Test Questions & Answers Ch9 The Tides

Investigating Oceanography, 3e (Sverdrup)

Chapter 9 The Tides

1) The Earth and the Moon rotate around their common ________.

2) The angle between Earth's equatorial plane and the Moon's orbital plane is called the Moon's ________.

3) The corange lines of a rotary standing tide wave all converge at the ________ point.

4) A tidal pattern of two high tides and two low tides each day is known as a diurnal tidal pattern.

5) The time required to complete the tidal sequence of a solar tide is equal to the time period needed to complete the sequence of a lunar tide.

6) The Sun plays a greater role in producing the tides than the moon.

7) The tidal bulge on the side of the Earth facing the tide-raising body is caused by the difference between the tidal force at the surface of the Earth and the tidal force at the Earth's center.

8) Neap tides occur during a full moon.

9) Spring tides are present when the lunar and solar tide waves are in phase with each other.

10) Tides are deep-water waves.

11) The tide wave that progresses across the oceans at low latitudes is forced by the tide-raising force to travel at a speed greater than its natural speed.

12) The shape and depth of the ocean basins control the progression of the tide wave.

13) The values of tide corange lines decrease as they move away from the amphidromic point.

14) Hawaii is near an amphidromic point; therefore, its tidal range is small.

15) A Northern Hemisphere ocean basin with a standing-type tidal oscillation will have a standing wave that rotates counterclockwise.

16) If the tidal current is maximum at mid tide level, the tide is a progressive wave type.

17) Any local tide can be predicted from astronomical data alone.

18) Tidal power is periodic, but it is always available at about the same time each day.

19) Tides arrive at the same location at the same time each day.

20) The time period between successive new moons is 29.5 days.

21) Open ocean tides can be monitored and recorded from satellites.

22) If the tide-producing force is proportional to G × M/R3, then the Moon exerts a greater tide-raising force than the Sun due to the difference in their masses rather than a difference in their distances from the Earth.

23) A region of mixed tides tends to have more diurnal type tides if the semidiurnal component of the tide-producing force weakens.

24) A rising tide is known as an ebb tide.

25) Lunar tides are larger than solar tides.

26) Tidal waves are deep-water waves.

27) The greatest tidal range occurs farthest from the amphidromic point.

28) Rotary currents progress in a clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere.

29) The antinode of a rotary current is the amphidromic point.

30) Diurnal tide cycles occur ________.

A) once a day

B) twice a day

C) three times a day

D) only at low latitudes

E) only at high latitudes

31) The combination of diurnal and semidiurnal tides produces a(n) ________ tide.

A) diurnal

B) semidiurnal

C) mixed semidiurnal

D) standing

E) equilibrium

32) The terms "ebb" and "low" pertain to ________.

A) low- and high-water stands

B) outgoing and incoming tides

C) the direction of the tidal current flow

D) outgoing and incoming tides and the direction of the tidal current flow

E) low- and high-water stands, outgoing and incoming tides, and the direction of the tidal current flow

33) To navigate swift tidal currents safely, small boats need to wait for ________.

A) high water

B) low water

C) slack water

D) ebb tide

E) flood tide

34) The length of a tidal day for a mixed semidiurnal tide is ________ hours.

A) 12

B) 12.4

C) 24

D) 24.8

E) 48

35) The ________ tide component tends to make high tides appear about one hour later each day.

A) diurnal

B) semidiurnal

C) lunar

D) solar

E) declinational

36) The center of mass of the Earth-Moon system ________.

A) lies beneath Earth's surface on a line that joins the centers of Earth and the Moon

B) describes the true orbit of the Earth-Moon system about the Sun

C) is between the Earth and Moon on the line through their centers

D) lies beneath Earth's surface on a line that joins the centers of Earth and the Moon and describes the true orbit of the Earth-Moon system about the Sun

E) lies beneath Earth's surface on a line that joins the centers of Earth and the Moon, describes the true orbit of the Earth-Moon system about the Sun, and is between the Earth and Moon on the line through their centers

37) Using equilibrium tidal theory, the tide may be considered a wave with a wavelength approximately ________.

A) the diameter of Earth

B) half the diameter of Earth

C) the circumference of Earth

D) half the circumference of Earth

E) the radius of Earth

38) The typical semidiurnal period of a solar tide according to equilibrium tidal theory is ________ hours, whereas the semidiurnal lunar tidal period is ________ hours.

