Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

1. What is oceanography the study of?

A. Lakes and rivers

B. The Earth's oceans and their ecosystems

C. Weather systems

D. Subsurface water

2. Which field studies the chemistry of seawater?

A. Physical oceanography

B. Geological oceanography

C. Chemical oceanography

D. Marine biology

3. What percent of the Northern Hemisphere is water?

A. 81%

B. 39%

C. 61%

D. 50%

4. The Southern Hemisphere is also known as the:

A. Water Hemisphere

B. Land Hemisphere

C. Ice Hemisphere

D. Sun Hemisphere

5. What is the primary gas found dissolved in ocean water?

A. Hydrogen

B. Oxygen

C. Carbon monoxide

D. Chlorine
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

6. Which of the following is a primary salt in seawater?

A. Potassium oxide

B. Calcium carbonate

C. Sodium chloride

D. Magnesium nitrate

7. What tool is used to measure temperature at great ocean depths?

A. Sonar

B. Water sampling bottle

C. Deep-sea thermometer

D. Camera probe

8. What does SONAR stand for?

A. Sound Navigation And Radar

B. Sound Navigation And Ranging

C. Sub-ocean Navigation and Research

D. System of Nautical and Radar

9. What ocean floor feature is the steep transition from the continental shelf?

A. Abyssal plain

B. Continental slope

C. Continental rise

D. Trench

10. Which zone is also known as the sunlight zone?

A. Epipelagic

B. Bathypelagic

C. Abyssopelagic

D. Hadalpelagic
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

11. Which zone contains bioluminescent organisms and lacks sunlight?

A. Epipelagic

B. Mesopelagic

C. Bathypelagic

D. Hadalpelagic

12. The deepest zone in the ocean is the:

A. Abyssopelagic

B. Hadalpelagic

C. Bathypelagic

D. Twilight zone

13. What does a bottom sampler collect?

A. Water samples

B. Gases

C. Sediments from sea floor

D. Fish specimens

14. What creates deep ocean trenches?

A. Divergent boundaries

B. Volcanoes

C. Subduction of tectonic plates

D. Tidal erosion

15. Which satellite is used to measure changes in sea surface height?

A. Seasat

B. GeoEye

C. Landsat

D. Geosat
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

16. The zone where light begins to fade but photosynthesis is not possible is the:

A. Epipelagic zone

B. Mesopelagic zone

C. Bathypelagic zone

D. Abyssopelagic zone

17. What is the most abundant dissolved gas in ocean water?

A. Oxygen

B. Nitrogen

C. Carbon dioxide

D. Hydrogen

18. What is the cause of thermohaline circulation?

A. Wind and gravity

B. Temperature and salinity differences

C. Submarine volcanoes

D. Tides

19. Which oceanographic tool measures current speed and direction?

A. Deep-sea camera

B. Thermometer

C. Bottom sampler

D. Current meter

20. What is the most saline layer of the ocean?

A. Deep zone

B. Surface mixed layer

C. Thermocline

D. Halocline
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

21. Which zone contains most marine plankton?

A. Abyssopelagic

B. Mesopelagic

C. Epipelagic

D. Hadalpelagic

22. What geological feature is formed by magma at divergent boundaries?

A. Seamount

B. Deep sea trench

C. Mid-ocean ridge

D. Abyssal plain

23. A once-active volcano now eroded and submerged is called a:

A. Atoll

B. Seamount

C. Guyot

D. Trench

24. What kind of oceanographic instrument is used to record visuals of the sea floor?

A. Sonar

B. Deep sea camera

C. Current meter

D. Echo sounder

25. Which layer of the ocean has the most stable temperature?

A. Transition zone

B. Surface zone

C. Deep zone

D. Mixed layer
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

26. What affects salinity the most?

A. Moon phases

B. Temperature and freshwater inflow

C. Wind speed

D. Coral reefs

27. Which ion is NOT a principal component of seawater?

A. Cl

B. Na+

C. SO42

D. NO3

28. Where is the ocean warmest?

