Earth the Water Planet Flashcards
Oceanography
what is Earth known as? and why?
The blue planet, because Earth has a blue glow from space
what % of Earth is water? and what is salt/fresh?
71%
salt- 97%
fresh- 3%
How much of the Northern Hemisphere is covered by water?
61%
how much of the southern hemisphere is covered by water
81%
why is the southern/ northern hemisphere % of water coverage
Northern hemisphere has more land mass than water
what are the 5 ocean basins from largest to smallest? Remember PAISA
- Pacific
2.Atlantic - Indian
4.Southern
5.Artic
remeber PAISA
what is the origin of Earth’s oceans
combination of 2:
-comets/meteorites bombardment
-as Earth was cooling (Ice Age)
What is high specific heat?
when hydrogen bonds absorb heat when they break, and release heat when they form
what is example of high specific heat’s meaning?
means that a lake wont freeze or heat up suddenly
what 2 ways does energy change form in water
solid>liquid>gas
gas>liquid>solid
what does the ocean do for Earth (warm/cool)
- influence climate by absorbing solar radiation
2.control wind speed/direction
3.part of the water/ carbon cycle
4.phytoplankton in the ocean produces roughly half of the oxygen on Earth - releases/ hold aerosols that influence cloud cover, precipitation, carbon
- humidify and dry the Earth
What is called the Global Conveyer Belt?
Thermohaline Circulation
what does thermo mean?
temp/heat
what does haline mean?
salt
what does freshwater freeze/ boil at
boils 100degress c
freezes at 0degress c
what does saltwater boil/freeze at
boil ~102degrees c
freezes at ~2degress c
where does the warm water from the equator go to
warm seas/wind are moved toward the icy poles
Where does cold water from the north flow south to?
The equator
how does the Global conveyer belt work? (thermohaline circulation)
moves water between the deep and surface ocean worldwide
how do surface currents work
driven winds that are caused by the uneven heating by the sun and direction is impacted by the Coriolis Effect 10% of ocean
how do deep currents work
driven by temperature and salinity concentrations 90% of ocean
what is salinity
measure of the amount of dissolved salts in salwater on average concentration of ocean
why does Europe have mild winters
due to the heat that is released from the gulf stream
what is a gyre
large system of ocean currents moving in a circle
how do the ocean currents in the northern hemisphere tend to move
clockwise
how do the ocean currents in the southern hemisphere tend to move
anti-clockwise
what are the 5 major gyres?
North pacific gyre
Indian gyre
South pacific gyre
South Atlantic gyre
North Atlantic gyre
What is the Coriolis Effect?
the spinning of Earth”s equator is faster than the poles which makes ocean currents/ objects on Earth to move in a circular motion
- equator is faster than the poles so the poles deflect some water
what speeds up the rate of salinity
ice forming, precipitation, evaporation, salt/fresh water mixing
