±¬ÁÏTV

Can you solve these real 'Jeopardy!' clues about the oceans?

·Casey O'Brien

Ryan J. Thompson // Shutterstock
Ryan J. Thompson // Shutterstock

"Jeopardy!" has been a staple of American entertainment for decades. First debutingÌýin 1964, the show's current iteration has survived for more than 7,000 episodes since its 1984 rebirth. Fans enthusiastically follow along with host Alex Trebek, and some of them even shout answers at their televisions. And there have been plentyÌýof answers during the show's historic run: , a fan-compiled database, has documented over 300,000 clues (and counting). That's a deep reservoir of knowledge.

If there's one topic that comes close to filling all those episodes with clues, then it's the world's oceans. Earth's vast oceans are complex and sometimes not well understood, but they are hugely important to the world's ecosystems. Oceans cover more thanÌý. They drive weather patterns and house millions of species, ranging from microscopic protozoaÌýto gargantuan blue whales. Although , it's proven that oceans are delicate ecosystems sensitive to temperature fluctuations, pollution, overfishing, and other issues.

While the Earth's oceans are one continuous body of water, the five oceans all have unique ecosystems and climates. There are likely many oceanic species left to discoverÌýand myriad questions to answer, making the oceans a perfectÌý"Jeopardy!" topic. From coral shallows to deep trenches, "Jeopardy!"Ìýenthusiasts andÌýmarine biology whizzesÌýalike will enjoy this fascinating quizÌýabout the world's oceans.

±¬ÁÏTV used the J! ArchiveÌýto compile a list of questions about the oceans from 36 seasons of "Jeopardy!" ±¬ÁÏTV's slideshow covers topics ranging from the formation of Earth's oceans billions of years ago to the present threats oceans are facing from climate change.ÌýRead on to learn about ancient reptiles, the gravitational pull of the moon, and much more.

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Clue #1

- Clue: An alarming 2019 environmental report called for action to reduce the 8 million tons of this substance going into oceans every year.
- Category: THE U.N. REPORTS
- Value: $200
- Date episode aired: Nov. 1, 2019

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Answer #1

What is plastic?

Plastic pollution is a massive problem in the world's oceans. The crisis is twofold.ÌýOne,Ìýplastic endures: . And two, we produce, use, and throw away plastic in excess. As much asÌý before being thrown away; and only .ÌýUnfortunately, plastic production has ramped up in recent years; in the last decade, more plastic has been produced than in the whole of the previous century.

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Clue #2

- Clue: The Laptev and Barents Seas are parts of this remote ocean.
- Category: THE OCEANS
- Value: $1,600
- Date episode aired: AprilÌý13, 2018

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Answer #2

What is the Arctic Ocean?

The Arctic Ocean is the world's northernmost body of water; and at justÌý it's also Earth's smallest ocean. However, this ocean is . The Arctic Ocean is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth, and scientists are scrambling to understand the impacts.

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Answer #3

What is primordial (or primeval)?

The is one of several leading theoriesÌýof how life began on Earth. The theory holds that life began on Earth at least 3.5 billion years ago from a mixture of chemicals and energy from lightning.

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Clue #4

- Clue: The ancient oceans were a scary place, populated by giant sharks and lizards like this long-necked one.
- Category: SOMETIMES A GREAT OCEAN
- Value: $1,600
- Date episode aired: MayÌý11, 2010

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Answer #4

What is a plesiosaur?

These reptiles were onceÌýfound throughout the Pacific Ocean and in what are now European waters. Scientists believe the plesiosaurÌý to catch fish to eat.

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Clue #5

- Clue: At 28,374 feet, the Puerto Rico Trench is this ocean's deepest point.
- Category: THE WORLD'S OCEANS
- Value: $200
- Date episode aired: Nov. 6, 2009

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Clue #6

- Clue: A busy shipping lane, the Strait of Malacca between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, links these two oceans.
- Category: DIRE STRAITS
- Value: $600
- Date episode aired: June 4, 2007

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Answer #6

What are the Indian and Pacific Oceans?

The Strait of Malacca . It has been in continuous use since ancient times, by Roman, Greek, Chinese, and Indian traders.

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Clue #7

- Clue: Many explorers once sought this Arctic Sea route connecting two oceans.
- Category: "NORTH" POLL
- Value: $600
- Date episode aired: MarchÌý9, 2005

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Answer #7

What is the Northwest Passage?

The Northwest Passage connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Canadian Arctic. It has until recently been more or less impassable because of ice, but with climate change, commercial traffic can move through the Arctic .

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Answer #8

What are coral reefs?

Some of the coral reefs contain thousands of species. While coral uses photosynthesis to survive, they're not plants—they are closer relatives of sea anemones and jellyfish.

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Clue #9

- Clue: Among the rivers that feed this ocean are the Zambezi and the Shatt Al-Arab.
- Category: OCEANS & SEAS
- Value: $800
- Date episode aired: Jan. 8, 1997

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Answer #9

What is the Indian Ocean?

The Indian Ocean is the world's third-largest ocean. It covers about 20% of the Earth's surface and is over five times the size of the United States.

