Course Introduction
Marine Geology Practice Questions
Marine Geology explores the structure, composition, and dynamic processes of the ocean floor and coastal margins. Students will examine topics such as plate tectonics, sedimentology, paleoceanography, and the formation and evolution of ocean basins. The course covers methods of seafloor mapping, the interpretation of marine sediments and rocks, and the influence of geological processes on marine environments. Emphasis is placed on understanding how the Earth's geology affects ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, and the natural resources found beneath the sea.
Recommended Textbook Essentials of Oceanography 10th Edition by Alan P. Trujillo
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Planet Earth
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Sample Questions
Q1) In general, the chemical composition of ocean water has remained constant through geologic time.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) mantle
A)gaseous and dusty space cloud
B)rich in ferromagnesian minerals, between crust and core
C)composed of iron and nickel, liquid outer
D)Big Bang
E)outermost portion of the Earth, basalt and granite
F)Milky Way
G)solar winds
Answer: B
Q3) When the Earth cooled, the layers of the earth separated based on density differences.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Plate Tectonics and the Ocean Floor
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Hawaiian Islands-Emperor Seamount Chain was formed:
A) at a subduction zone in the Pacific Ocean.
B) by magma from the upper mantle rising to the surface.
C) formed when the Pacific plate moved across a hotspot.
D) is associated with a trench.
E) parallels a Pacific Ocean subduction zone.
Answer: C
Q2) oceanic trench
A)divergent plate boundary
B)convergent plate boundary
Answer: A
Q3) Fast-moving spreading ridges tend to be more gently sloped than slow-moving ridges.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 3: Marine Provinces
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Sample Questions
Q1) Hydrothermal vents are seafloor cold seeps with high concentrations of sulfur and salts.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Wave action and plate movement are significant factors in the formation of the feature labeled:
A) 1.
B) 2.
C) 3.
D) 4.
Answer: A
Q3) With respect to mid-ocean ridges, transform faults are:
A) associated with hydrothermal vents.
B) located in submarine canyons.
C) parallel to the direction of plate movement.
D) parallel to the rift valley.
E) perpendicular to the ridge axis.
Answer: E
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Marine Sediments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Calcareous oozes are represented by the number(s);
A) 1.
B) 2 .
C) 4.
D) 2 & 3.
E) 3 & 4.
Q2) Which of the following contains silica (SiO )?
A) coccolithophores
B) corals
C) foraminiferans
D) phosphorites
E) radiolarians
Q3) How does the analysis of marine sediments provide information about the climate of the ancient Earth?
Q4) Ocean sediments provide all of the following mineral resources except:
A) coal.
B) clathrates.
C) manganese nodules.
D) methane hydrates.
E) petroleum.
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Chapter 5: Water and Seawater
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Sample Questions
Q1) A beaker contains a mixture of ice and pure water at 0 C. What happens to the temperature of the mixture as heat is added?
A) It immediately begins to rise slowly.
B) It remains constant until the ice melts then it begins to rise.
C) It rises rapidly as the ice melts.
D) It rises slowly until it reaches 32 C then it remains constant as the ice melts.
E) The temperature pattern cannot be predicted.
Q2) In comparison to most other liquids, the heat capacity of water is:
A) a function of salinity.
B) about the same as other liquids.
C) higher than other liquids.
D) lower than other liquids.
E) related to solvent concentration.
Q3) Processes that decrease seawater salinity include evaporation and sea ice formation.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What is the origin of the salt ions in seawater?
Q5) List the major seawater constituents in decreasing concentration.
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Chapter 6: Air-Sea Interface
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Sample Questions
Q1) Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A)max. sustained winds
B)min. central pressure
C)sea surface temp.
D)storm surge
E)wind field di
Q2) A maritime tropical air mass is likely to be:
A) dry and cold.
B) dry and warm.
C) wet and cold.
D) wet and the same temperature.
E) wet and warm.
Q3) A cold air mass moving into an area occupied by relatively warm air is called a(n):
A) cold front.
B) high pressure system.
C) low pressure system.
D) occluded front.
E) warm front.
Q4) Distinguish between<b> weather</b> and <b>climate</b>.
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Chapter 7: Ocean Circulation
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the El Niño Southern Oscillation. What global environmental effects characterize an El Niño event? What global environmental effects characterize a La Niña event?
Q2) Which of the following is a western boundary current?
A) Benguela Current
B) Brazil Current
C) Canary Current
D) California Current
E) Peru Current
Q3) In the southern hemisphere, the direction of Ekman transport is:
A) at a 45º angle from the wind direction.
B) perpendicular to the wind direction.
C) to the east of the wind direction.
D) to the left of the wind direction.
E) to the right of the wind direction.
Q4) Describe the circulation of deep ocean water.
Q5) Discuss the biological impact of upwelling and downwelling on marine ecosystems. Provide examples of marine systems that are impacted by these processes in your answer.
Q6) Distinguish between <b>upwelling</b> and <b>downwelling</b>.
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Waves and Water Dynamics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Capillary and gravity waves are named for the:
A) dominant restoring force.
B) force that creates them.
C) rate at which they travel.
D) wave dispersion.
E) wave refraction pattern they create.
Q2) The horizontal distance between two successive troughs is called the wave height.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Wave energy is focused on headlands due to wave refraction.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The crest is the portion of the wave corresponding to the number:
A) 1.
B) 2.
C) 3.
D) 4.
E) 5.