A) 12.0; 12.4

B) 24.0; 24.8

C) 12.4; 12.0

D) 12.8; 24.0

E) 12.0; 12.0

39) Diurnal tides are more prevalent at middle latitudes when the tide-raising bodies are ________.

A) at low declination

B) at high declination

C) in line with each other

D) 90 degrees to each other

E) 180 degrees to each other

40) ________ tides occur at the first quarter moon.

A) Mixed

B) Diurnal

C) Semidiurnal

D) Neap

E) Spring

41) Tides of large amplitude occurring every two weeks at the new and full moon are called ________ tides.

A) equatorial

B) neap

C) spring

D) declinational

E) semidiurnal

42) Tides

A) are shallow water waves.

B) are progressive waves.

C) rotate in ocean basins.

D) have elliptical water particle orbits.

E) All of these are correct.

43) Since the earth turns ________ the tide wave tends to move ________ around Earth.

A) eastward; westward

B) eastward; eastward

C) westward; eastward

D) westward; westward

E) northward; southward

44) The tidal range toward the center of an ocean basin with a rotary standing tide is ________ the range at the edges of the basin.

A) smaller than

B) larger than

C) about the same as

D) of longer duration than

E) None of these is correct.

45) An ocean basin can have a natural period of oscillation that matches the tidal day if the basin depth is ________ and its length and width are ________.

A) large; small

B) large; large

C) small; large

D) small; small

E) large; large and small; small

46) Some oceanic basins promote rotary standing tide waves. In the Northern Hemisphere, the tide wave rotates ________ and the tidal current rotates ________.

A) counterclockwise; clockwise

B) counterclockwise; counterclockwise

C) clockwise; counterclockwise

D) clockwise; clockwise

E) clockwise; the current does not rotate

47) The tidal current in a narrow tidal channel is likely to ________.

A) have a distinct rotary component

B) be unidirectional at all times

C) change direction as the tides change

D) be nonrotary

E) change direction as the tides change and be nonrotary

48) In an open-ended embayment connected to the sea (for example, the Bay of Fundy), how much of the fundamental standing tide wave form is present?

A) One-half the wave

B) The complete wave

C) One-quarter the wave

D) Two waves

E) Four waves

49) Friction between the moving tide wave and the turning Earth acts to ________.

A) slow the rotation rate of Earth and make the tide wave move as a forced wave

B) increase the free wave speed of the tide wave

C) make no difference to Earth's rotation and wave speed

D) All of the answers are correct.

50) If a narrow coastal basin oscillates with a period that nearly matches the tidal period, near its entrance the basin has ________ amplitude tides and ________ tidal currents.

A) large; small

B) small; small

C) large; large

D) small; large

E) no change in; no change in

51) Real tides in ocean basins feel the effect of the ________.

A) Coriolis effect

B) continents

C) water depth

D) ocean basin's standing wave

E) All of these are correct.

52) Tidal currents

A) move water with the ebb tide.

B) move water with the flood tide.

C) can be swift and dangerous.

D) move water with the ebb and flood tides, and can be swift and dangerous.

E) Tides do not produce currents.

53) Tide waves have ________.

A) crests at the high-water level and troughs at the low-water level

B) periods of 24 hours and 50 minutes or 12 hours and 25 minutes

C) speeds that are constant

D) crests at the high-water level and troughs at the low-water level, periods of 24 hours and 50 minutes or 12 hours and 25 minutes, and speeds that are constant

E) crests at the high-water level and troughs at the low-water level and periods of 24 hours and 50 minutes or 12 hours and 25 minutes

54) Tidal currents in the open ocean are ________.

A) rotary currents

B) formed by the passing tide wave

C) deflected by the Coriolis effect

D) present at all depths

E) All of these are correct.

55) If the higher high water (HHW) tide occurs at 1400 hours on day 1, at what time does the next HHW occur?

A) 2012 hours on day 1

B) 0225 hours on day 2

C) 1837 hours on day 2

D) 1400 hours on day 2

E) 1450 hours on day 2

56) A spring tide occurs approximately ________.

A) once per week

B) every two weeks

C) once per month

D) once per year

E) twice per year

57) When will tidal range be greatest?

