Questions And CORRECT Answers
Which of the following best describes a floodplain?
A. a region of land that is periodically flooded when a river overflows
B. an area that is periodically flooded because humans have altered the landscape
C.an area where flood irrigation of crops is used, such as a rice paddy
D. a region of land that has been deliberately, permanently flooded due to human disturbance, such as in
dam building
E. an area that is incidentally flooded when farming or mining operations change the course of rivers -
CORRECT ANSWERS A. a region of land that is periodically flooded when. river overflows
What is the name of an area of land that is drained by a river and all of its tributaries?
A. Spring
B. Watershed
C. Estuary
D. Wetland - CORRECT ANSWERS B. Watershed
The region of a lake where plants are able to attach to the bottom and still reach above the surface is
known as the __________.
A. benthic zone
B. abyssal zone
C. littoral zone
D. profundal zone - CORRECT ANSWERS C. littoral zone
Oceans have absorbed approximately one-third of the excess carbon dioxide that humans have added to
Earth's atmosphere so far. This has slowed the progression of global climate change, but it has led to
________.
A. increases in growth of coral reefs
B. an increase in the pH of the world's oceans
,C. growth of oyster populations worldwide
D. a decrease in the pH (ocean acidification)
E. loss of oxygen from the oceans - CORRECT ANSWERS D. a decrease in the pH
The area that underlies the shallow water bordering continents is called the ________.
A. pelagic zone
B. continental shelf
C. water table
D. benthic zone
E. groundwater aeration zone - CORRECT ANSWERS B. continental shelf
Zooxanthellae are ________.
A. symbiotic algae that provide energy to many species of corals
B. used in the treatment of wastewater
C. an invasive kelp species in the Indian Ocean
D. an endangered species of fish in the Aral Sea
E. bacteria that fix nitrogen in ocean sediments - CORRECT ANSWERS A. symbiotic algae that
provide energy to many species of corals
The exceptionally strong warming of the eastern Pacific is referred to as ________.
A. La Niña
B. downwelling
C. the Coriolis effect
D. El Niño
E. cyclonic storm formation - CORRECT ANSWERS D. El Nino
Upwelling ________.
A. transports oxygen from deep to surface waters
,B. is the flow of warm water upward toward the ocean surface
C. occurs in areas where there are no currents
D. brings benthic nutrients to the ocean surface promoting high primary productivity
E. occurs when winds blow at right angles to a coastline - CORRECT ANSWERS D. brings benthic
nutrients to the ocean surface promoting high primary productivity
The rapid melting of Greenland's ice cap could disrupt the NADW formation by ________.
A. adding huge amounts of less-dense fresh water to the surface of the system
B. reversing the El Niño-La Niña cycle
C. adding excess nutrients to cold northern waters
D. adding heat and salt to deep ocean waters
E. acidifying ocean water - CORRECT ANSWERS A. adding huge amounts of less-dense fresh
water to the surface of the system
Which of the following is a systematic shift in atmospheric pressure, sea surface temperature, and ocean
circulation patterns in the tropical Pacific Ocean that alters weather patterns on a worldwide scale?
A. El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
B. Thermohaline circulation
C. Upwellings
D. North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) - CORRECT ANSWERS A. El Nino-Southern Oscillation
Recent research that analyzed the content of commercial bottled water indicates that ________.
A. all surveyed brands had information about the source of the water and how the water was treated
B. bottled water is generally much safer and purer than tap water
C. bottled water has no contamination from hormone mimic plasticizers
D. bottled water is no safer or purer than most samples of tap water
E. bottled water consumes less fossil fuel in reaching the consumer than does tap water - CORRECT
ANSWERS D. bottled water is no safer or purer than most samples of tap water
, According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the number of human-induced sinkholes has
doubled since 1930. Insurance claims increased 1200% from 1987 to 1991, costing nearly $100 million. A
major reason for this is ________.
A. increased water consumption through development and urbanization
B. roadway construction, leading to increased runoff
C. decreases in agriculture
D. global warming
E. increased rainfall, raising the water level - CORRECT ANSWERS A. increased water
consumption through development and urbanization
What type of coastal feature experiences fluctuations in salinity with daily and seasonal variations?
A. mangrove forests
B. beaches
C. salt marshes
D. estuaries - CORRECT ANSWERS D. estuaires
Which of the following will contribute to water conservation?
A. washing dishes by hand
B. using aerial sprays for crop irrigation
C. watering lawns at night and landscaping with native plants
D. watering lawns during peak sunlight hours, when plants need water most
E. planting nonnative wetland plants for landscaping - CORRECT ANSWERS C. watering lawns at
night and landscaping with native plants
Which of the following is a nonconsumptive use of water as a resource?
A. Industrial use
B. Hydroelectric power
C. Farmland irrigation
D. Copper mining - CORRECT ANSWERS B. Hydroelectric power