geographic poles.
D. reversals of the earth's magnetic polarity.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The San Andreas Fault is a
A. transform fault that connects two parts of a trench system.
B. a translational boundary where two plates are sliding past each other.
C. transform fault that crosses two different plates.
D. fracture zone that crosses two different plates.
E. fracture zone that connects two parts of a trench system. 
ANSWER: 

Choose the correct statement.
A. Granite (sialic rock) is a lighter colored, less dense rock.
B. Granite (sialic rock) is a dark, dense rock.
C. Basalt (simatic rock) is a light, dense rock.
D. Basalt (sialic rock) is a dark, dense rock.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

California is particularly susceptible to earthquakes because
A. the state has a long coastal margin.
B. rapid population growth has added weight to the earth's crust.
C. of its location on a translational plate boundary.
D. the coast is bounded by an active subduction zone.
E. the San Andreas Fault is an active divergent plate boundary.
ANSWER: 

The driving force for plate motion is
A. the gravitational pull of the sun and moon.
B. due to the earth's revolution around the sun.
C. slipping on the earth's molten core.
D. from reversals in the earth's magnetic field.
E. still unknown for sure but probably related to convection currents in the mantle.
ANSWER: 

The continents cover about ? percent of the surface of the earth.
A. 71
B. 30
C. 61
D. 80
E. 50
ANSWER: 

If the hydrostatic pressure in the sea is two atmospheres (44.1 pounds per square inch) at 20m, how strong is the pressure at 10m?
A. 1 atmosphere
B. 2 atmospheres
C. the same or 3 atmospheres
D. greater than 44.1pounds per square inch
E. It would vary greatly from ocean to ocean.
ANSWER: 

The major biologic source of dissolved oxygen in the sea is from
A. whales and porpoises.
B. bacterial decay.
C. fish respiration.
D. oxygen bonded to the water molecule.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

The amount of gases sea water can retain in solution will decrease as the
A. pressure increses.
B. temperature increases.
C. salinity decreases.
D. All of the above.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

The fjords along the coast of Alaska originated as
A. coral lagoons.
B. deeply eroded glacial valleys.
C. volcanic explosions.
D. wave-cut benches.
E. submarine canyons.
ANSWER: 

The steep cliffs and rugged coast of much of the west coast of the United States are primarily a result of
A. marine deposition.
B. glacial erosion.
C. faulting, earth movement and volcanic activity.
D. biologic activity.
E. river deposition.
ANSWER: 

Choose the correct statement concerning feeding methods or habits.
A. Barnacles are filter feeders; snails are scavengers.
B. Barnacles are filter feeders; snails are filter feeders.
C. Clams are filter feeders; crabs are grazers.
D. Crabs are filter feeders; clams are scavengers.
E. Crabs are scavengers; snails are grazers.
ANSWER: 

Which of these statements is not true of estuaries?
A. Very few plants live in estuaries, but many animals can be found there.
B. Larvae are often abundant there.
C. Estuaries are scoured by tidal currents moving in and out.
D. Many estuaries are in danger of development and pollution.
E. Estuaries are places where saltwater and fresh water meet. 
ANSWER: 

Ideas or theories that can help explain the carving of submarine canyons usually include
A. turbity currents.
B. strong ocean waves.
C. earthquakes.
D. the deep roots of icebergs.
ANSWER: 

The Tidal Datum for the West Coast of the United States is
A. mean water.
B. mean higher high water.
C. mean high water.
D. mean low water.
E. mean lower low water.
ANSWER: 

We, in the northwest, live on the
A. westward moving Pacific Plate.
B. northwestward moving Pacific Plate.
C. westward moving North American Plate.
D. northward moving North American Plate.
E. eastward moving North American Plate.
ANSWER: 

The beach features seen today along the Oregon Coast are
A. constantly changing
B. geologically young - not over 6000-7000 years old.
C. created in part by longshore currents.
D. All of the above.
E. choices A and B
ANSWER: 

If the oceans basins were drained, and therefore visible, perhaps the most impressive feature of the ocean margin would be the
A. continental shelf.
B. continental rise.
C. minerals on the continental shelf.
D. continemtal slope.
E. submarine canyons on the abyssal plain.
ANSWER: 

Submarine canyons were perhaps formed by
A. rivers when sea level was lower
B. rivers after the Ice Age.
C. folding during the Ice Age.
D. folding during Pleistocene times.
E. glaciers.
ANSWER: 

Most of the sediment that is eroded from the continents is usually
A. deposited in submarine canyons.
B. deposited to form beaches.
C. carried directly to the abyssal plain.
D. deposited on the continental shelf.
E. moved offshore to form sand bars.
ANSWER: 
