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exam 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What are the components of Oceanography?

A
  • Geological
  • Physical
  • Chemical
  • Biological
  • Management

Each component plays a vital role in understanding ocean systems.

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2
Q

What is the Big Bang theory?

A

Based on Theory of Relativity and Doppler Effect explaining the universe’s expansion

Suggests the universe was formed 15 billion years ago.

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3
Q

How was the universe formed?

A

With an explosion of a singularity, 15 billion years ago

This event is the basis of the Big Bang theory.

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4
Q

What is density stratification?

A

A process that leads to the layering of materials based on density

It is also referred to as accretion.

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5
Q

How old is the Earth?

A

4.5 billion years

This age is determined through various dating methods.

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6
Q

What are the two types of radiometric dating mentioned?

A
  • Carbon-14 (younger material)
  • Uranium decay into lead (older materal like rocks)

These methods are used to date geological samples.

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7
Q

What are the differences between inner and outer planets?

A
  • Inner planets: Telluric (rocky), similar materials to earth, have an atmosphere, vestiges of water. no ozone layer, liquid water, oxygen, or life
  • Outer planets: Cold giants (gaseous)
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8
Q

What is the significance of the ozone layer?

A

Protects the Earth from harmful solar radiation

The primitive Earth lacked an ozone layer.

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9
Q

What is the Primordial Soup Theory?

A

A hypothesis that life originated from simple organic compounds near hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean floor, between 1 and 2 billion years ago

It was tested in the 1960s (tried to recreate) but only resulted in amino acids.

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10
Q

What is the Panspermia hypothesis?

A

The theory that life came from outer space

It suggests that microorganisms or biochemical compounds were transported to Earth.

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11
Q

Define life.

A

Grow, reproduce, metabolize

These are the basic characteristics that define living organisms.

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12
Q

What are the characteristics of water that support life?

A
  • Retains heat
  • Moderates temperature
  • Transports and dissolves nutrients

Water’s unique properties are crucial for biological processes.

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13
Q

What is Archaea?

A

LUCA. A domain of single-celled organisms that are primary producers

They appeared near hydrothermal vents and contribute to oxygen production.

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14
Q

True or False: Oceans became full of oxygen before the atmosphere.

A

True

Oxygen was produced by archaea through primary productivity.

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15
Q

What were the three atmospheres in Earth’s history?

A
  • Primitive: No water, unstable. Full of ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide
  • Secondary: Water from volcanic outgassing, no free oxygen, temperature begins to stabilize
  • Modern: Contains life, less carbon dioxide and more free oxygen, and ozone layer

This progression was vital for the development of life.

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16
Q

What was the Cambrian Explosion?

A

Biology’s Big Bang, occurring 500 million years ago

It marks a significant diversification of life.

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17
Q

What were the five stages of Ocean Exploration?

A
  • Setting out
  • Expansion
  • God, glory, and gold
  • Scientific voyaging
  • World Wars I and II

Each stage had distinct developments and motivations.

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18
Q

What was the significance of the first stage of Ocean Exploration?

A

Focus on food and transportation. Passive, then active fishing. First vessels and propulsion. Greeks measure circumference of the earth. North Star is used for navigation. First charts of the Mediterranean.

Led to the development of the first vessels and navigation techniques.

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19
Q

What were the key developments during the second stage of Ocean Exploration?

A
  • Vikings’ sailing and boat building (knorrs). Little written record. Used crystals to look at the sun to determine location
  • Chinese compass and multi-mast boats, build small models to scale up proportionally.
  • Europe in the dark ages
  • Alexandria library

This stage marked significant advancements in navigation.

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20
Q

What characterized the third stage of Ocean Exploration?

A

Transoceanic expeditions driven by trade routes. Time taken with hourglasses, no control of diet so a lot of scurvy
Notable explorers: Columbus, Vasco de Gama, Magellan, Jaun Sebastian El Cano

Marked a shift from feudalism to mercantilism.

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21
Q

What were the three most important voyages in the fourth stage of Ocean Exploration?

A
  • Endeavor: lead by James Cook charting coastlines in the south pacific, secondary discovery of hawaiian islands. advancements in navigation with use of chronometer to keep time and incorporation of vitamin C into sailors diets.
  • The Voyage of the Beagle: Darwin and travel to the Galopogos Islands, lead to him writing “The Origin of Species” + development of theory of evolution
  • The Challenger: first true oceanographic research expedition lead by Charles Wyville Thomson and John Murray. Discovered the Mariana trench, mid-ocean ridge, collected water data and identified a lot of species

These voyages contributed significantly to oceanographic knowledge.

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22
Q

What advancements were made during WW I and II in the context of Ocean Exploration?

A
  • SCUBA development
  • Sonar and radar technology
  • Satellite technology (SEASAT)
  • bathyscopes
  • Nansen bottles

These advancements greatly enhanced ocean exploration capabilities.

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23
Q

What is plate tectonics?

A

The theory explaining sea floor spreading and continental drift

It describes the movement of the Earth’s lithosphere.

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24
Q

What evidence supports the theory of plate tectonics?

A
  • Bathymetry
  • Temperature
  • Seismic activity
  • Age of sediments

Data collected through worldwide mapping efforts in the 1950s.