A. At the poles

B. Near trenches

C. At the equator

D. In the deep zone

29. What process adds minerals and salts to the ocean?

A. Cloud formation

B. Photosynthesis

C. Rock weathering and volcanic outgassing

D. Erosion by wind

30. The abyssal plain is characterized by:

A. Steep slopes

B. Rugged terrain

C. Flat and smooth features

D. Coral reefs
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

31. What marine zone supports photosynthesis?

A. Bathypelagic

B. Abyssopelagic

C. Epipelagic

D. Hadalpelagic

32. What determines water density in oceans?

A. Salt and sugar

B. Temperature and salinity

C. Volume and surface tension

D. Gases and sediment

33. Which part of the ocean floor marks the true edge of the continental crust?

A. Continental shelf

B. Continental slope

C. Continental rise

D. Abyssal plain

34. The ocean helps regulate Earths climate by:

A. Absorbing CO2

B. Generating tides

C. Absorbing and releasing thermal energy

D. Blocking solar radiation

35. Which current affects the climate of Northern Europe?

A. Canary Current

B. California Current

C. Gulf Stream

D. Labrador Current
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

36. What is the average depth of the ocean?

A. 1.5 km

B. 3.8 km

C. 6 km

D. 10 km

37. Which is a resource extracted from seawater?

A. Iron

B. Magnesium

C. Uranium

D. Zinc

38. What describes the continental rise?

A. Vertical cliff

B. Gentle slope formed by sediment accumulation

C. Region of volcanoes

D. Deep trench

39. What is the main challenge of deep sea exploration?

A. Lack of oxygen

B. Darkness

C. High pressure

D. Distance

40. The continental shelf is known for:

A. Steep drops

B. Ice cover

C. Rich marine life

D. High salinity
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

41. Where is the thermocline located?

A. In the deep zone

B. Between surface and deep zones

C. On the seafloor

D. Near hydrothermal vents

42. What is the function of a water sampling bottle?

A. Measure currents

B. Collect deep-sea life

C. Take water samples at depth

D. Catch fish

43. What is the cause of turbidity currents?

A. Melting ice

B. Underwater landslides

C. Tidal waves

D. Volcanic eruptions

44. What zone is directly above the abyssopelagic zone?

A. Hadalpelagic

B. Bathypelagic

C. Mesopelagic

D. Epipelagic

45. Which zone covers most of the ocean floor?

A. Epipelagic

B. Mesopelagic

C. Abyssopelagic

D. Bathypelagic
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

46. What is the name of underwater mountain ranges formed by plate divergence?

A. Continental rises

B. Abyssal hills

C. Mid-ocean ridges

D. Guyots

47. Which instrument is expendable and measures depth/temperature as it falls?

A. CTD

B. XBT

C. ROV

D. Current meter

48. How deep can sunlight penetrate ocean water?

A. 500 meters

B. 100 meters

C. 150 meters

D. 1000 meters

49. What causes changes in surface temperature of ocean zones?

A. Water pressure

B. Latitude and time of year

C. Wind speed

D. Number of fish

50. Why is gold not mined from oceans?

A. Its not present

B. It's radioactive

C. Too expensive and low concentration

D. Not valuable
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

Identification Quiz: Oceanography

Hydrology
Definition: The study of the waters of the Earth and their various states.

Hydrologic Sciences
Definition: Fields concerned with the occurrence, circulation, distribution, and properties of
Earth's waters.

Oceanography
Definition: The study of Earth's oceans and their interlinked ecosystems.

Geological Oceanography
Focus: Study of geologic processes in the oceans, including plate tectonics.

Chemical Oceanography
Focus: Study of the chemistry of the oceans and the properties of seawater.

Biological Oceanography
Also Known As: Marine biology; study of ocean flora and fauna.