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Clue #10

- Clue: Two oceans meet at Cape Agulhas, the southernmost extremity of this continent.
- Category: WORLD GEOGRAPHY
- Value: $500
- Date episode aired: Oct. 31, 1990

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Clue #11

- Clue: The deepest part of the oceans of the world is the Mariana Trench in this ocean.
- Category: GEOGRAPHIC WORLD RECORDS
- Value: $200
- Date episode aired: MayÌý10, 1989

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Answer #11

What is the Pacific Ocean?

Only two peoplehave ever reached the , located in the wester part of the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines. The trench is almost sevenÌýmiles below the ocean's surface. For scale, if one were to put Mount Everest in the Mariana Trench, its peak would sit a mile below sea level.

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Clue #12

- Clue: The biggest iceberg ever sighted, larger than Belgium, was in this ocean.
- Category: OCEANS
- Value: $400
- Date episode aired: AprilÌý24, 1986

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Answer #12

What is the South Pacific?

The iceberg was dubbed "B-15," and it broke away from Antarctica in the year 2000. B-15 is nowÌý, which comes as no surprise to scientists considering how long it has been getting pushed around by currents and fluctuating ocean temperatures.

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Answer #13

Who was Magellan?

Although he was born in Portugal, Spain , much to the consternation of Portugal'sÌýKing Manuel I.ÌýBy the time the expedition returned to Spain, there were only 18 men left of an original crew of 260.

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Clue #14

- Clue: Hurricanes originate in this region of the world's oceans near the equator marked by calm, light winds.
- Category: THE OCEANS
- Value: $2,000
- Date episode aired: Dec. 15, 2016

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Answer #14

What are the Doldrums?

The Doldrums is from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet. The warm temperatures force air to rise, causing storms.

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Clue #15

- Clue: This process that originally formed the oceans also forms dew.
- Category: AIR
- Value: $400
- Date episode aired: MarchÌý6, 1998

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Clue #16

- Clue: 1/5 of the freshwater entering all oceans comes from this river that flows northeast to the equator.
- Category: SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR
- Value: $400
- Date episode aired: Nov. 4, 1997

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Answer #16

What is the Amazon?

The Amazon River is the world's largest drainage system. It is about , equal to the distance from New York City to Rome, Italy.

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Clue #17

- Clue: An arbitrary separation between these two oceans has been placed at the longitude of Tasmania—147°E.
- Category: WORLD GEOGRAPHY
- Value: $300
- Date episode aired: Feb. 5, 1990

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Answer #17

What are the Pacific and Indian Oceans?

South East Cape,Ìýof these two oceans is located far from civilization. It is about a two-hour walk from the nearest town.

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Answer #18

What are the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans?

The DrakeÌýPassage deep. It is one of the most difficult areas in the world to traverse by sea.

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Clue #19

- Clue: The meridian of Cape Agulhas, Portuguese for "needles," is the boundary between these two oceans.
- Category: BODIES OF WATER
- Value: $Final Jeopardy!
- Date episode aired: AprilÌý26, 1995

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Answer #19

What are the Atlantic and Indian Oceans?

Cape Agulhas is the southernmost point in Africa. It is now in South Africa.

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Clue #20

- Clue: It's the directional name given to the ocean that surrounds Antarctica.
- Category: THE WORLD'S OCEANS
- Value: $1,000
- Date episode aired: Nov. 6, 2009

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Clue #21

- Clue: The three oceans the equator crosses.
- Category: ON THE EQUATOR
- Value: $200
- Date episode aired: MarchÌý27, 2006

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Answer #21

What are the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans?

Sea levels are actually , because of "equatorial bulge." This refers to the fact that the Earth's diameter is wider at the equator.

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Clue #22

- Clue: These variations in the level of the oceans have the most variation at the new moon.
- Category: SCIENCE
- Value: $200
- Date episode aired: JuneÌý13, 2018

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Answer #22

What are tides?

Because of the moon's gravitational pull, the ocean bulges on the side of the Earth nearer to the moon and on the side farthest away from it. This effect is called

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Clue #23

- Clue: Off Mindanao, the 34,580' deep trench named for this country is one of the deepest spots in all the oceans.
- Category: LAND DOWN UNDER ADJACENT-ISH
- Value: $400
- Date episode aired: MayÌý27, 2016

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Answer #23

What is the Philippine Trench?

is also called the Mindanao Trench or Mindanao Deep. It is more thanÌýÌýlong and just shy of 35,000 feet deep.

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Clue #24

- Clue: The smallest and shallowest of the world's five oceans is this one.
- Category: GEOGRAPHY CLASS
- Value: $600
- Date episode aired: Nov. 22, 2013

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Answer #24

What is the Arctic Ocean?

The Arctic Ocean is the least understood of the world's oceans, because of its remoteness and frigid climate. It centers on the North Pole.

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Clue #25

- Clue: It covers 70 million square miles.
- Category: THE WORLD'S OCEANS
- Value: $400
- Date episode aired: Nov. 6, 2009

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Answer #25

What is the Pacific Ocean?

is . It covers more than half of the free water on Earth.

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