Oceans & Seas Quiz

1. How many oceans are officially recognised?

1. 4
2. 5
3. 6
4. 7

2. What is the deepest point on Earth, and which ocean is it in?

1. Challenger Deep, Pacific Ocean
2. Java Trench, Indian Ocean
3. Molloy Hole, Arctic Ocean
4. Puerto Rico Trench, Atlantic Ocean

3. The Gulf Stream is a powerful ocean current. What does it do?

1. Brings cold Arctic water south along the US East Coast
2. Brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to Western Europe, moderating its climate
3. Cools the coasts of North America
4. Powers the monsoon in Southeast Asia

4. The Mediterranean Sea borders how many countries?

1. 10
2. 15
3. 21
4. 28

5. Which ocean is the smallest?

1. Arctic Ocean
2. Atlantic Ocean
3. Indian Ocean
4. Southern Ocean

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

1. 51%
2. 61%
3. 71%
4. 81%

7. Which sea is the world's saltiest body of water?

1. Caspian Sea
2. Dead Sea
3. Mediterranean Sea
4. Red Sea

8. The Strait of Gibraltar connects which two bodies of water?

1. The Atlantic and the Mediterranean
2. The Black Sea and the Mediterranean
3. The Mediterranean and the Red Sea
4. The North Sea and the Atlantic

9. The Great Barrier Reef is in which ocean?

1. Indian Ocean
2. Pacific Ocean
3. Southern Ocean
4. Tasman Sea

10. What causes ocean tides?

1. Earth's rotation only
2. Ocean currents
3. The gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun
4. Wind patterns

11. The Red Sea separates Africa from which peninsula?

1. The Arabian Peninsula
2. The Horn of Africa
3. The Indian Subcontinent
4. The Sinai Peninsula

12. Which ocean do ships cross when sailing from Europe to North America?

1. The Arctic Ocean
2. The Atlantic Ocean
3. The Indian Ocean
4. The Pacific Ocean

13. What is the 'thermocline' in the ocean?

1. A boundary layer where temperature decreases rapidly with depth
2. A current that runs along the ocean floor
3. The deepest, coldest zone of the ocean
4. The warm top layer of ocean water

14. The Suez Canal connects which two bodies of water?

1. The Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf
2. The Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea
3. The Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea
4. The Red Sea and the Persian Gulf

15. What percentage of Earth's water is fresh (not salt water)?

1. 10%
2. 20%
3. 3%
4. 30%

16. The Drake Passage, the world's most treacherous stretch of water, lies between:

1. Australia and Antarctica
2. Iceland and Greenland
3. New Zealand and Antarctica
4. South America and Antarctica

17. Which ocean is surrounded by more landmass than any other?

1. Arctic
2. Atlantic
3. Indian
4. Pacific

18. What is 'bioluminescence' in the ocean?

1. Light produced by living marine organisms through chemical reactions
2. Phosphorescent minerals on the seafloor
3. The blue colour of tropical ocean water
4. The reflection of sunlight on ocean waves

19. The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In which country is it?

1. Colombia
2. Costa Rica
3. Nicaragua
4. Panama

20. What is a 'tsunami' and what typically causes one?

1. A giant tide caused by storms
2. A massive ocean wave typically triggered by an underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption
3. A whirlpool in the open ocean
4. An extremely high tide