Q5) Distinguish between wave <b>reflection, refraction,</b> and <b>diffraction</b>.
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Chapter 9: Tides
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a tidal current?
A) both ebb tides and flood tides
B) both neap tides and spring tides
C) ebb tide
D) flood tide
E) spring tide
Q2) The tide-generating force varies:
A) directly with the product of the object masses.
B) directly with the product of the cube of the object masses.
C) directly with the square of the distance between the objects.
D) inversely with the product of object masses.
E) inversely with the product of the cube of the object masses.
Q3) The sun and the moon have relatively equal tide-generating forces on earth.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A synodic month is equivalent to a lunar month, 26 days in length.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Discuss the relationship between the Earth's rotation and the location of tidal bulges.
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Chapter 10: The Coast: Beaches and Shoreline Processes
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Sample Questions
Q1) An increase in the spreading rate at a mid-ocean ridge will cause a decrease in sea level.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which U.S. coast is being most starved for sediments due to the damming of rivers?
A) Alaskan
B) Atlantic
C) Great Lake states
D) Gulf
E) Pacific
Q3) Discuss the seasonal migration of sand on a beach.
Q4) Eustatic changes in sea level refer to changes in the volume of seawater or changes in the volume of the ocean basin.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The velocity of the longshore current will be higher when wave heights are higher.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 11: The Coastal Oceans
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Sample Questions
Q1) The decreased calcium content in the shells of piscivorous birds was a result of bioaccumulation of pesticides in the food chain.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The toxicity of marine pollutants is estimated by:
A) calculating the concentration at which 50% of the test organisms die.
B) determining the length of time that the pollutant remains in the environment.
C) determining the total biomass of affected organisms in the environment.
D) estimating the number of trophic transfers in the food web affected by the pollutant.
E) the EPA.
Q3) The Pamlico Sound, a body of water between coastal North Carolina and the barrier islands of Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke Island is an example of a bar-built estuary.
A)True B)False
Q4) The Coriolis effect is evident in the surface circulation of Chesapeake Bay.
A)True B)False
Q5) List and describe the four types of estuaries and give an example of each.
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Chapter 12: Marine Life and the Marine Environment
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Sample Questions
Q1) The portion of the ocean in which these organisms are most likely to be found is the:
A) benthic zone.
B) estuary.
C) intertidal zone.
D) pelagic zone.
E) sediment layer.
Q2) The depth of the nutrient maximum is found at the base of the mesopelagic zone.
A)True
B)False
Q3) An organism that tolerates a wide range of salinities is referred to as:
A) euryhaline.
B) hypertonic.
C) hypotonic.
D) isotonic.
E) stenohaline.
Q4) The depth of the oxygen minimum is found in the bathypelagic zone.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Explain why the majority of marine organisms are benthic.
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Chapter 13: Biological Productivity and Energy Transfer
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Sample Questions
Q1) Many of the organisms responsible for toxic red tides and paralytic shellfish poisoning belong to the Division:
A) Bacillariophyta.
B) Chlorophyta.
C) Phaeophyta.
D) Pyrrophyta.
E) Rhodophyta.
Q2) Overproduction of organic matter resulting in anoxic conditions is attributed to:
A) autotrophication.
B) eutrophication.
C) net primary productivity.
D) photoperiodicity.
E) phototropism.
Q3) The distinction between a food chain and a food web is that a food chain describes a linear relationship among trophic levels whereas a food web describes the interconnected relationships among trophic structures in nature.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 14: Animals of the Pelagic Environment
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Sample Questions
Q1) Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A)copepods
B)foraminiferans
C)krill
D)radiolarians
E)squid.
Q2) The humpback and other baleen whales migrate every year to:
A) feed in the Arctic and Antarctic regions during the winter.
B) feed in the tropics during the summer.
C) feed in the tropics during the winter.
D) mate and give birth in the Arctic and Antarctic regions during the summer.
E) mate and give birth in the tropics during the winter.
Q3) Pick the pair which does not fit the pattern:
A) clown fish-anemone
B) dinoflagellates-coral
C) isopod-fish
D) krill-whale
E) remora-shark
Q4) Discuss the role of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in regulating commercial whaling.
16
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Chapter 15: Animals of the Benthic Environment
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Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss the conditions that limit the distribution of corals worldwide.
Q2) Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A)fragmentation
B)inking
C)mimicry
D)stinging cells
E)withdrawal into shell
Q3) The relationship between the protistan zooxanthellae and the polyps of reef-building corals is best described as a(n):
A) facultative ectoparasitism.
B) facultative commensalism.
C) obligate endoparasitism.
D) obligate mutualistic endosymbiosis.
E) obligate commensalism.
Q4) Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A)buckshot barnacle
B)chiton
C)hermit crab
D)limpet
E)periwinkle
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Chapter 16: The Oceans and Climate Change
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Sample Questions
Q1) Natural causes for global climate change include all of the following <b>except</b>:
A) changes in solar input.
B) increase in elevation.
C) tectonic plate movement.
D) variation in the Earth's orbit.
E) volcanic activity.
Q2) Describe the role of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Q3) Changes in the relative position of the Earth's tectonic plates and resultant climate are reflected in the paleoclimate record contained in glacial ice and sea floor sediments.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Sea floor sediments and glacial ice trap carbon dioxide that can be used to predict future climate patterns.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Discuss the idea that present day climate changes are part of a larger natural atmospheric cycle. Support your position with evidence from Chapter 16.
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