Physical Oceanography
Focus: Study of the physical attributes of oceans, including energy transmission.

Northern Hemisphere
Composition: Approximately 61% water and 39% land.

Southern Hemisphere
Composition: Approximately 81% water and 19% land.

Marine Water
Definition: Water found in oceans and seas.

Subsurface Water
Definition: Water located beneath the Earth's surface.

Fresh Water
Definition: Water that is not salty and is found in rivers, lakes, and aquifers.

Water Sampling Bottles

Purpose: Containers used to collect water samples from various depths.

Deep-Sea Thermometers
Purpose: Instruments used to measure temperatures at ocean depths.

Bottom Sampler
Purpose: Device used to collect samples from the ocean floor.

Current Meter
Purpose: Instrument used to measure the speed and direction of ocean currents.

Deep Sea Cameras

Purpose: Cameras used to observe the ocean floor and marine life.

Sonic Depth Recorders

Purpose: Instruments that measure ocean depth continuously from a moving ship.

Sonar
Definition: A system using sound waves to detect submerged objects and measure
underwater distances.
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

Echo Sounding
Purpose: Technique used for mapping the ocean floor using sonar.

Continental Margin
Definition: The submerged area of the continent that includes the continental shelf and
slope.

Deep-Ocean Basin
Definition: The area of the ocean floor that lies beyond the continental margin.

Continental Shelf
Definition: The shallow, gently sloping part of the ocean floor extending from the shore.

Continental Slope
Definition: The steeply sloping area that follows the continental shelf.

Turbidity Currents
Definition: Rapidly moving currents that carry sediments down the continental slope.

Continental Rise
Definition: The gentle slope at the base of the continental slope formed by sediment
accumulation.

Abyssal Plain
Definition: Smooth, flat areas of the deep ocean floor covered with fine sediments.

Mid-Ocean Ridge
Definition: An underwater mountain range formed by tectonic plate divergence.

Seamount
Definition: An underwater volcano that does not reach the ocean surface.

Volcanic Island
Definition: An island formed from a seamount that has erupted above sea level.

Deep Sea Trenches

Definition: The deepest parts of the ocean, formed by tectonic plate subduction.

Guyot
Definition: A submerged, flat-topped underwater mountain.

Hadalpelagic Zone
Definition: The deepest ocean zone, found in deep ocean trenches.

Abyssopelagic Zone
Definition: The abyssal zone, ranging from 4000 to 6000 meters deep.

Bathypelagic Zone
Definition: The midnight zone, ranging from 100 to 700 meters deep.

Mesopelagic Zone
Definition: The twilight zone, where some sunlight penetrates but not enough for
photosynthesis.

Epipelagic Zone
Definition: The sunlight zone, extending from the surface to 200 meters deep.
 Oceanography Quiz (50 Multiple-Choice Questions)

Salinity
Definition: A measure of the amount of dissolved solids in ocean water.

Dissolved Gases
Main Gases: Nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide found in ocean water.

Surface Temperature Changes

Variation: Surface temperatures range from 1ºC near the poles to 24ºC near the equator.

Water Cycle
Definition: The continuous movement of water from the ocean to the atmosphere and back.

Thermal Exchange
Definition: The ocean's ability to absorb and release thermal energy slowly.

Ocean Currents
Definition: Movements of ocean water that help regulate the planet's temperature.

Pressure in Oceans
Fact: Pressure increases at a rate of 10 times the air pressure at sea level per 100 meters of
depth.

Sunlight Penetration
Fact: Sunlight barely reaches 150 meters deep in the ocean.

Resources from Oceans

Examples: Sea salt, magnesium, and bromine extracted from seawater.

Desalination
Definition: The process of removing salt from seawater to obtain fresh water.

Layered Oceans
Description: Oceans have distinct layers based on temperature and salinity.

Deep Ocean Currents

Driven By: Gravity and density differences in water.

Thermohaline Circulation
Definition: Deep ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity differences.