Chapter 6 - Atmosphere-Ocean-Cryosphere Interactions

Question 1

Albedo

Answer 1

The proportion of incident light reflected by the surface of a celestial body.

Question 3

What are the three main factors responsible for oceanic movement?

Answer 3

1) winds moving over the top surface.
2) spatial variations in the density of water
3) the Coriolis Effect

Question 4

SST

Answer 4

Sea-Surface Temperature

Question 5

PDO

Answer 5

Pacific Decodal Oscillations

Question 6

PDO Cool Phase

Answer 6

Cooler SST in eastern Pacific to the North, near Alaska

Warmer SST in eastern Pacific mid-north

Question 7

PDO Warm Phase

Answer 7

Opposite of PDO cool phase

Question 8

Shifts in PDO are accompanied by what changes?

Answer 8

1) changes in wind direction

2) changes in air pressure

Question 9

Differences in _____ of water, which is largely a function of temperature and salinity, can set water in motion. Once the water is in motion, its path is deflected by the _____ _____.

Answer 9

density, Coriolis Effect

Question 10

Wind blowing across a body of water causes water motion via …

Answer 10

1) waves, on the small scale

2) water currents, in the global scale

Question 11

Null Point

Answer 11

At about 100m below the surface, the effects of wind on the surface vanish (due to viscosity)

Question 12

Coriolis Effect

Answer 12

The tendency to rotate due to decreasing linear velocity while traveling away from the equator.

Apparent deflection to the right ..CW?.. when North of Equator

Question 13

Ekman Spiral

Answer 13

….

Question 14

Horse Latitudes

Answer 14

….

Question 15

Doldrums

Answer 15

….

Question 16

Gyres

Answer 16

Interacting circular motions that approximate the direction of near surface currents

Question 17

Indian Ocean currents

Answer 17

1) the warm Mozambique current flowing south, east of Africa
2) the cool Western Australian current flowing north
3) the warm, lateral current from the Pacific
4) ineractions with the cold Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Question 18

Western Pacific currents

Answer 18

Kuroshio Current

North Pacific Current

East Australian Current

West Wind Drift

Question 19

Northern Atlatic Currents

Answer 19

Gulf Stream
North Atlantic Drift
Canary Current

Question 20

Southern Atlantic Currents

Answer 20

Benguela Current
Brazil Current
Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Question 21

Northern Pacific Currents

Answer 21

California Current
Alaska Current
Bering Current

Question 22

Arctic Currents

Answer 22

Bering Current
Labrador Current
Greenland Currents

Question 23

Southeastern Pacific Currents

Answer 23

West wind drift
Humboldt (aka Chile or Peru) current
South equatorial current

Question 24

Southern Ocean Currents

Answer 24

Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Antarctica
Roaring forties, screaming sixties, West Wind Drift

Question 25

Upwelling

Answer 25

Flow of cold, deep waters towards the surface

Question 26

Cation

Answer 26

A positively charged ion

Question 27

Anion

Answer 27

A Negatively charged ion

Question 28

What effect does salinity have on density?

Answer 28

An increase in salinity is proportional to an increase in density

Higher densities sink

Salinity is also affected by temperature

Question 29

How does salinity decrease?

How does it increase?

Answer 29

Precipitation dilutes the water
Rivers & runoff dilute water
Polar ice melts and dilutes water

Water evaporates, salts don’t
Water freezes, salts don’t

Question 30

PDO Index

Answer 30

Statistical comparison, the difference between Eastern and Western Pacific SST