chapter 16 earth scinece Flashcards
what are ocean currents
masses of ocean water that flow form one place to another.
what are surface currents
they are movements of waters that flow horizontally in the upper part of the oceans surface
what are gyres
Huge circular moving currents that move within an ocean basin.
what is the coriolis effect
it is when currents dont go their original direction because the earth is moving.
ocean currents and climates
when currents from low latitude regions move into higher latitude regions they transfer heat form warmer to cooler areas on earth. and vice versa.
what are upwellings
The rising of cold water to replace warmer surface water that has been displaced by wind.
deep ocean circulation
density currents are caused by differences in density of ocean water. it creates vertical motion.
what does evaporation do
Causes an increase in salinity in dryer warmer areas.
What is sea ice
most water involved in density currents begin near poles
A conveyor belt
The circulation map can be simplified to a conveyor belt that travels throughout the world oceans
waves and tides
currents are not visible to the eye while waves and tides and waves change shorelines over time.
what are waves
they are rhythmic movement that carries energy through water or space.
wave characteristics
Crest-highest point
trough-lowest point
wavelength-horizontal distance between the crests of two waves
what is frequency
the number of waves that pass a point in a certain amount of time.
what is amplitude of waves
is the half distance of the wave height
what is wave motion
water can travel a great distanec. It looks like it moves forward but it stays in about the same place
breaking waves
as wave approach shore they change.
long low waves in deep water are called swells.
what are tides
tides are regular changes in the elevation of the ocean surface due to the moon.
what causes tides
the moon and the earth are relatively close together in space so the moons gravity exerts a strong pull on earth.
what are some factors that effect the height of a wave
landforms can interrupt the waters movement
a basin at the mouth of a river can increase the tidal range
the spread and depth increases as it flows into a narrower channel.
what are spring tides
are when the moon earth and sun are lined up during ht new moon.
what are neap tides
are when the sun earth and moon form a right angle at 1st quarter.
what are tidal patterns
ocean basins vary in size and shape and depth so coastal locations may have different tidal patterns.
shoreline processes and features
beaches and shorlines are always undergoing changes as the force of the waves and currents act on them
