exam 1 Flashcards
LAG1: whats the y axis
pressure
LAG1: whats the x axis
temperature
LAG1: which letter is earth
C
LAG1: which letter is venus
B
LAG1: which letter is mars
A
LAG1: which letter shows where all three water phases occur
C
LAG2: whats the y axis
number of molecules
LAG2: whats the x axis
miles/second (velocity)
Alfred Wegener
First to present scientific evidence that continents move, published in the 1920’s
Meteor
First detailed mapping of the mid-ocean ridge in the Atlantic Ocean in the 1920’s
H.M.S. Challenger
First ocean voyage devoted purely to oceanography in 1872
William Beebe
the first to explore a half mile below the sea surface in the Bathysphere in 1934
Trieste
First submarine designed to reach the bottom of the Marianas trench in 1960
ooze
sediment made of remains of micro-organisms
continental shelf
submerged edges of continents
mid-atlantic ridge
divergent (pulling apart) plate boundary
deepest parts of the oceans
trenches
black smokers
hydrothermal vents on mid-ocean ridges
abyssal plains
flat, smooth sediment covered areas of the deep ocean
transform faults
faults in fracture zones crossing mid-ocean ridges
Hawaiian island chain
ocean hot spot
Convection currents
transport heat in Earths interior
Guyot
a submerged, flat-topped extinct volcano
an example of a divergent (pulling apart) plate boundary
The mid atlantic ridge
an example of convergent (colliding) plate boundary is
the Marianas Trench
the history of the changing shape of the ocean basins is recored in the magnetic patterns in the rock of the ocean floor. this is because
- the rocks get older with increasing distance form the mid-ocean ridges
- the magnetic patterns are symmetrical around the mid-ocean ridges
lithospheric plates move because
convection cells push heat up at the ridges and cold descending plate edges descend at trenches
the magnetic field of the earth is generated by
turbulence in the liquid outer core of the earth
the shortest residence time to the longest, the order of the earths reservoirs is
atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, cryoshpere, lithosphere
sediment on the floor of the open ocean in composed primarily of
silt and clay, and biological remains called ooze
LAM4: location of the trench where two lithosphere plates are colliding
B
LAM4: location where the volcanos will form the volcanic island arc in this collision zone
D
the core of the earth is
- composed of dense, heavy elements that generate heat
- is divided into an outer core and a small solid inner core
- generates earths magnetic field
the lithosphere is made of
the crust and upper mantel
the deepest parts of the ocean are
nearest convergent (colliding) plate boundaries aka: trenches
hotspots form
volcanic island chains, such as the Hawaiian Islands
hydrothermal vents form
in the spreading centers (rifts) of mid-ocean ridges
the identification of lithospheric plate motion came from
- making detailed maps of the ocean floor
- magnetic records in ocean floor basalt
- age dating the ocean floor basalt on either side of the mid-ocean ridges
the major way heat is moved in the earths interior is by
convection cells
throughout ancient history, ocean navigation was done by
- using a detailed knowledge of coastal areas
- studying the way wave patterns behave that reflect and refract from land
- using the position of the stars and the height of the sun
hot magma pushes upwards to make the new ocean floor at the mid-ocean ridges. this process is known as
ridge push
cooling ocean lithosphere sinks as it moves away from the mid-ocean ridge area, and is eventually subjected and melted back into the asthenosphere, this process is known as
slab pull
the speed of the lithospheric plate motion is measured in
centimeters per year
when buying coastal property, you know you can get online flood maps and erosion maps from
- federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
the phytoplankton are called the primary producers because
- they produce food using sunlight to turn into CO2 and water into available energy
- they are the first (primary) level in the trophic pyramid
the least productive of ocean areas are listed here is
the middle of the gyres
a red tide occurs
when certain algae have a population “bloom”
biological amplification
involves the concentration of pollutants in organisms
beach nourishment is an expensive way to save a beach because
- a donor sand source has to be found that may be far away
- the sand grain size and shape (roundness) must be matched
- the cost of bringing the new sand to the beach is enormous
the most productive of ocean areas
coral reefs
rachel carson
author of Silent Spring, about bioamplification
mercury
a heavy metal pollutant in the ocean
estuaries
nurseries of the sea
keystone species
significant to the survival of the community e.g.-krill
red tide
a population bloom of toxic algae
there are far fewer top carnivores than any other group of organisms in the trophic pyramid
because there is a loss of usable energy at every stage of the pyramid
the plankton group includes
- immature (larval) stages of invertebrates
- algae
- microscopic crustaceans
- bacteria, protozoans, and viruses
if caught in a rip current, you should
swim parallel to the shoreline, then angle in towards shore
heavy metals such as lead and mercury
are concentrated in estuaries
plastic pollution is a very modern. In the ocean plastic garbage is particularly bad because
- most pieces are very small
- most of the pieces float just partially submerged
- birds, fish, sea turtles, seals, and other animals mistake plastic for food
- plastic degrades very slowly
plastic collects in “garbage patches” in the surface ocean
- in areas within the gyres
- from sources all over the world
- as square miles of small, often tiny, floating pieces
- and interfere with marine ecology and animal life cycles
estuaries are biologically extremely productive because
- there are more nutrients available