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25
What are the types of plate boundaries?
* Convergent - form underwater trenches and mountains, subduction zones, volcanic activity and arc islands * Divergent - seafloor spreading, ocean floor ridges * Transform - seismic activity ## Footnote Each type is associated with different geological features and activities.
26
What is the Ring of Fire?
An area in the Pacific with high seismic and volcanic activity due to convergent plate boundaries
27
What are abyssal plains?
The largest plains on Earth, found on the ocean floor. very old sediment/water ## Footnote They are unique and ancient regions of sediment.
28
What are the features formed by longshore currents?
* Sand spit (finger of sand with a curved tip) * Bay mouth bar (sand spit that fully closes off entrance to a bay) * Inlets (break in a bay mouth caused by tides * Barrier Island * Lagoon * Longshore bar ## Footnote These features are shaped by the movement of sand along the coast.
29
What are the three reasons for coastal erosion?
* Urbanization * Longshore current interruption * Climate change ## Footnote Each factor contributes to the degradation of coastal areas.
30
What are the three solutions to coastal erosion?
* Retreat * Accommodate (build up roads, houses on stilts, beach renourisment) * Protect (hard structures that protect beaches from erosion, expensive and must be maintained) ## Footnote Each solution has its own implications and effectiveness.
31
What is the economic consequence of coastal erosion?
Loss of property and infrastructure ## Footnote It can lead to significant financial burdens for communities.
32
Doppler Effect
Edwin Hubble observed that the distance between the stars was increasing; the universe is expanding
33
where is the oldest rock that determined the age of the earth?
Australia
34
Water comes from...
volcanic outgassing of water vapor pockets in the mantle and/or ice comets
35
# SHORT ANSWER How did water contribute to the formation of the modern atmosphere?
-Primitive earth. No oxygen, very unstable, earthquakes, a lot CO2, no water. Atmosphere full of toxic gases, 40% in CO2. - Water appeared: where did water come from. Secondary atmosphere. Because the atmosphere became more stable. - What happened in the water and why: in the hydrothermal vents, life started. Definition of life, and characteristics of water. Archaea went through pp, and uptook co2 and exhaled O2. - The oxygen produced formed the ozone layer, everything became more stable and led to the Modern atmosphere | bullet points
36
Who is the father of oceanography?
Aristotle
37
Father of modern oceanography
John Murray (the Challenger voyage)
38
# SHORT ANSWER How was the theory of plate tectonics developed?
* Alfred Wegener proposed theory of continental drift based on geological, biological, and meteorogical evidence, the idea of Pangea. dismissed because he didn't have a mechanism for the movement of the continents into modern formation * building off of Wegener's ideas after his death, Arthur Holmes developed the theory of convection currents in the 1930s * with new technologies originally designed for war, advancements in oceanography lead to a worldwide effort to map the ocean floor. data on temperature, bathymetry, seismic activity, and the age of sediments was collected. lead to the discovery of seafloor spreading and the development of tectonic plate theory
39
oceanic crust is made of:
basalt (dense and heavy)
40
continental crust is made of:
granite (light)
41
ocean basin is divided into...
continental margins and the sea floor
42
longest trench
Peru-Chile trench
43
examples of island arcs
New Zealand, Caribbean Islands, Aleutian Islands, Japan
44
examples chain islands
Hawaii, Canary Islands, Galapagos Islands
45
Sequence of hot spot island formation
volcanic island, then seamount, then guyot, then atoll
46
climate variability vs. change
climate change: fast change, 30 yrs or less climate variability: slow change over the course of time
47
wave refaction
deflection of waves as they hit headlands (parts of the beach that jut out further) causes shore straightening because the headlands erode back to meet the bays
48
Vasco De Gama
first navigator to reach Asia from Europe by sea
49
Magellan
Portugese voyager that tried to circumnavigate the world, but died in the Phillipines before he could finish his voyage
50
Jaun Sebastian El Cano
first to circumnavigate the world
51
SCUBA
self contained underwater breathing apparatus. developed by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnon in 1943
52
SEASAT
short-lived, first oceanographic satellite launched in 1978. pioneer in oceanography remote sensing
53
submarine canyons
canyons from continental shelf to the abyssal plain. thought to be formed in periods of glaciation when sea level descended
54
turbidity currents
mixtures of sediment and sea water that are denser than pure seawater, can flow down the continential slope and onto the ocean basin at 10s of km/hr
55
eustatic sea level change
happens in geological time (very slowly) caused by tectonic plate movement and climate variability
56
primary coast formation is driven by
land processes
57
primary coast features
from erosion: fjords, drowned river/glacier valleys (Chesapeake Bay, Rias in Galicia) from deposition: river deltas (Ebro, Mississippi, Amazon, Nile rivers) from volcanic activity: Hawaii, islands from faults: California
58
secondary coast formation is driven by:
chemical weathering and physical erosion
59
secondary coast features
sea stacks, sea caves, sea arches, beaches
60
longshore current
causes by wave refraction when waves hit the coast at an angle. causes sediment to be transported down the coast (longshore drift)
61
biologically modified coasts in temperate regions
salt marshes
62
biologically modified coasts in tropical regions
mangroves and coral reefs
63
dunes are:
a natural storage of sand. development on top of dunes causes beach erosion

oceanography (1 decks)

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