Climate Change Flashcards
How much of the earth’s surface is water?
70%
Name the 4 major oceans
Pacific, Atlantic, arctic, Indian
Name 3 ways climate change is changing the oceans
-they are getting warmer
-sea levels have been rising
-oceans are becoming more acidic
How do oceans regulate heat?
They take heat from the equator to the poles
How much have marine populations declined since 1970
50%
What are ocean currents?
Gyres which flow in a circular motion in the oceans
What are ocean currents split into?
Surface currents and deep water currents
What are the patterns of gyres influenced by?
The coriolis effect
Explain the coriolis effect
When frozen water sinks, warm water rises causing thermohaline circulation
What is the thermohaline conveyer
A global current that flows across the world
What is el niño?
A weather phenomenon that occurs when the ocean surface in the Pacific warms up. This reduces rainfall in Indonesia and increases it in the Pacific.
Why is ocean circulation important?
It helps global shipping and distributes heat from the equator to the poles
How are micro plastics formed
When the sun’s ultraviolet rays hit the plastic on the ocean, the plastic separates into micro plastics
How is plastic damaging our oceans
- toxic micro plastics
- killing marine life
- pollution
- garbage patches