A) Spring tide in July

B) Spring tide in January

C) Neap tide in July

D) Neap tide in January

E) Spring tide in July and spring tide in January

58) Which factor has the greatest tide generating effect?

A) Mass of the Earth

B) Mass of the tide-generating body

C) Speed of rotation

D) Distance between the Earth and tide-generating body

E) Mass of the tide-generating body and speed of rotation

59) A tidal day is ________.

A) 12 hours

B) 12 hours and 25 minutes

C) 24 hours

D) 24 hours and 50 minutes

E) It depends on the day.

60) Tidal days are longer than solar days because

A) the moon rotates more slowly than the Earth.

B) the moon rotates more quickly than the Earth.

C) the moon moves in the rotates same direction around the Earth as the Earth revolves on its axis.

D) the moon moves in the rotates in the opposite direction of the Earth.

E) Tidal days are not longer than solar days.

61) The possibility of obtaining large amounts of energy from the tides exists where ________.

A) there are large tidal ranges

B) there are small tidal ranges

C) there are narrow channels with swift tidal currents

D) there are wide channels and slow tidal currents

E) there are large tidal ranges and there are narrow channels with swift tidal currents

62) Energy can be extracted from tides by ________.

A) the rise and fall of the water

B) the horizontal movement of water in tidal currents

C) the declination of the tides

D) only from diurnal tides

E) the rise and fall of the water and the horizontal movement of water in tidal currents

63) A diurnal mixed tide is characterized by which of the following?

A) Two high and two low tides per tidal day at the same high- and low-tide levels

B) Two high and two low tides per tidal day at different high- and low-tide levels

C) One high and one low tide per tidal day

D) Two high and two low tides per tidal period at the same high- and low-tide levels

E) Two high and two low tides per tidal period at different high- and low-tide levels

64) A diurnal mixed tide is characterized by which of the following?

A) Two high and two low tides per tidal day at the same high- and low-tide levels

B) Two high and two low tides per tidal day at different high- and low-tide levels

C) One high and one low tide per tidal day

D) Two high and two low tides per tidal period at the same high- and low-tide levels

E) Two high and two low tides per tidal period at different high- and low-tide levels

65) A semidiurnal mixed tide is characterized by which of the following?

A) Two high and two low tides per tidal day at the same high- and low-tide levels

B) Two high and two low tides per tidal day at different high- and low-tide levels

C) One high and one low tide per tidal day

D) Two high and two low tides per tidal period at the same high- and low-tide levels

E) Two high and two low tides per tidal period at different high- and low-tide levels

66) A flood tide ends in ________.

A) A standing wave

B) A tidal bore

C) A high slack water with a fast current

D) A low slack water with a fast current

E) A high slack water with a very slow or nonexistent current

67) Real-world extreme tidally driven currents in a tidal channel have speeds in excess of ________.

A) 0.5 m/s

B) 1 m/s

C) 3 m/s

D) 5 m/s

E) None of these

68) Neap tides occur ________.

A) once a month when the Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon lines are at an angle of 45° to each other

B) twice a month when the Earth, Sun and Moon are fully aligned

C) once a month when the Earth, Sun and Moon are fully aligned

D) twice a month when the Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon lines are at a right angle to each other

E) once a month when the Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon lines are at a right angle to each other

69) Spring tides occur ________.

A) once a month when the Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon lines are at an angle of 45° to each other

B) twice a month when the Earth, Sun and Moon are fully aligned

C) once a month when the Earth, Sun and Moon are fully aligned

D) twice a month when the Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon lines are at a right angle to each other

E) once a month when the Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon lines are at a right angle to each other

70) The period of the tidal wave is greater than the period of ________.

A) a tsunami

B) a gravity wave

C) a capillary wave

D) All of these are correct

E) None of these is correct

71) Select the single case from the following that will result in the shortest tidal range.

A) The Earth, Sun and Moon are fully aligned in July

B) The Earth, Sun and Moon are fully aligned in January

C) The Earth, Sun and Moon are fully aligned in January, but the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth

D) The Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon lines are at an angle of 45° to each other in July

E) The Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon lines are at an angle of 45° to each other in January

72) The expansion of the use of tidal energy for electricity production is hampered by ________.

A) plant construction costs

B) technological limitations in plant design

C) public demand

D) inadequate trials of the technology

E) a limited number of suitable sites