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Science Test
Oceans

Match the following (2 points each):

1. _____ tide
2. _____ tide pool
3. _____ wave
4. _____ scuba
5. _____ shore
6. _____ desalination
7. _____ estuary
8. _____ submersible
9. _____ current
10. _____ sonar
11. _____ jetty
12. _____ headland

1. Removal of salt from sea water
2. Up-and-down movement of surface water
3. Body of water where a river meets the ocean
4. Small underwater vehicle for exploring the ocean
5. Wall of rocks built out into the ocean to protect the shore
6. Pool of seawater found along a rocky shoreline
7. Area where ocean and land meet
8. Sound waves that can be used to map the ocean floor
9. Rocky point along the shore
10. Stream of water that flows like a river through the ocean
11. Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
12. The rise and fall in the level of the ocean in response to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon.

 Fill in the blank (2 points each):

1. ______________________________ is known for discovering deep-ocean life forms and geologic processes never seen before, as well as locating and exploring the R.M.S. Titanic.
   
   
2. A current that moves water parallel to the shoreline is a _____________________________.
   
   
3. A ______________________________ is a large wave produced by an underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption, and upon reaching land can cause much damage to coastal regions.
   
   
4. The deepest spot on earth (36,198 feet deep) is the ___________________________.
   
   
5. About _________________________ of the earth's surface is covered by water.
   
   
6. ______________________________ survives by photosynthesis and is the basic food supply of the ocean because all animals, either directly or indirectly, feed on it.
   
   
7. ______________________________ is a type of plankton composed of sea life animal organisms.
   
   
8. ______________________________ is the name of the submersible that began exploring ocean depths in the 1960s.
   

Short answer (3 points each):

1. Explain each of the following groups of life in the ocean: plankton, nekton, and benthos.

    

2. How is Great Britain’s climate affected by water in the Gulf of Mexico?

    

3. Why is the continental shelf so important to humans?

    

4. What are the three zones in the saltwater ecosystem?

   a)

   b)

   c)

5. What does "scuba" stand for?

Multiple choice (3 points each):

1. Deep-ocean currents are caused by differences in ___________.
   a)   water temperature
   b)   wind speed
   c)   current direction
   d)   air temperature

2. The formation of waves is caused by ____________.
   a)   the earth’s gravity pulling the water up and down
   b)   the earth’s rotation on its axis
   c)   wind blowing over the surface of the water
   d)   currents flowing through the water

3. The tides are caused by _____________.
   a)   the earth’s rotation and the gravitational pull of the moon
   b)   deep-ocean currents
   c)   wind blowing over the water
   d)   temperature variations

4. A rip current is ____________.
   a)   water that carries beach material with it
   b)   water that travels along the surface of the ocean
   c)   a strong current of water that flows away from the beach
   d)   a strong current of water that varies with high and low tide

5. Water in a wave moves _____________.
   a)   back and forth
   b)   in a circle
   c)   sideways
   d)   along the shore

True or false (1 point each):

1. _________ The deeper you go into the ocean depths, the greater the pressure becomes.
2. _________ One resource that can be found in seawater is petroleum.
3. _________ Scientist have only recently begun studying the ocean.
4. _________ The Titanic struck an iceberg in 1912 and sank, killing more than 1,500 people.
5. _________ The abyssal plains are flat, sandy expanses deep under the ocean’s surface.

 Answer as completely as possible (5 points each):

1. Draw and label the parts of a wave.

     

2. Explain why we should protect the ocean ecosystem. (You should talk about the food chain here.)

     

3. How do satellites help us to understand the ocean?

     

4. The lighthouse at Cape Hatteras is threatened by shore erosion even though three jetties have been erected to protect it. Why is this? Can the lighthouse be saved? Why or why not? 
   
   
     
5. Explain upwelling. Why is it important to the health of the ocean?

BONUS (2 points each):

1. What would the earth be like without the ocean?
   
   
   
   
2. Explain why high and low tides occur at different times from day to day.
   
   
   

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