Oceans and Water Bodies Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What percentage of Earth's surface is covered by oceans?

  • 90 percent
  • 50 percent
  • 80 percent
  • 70 percent (correct)
  • What is the average salt content of ocean water?

  • 35 parts per thousand (correct)
  • 50 parts per thousand
  • 20 parts per thousand
  • 70 parts per thousand
  • How much salt per cubic mile of seawater is there in the ocean?

  • 150 million tons
  • 100 million tons
  • 120 million tons (correct)
  • 50 million tons
  • What causes rain to become slightly acidic as it forms and falls through the air?

    <p>Absorption of carbon dioxide</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does ocean water accumulate salt and other dissolved minerals?

    <p>From eroding rocks and picking up dissolved minerals</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Edmond Halley suggested that the salinity of seawater could serve as a kind of ______ that could be used to determine the age of the ocean

    <p>clock</p> Signup and view all the answers

    John Joly came up with an estimate of 90 million years for the age of the ocean using Halley's ______

    <p>scheme</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Halley reasoned that dividing the total volume of ocean water by the rate at which salt was deposited in the ocean would show how long it had taken for the ocean to reach its current level of ______

    <p>salinity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    More-advanced techniques later revealed the estimate of 90 million years to be a major ______

    <p>underestimate</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Halley had failed to account for the fact that some sea salt becomes ______

    <p>sequestered</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Salt Deposition in the Sea

    • In 1715, British astronomer Edmond Halley proposed that salt was gradually deposited in the sea by rivers.
    • Halley suggested that the salinity of seawater could be used as a clock to determine the age of the ocean and, by extension, the Earth.
    • He proposed that dividing the total volume of ocean water by the rate of salt deposition would reveal the time it took for the ocean to reach its current level of salinity.

    Early Estimation of the Ocean's Age

    • In 1899, Irish physicist John Joly attempted to calculate the age of the ocean using Halley's method.
    • Joly estimated the age of the ocean to be around 90 million years.
    • Later, more advanced techniques revealed that this estimate was a major underestimate, and the actual age of the ocean is around four billion years.

    Flaws in Halley's Scheme

    • Halley's method had a significant flaw: it failed to account for the sequestration of some sea salt.
    • This oversight compromised the accuracy of Halley's proposed method for determining the age of the ocean.

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    Description

    Test your knowledge of Earth's water bodies and their properties with this quiz on oceans and their characteristics. From the largest ocean to the salinity of seawater, challenge yourself with questions about the vast bodies of water that dominate our planet.

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