- there are fewer predators in estuaries
primary productivity occurs
at the base of the trophic pyramid
estuaries are rich in nutrients because
- estuaries occur at the mouths of rivers
- nutrients come in from rivers and also from the sea
as continental glaciers melt, we can expect the ocean to respond by
a rise in sea level
rip currents occur
- when a narrow, fast moving current heads off shore
- as part of coastal current activity, following a storm
an estuary in which there is a gradual change in the salinity of the water is
a well mixed estuary
the water in most estuaries tends to be less salty
at the top of the water column, in the surface water
nitrates and phosphates entering estuaries from fertilizer run-off
- cause an algal bloom of high productivity
- can trigger a red tide
the biggest animals on earth, the baleen whales
- feed on krill which are primary consumers in the zooplankton
- are efficient consumers, because they feed on the lowest consumer level
many fish “school” that is travel together in organized groups and can
- avoid a predator
- disguise themselves as a single large organism
- be more efficient hunters by working as a team
mangroves are tropical forests that
- live where the warm gyre currents from the equatorial area can reach them
- play a major role in stabilizing the tropical coastlines
examples of symbiosis include
- mutualism
- parasitism
- commensalism
shorelines that are not altered by human interference tend to smooth out over time because
- the wave action coverages on headlands and wears them away by erosion
- the wave action diverges in bays and is not as focused
U.S. coastal erosion rates are highest
along the California coastline and along the mid Atlantic U.S. coastline
marine animals living in estuaries must be able to
tolerate big salinity changes
a tsunami or seismic sea wave is a wave that is
- highly destructive
- is typically caused by an earthquake in the floor of the ocean
- travels at seeds averaging 400 miles per hour in the open ocean
- behaves as a shallow water wave
bioamplification results in
- top carnivores having higher amounts of mercury and organic toxins like PCBs in their tissues
- increasing amounts of certain pollutants up the trophic pyramid
- low amounts of pollutants in ocean water becoming high amounts in some organisms
kelp forests are
- important feeding habitats for many marine animals
- forests composed of marine macro-algae
- shown to have very high biodiversity
LAM5: the long shore current is
- carrying sand from the east to the west (right to left)
- building a sand split with sand transported from elsewhere along the coast
LAM6: evidence that the peninsula has been growing outward can be seen in
- the flat triangular area, which was once an open water marsh
- the lines of trees, which follow the old beaches
- the big difference in growth of the sand split in the past ten years, compared to the previous 8 years
LAM7: which direction is the long shore current headed?
from left to right
LAM8: the long shore current is traveling and this can be observed because of the on the upstream side of the jetty and the on the downstream side of the stone jetty
north, sand accumulation, erosion
LAM9: 17
17
LAM10: the estuary of the Scamander river has changed in the last 3000 years due to
continuing supply of sediments and growth of the river delta
LAM10: the location of the city of Troy shows us
- how the landscape can change significantly in a few thousand years
- how bays and barbers once suitable for shipping don’t stay that way
- how archaeologists can use coastal processes to locate sites
the mounds of water in the middle of gyres average only about 2 meters in height because there is a balance between
gravity and coriolis effect
what makes water more dense
- colder
- saltier
LAM11: y axis is
temp
LAM11: x axis is
salinity
LAM11: least dense to most
W Y X Z
LAM11: R and Y, when they meet what will happen?
mix because they are the same density
Kon-Tiki voyage- Peru Humboldt current
by Africa
Antarctic circumpolar current-west wind drift
by antarctica
visible light penetrates ocean water. the colors that penetrate the deepest are
blue and violet, because they have the highest energy
oxygen enters the ocean
just at the top from photosynthesis and from the air
average ocean salinity
35 grams/liter
SOFAR channel
minimum velocity of sound
biological pump
photosynthesis and respiration
thermocline
change in temperature
reproduction and hatching time for many marine invertebrates
full moon and new moon
corilois effect
ocean gyres
when waves break
steepness reaches 1:7 height to length
sodium chloride
most common salt
issac newton
the tide behaves like a giant wave
semi-diurnal tides
2 high tides and 2 low tides in 24 hours
the ions of calcium and bicarbonate and carbonate have a short residence time in ocean water because
they are used to make seashells, corals, and ooze
the ions of sodium and chloride have a long residence time in the ocean water because
they stay in water column until eventually precipitated out as salt
carbon dioxide is added to ocean water
at all depths, mostly from animal respiration and decay
neap tides
behave as shallow water waves
which direction on the PH scale is more acidic
numbers less than 7 (left)
average PH of ocean water
8
which direction does plants push the PH of the ocean water
right, more basic
which direction do animals push the PH of the ocean
left, more acidic
the temp, salinity, and amount of oxygen of a water mass are taken
at the surface, where the water mass forms
oxygen can be more easily dissolved in what kind of water
fresher, colder water
in the northern hemisphere the most dense ocean water formed is
north atlantic deep water
spring tide occurs when the moon is
in a straight line with the earth and the sun
when waves break the BLANK gets smaller and the BLANK gets larger, so that the wave become top-heavy and unstable and falls
wavelength smaller and height bigger
North Atlantic Deep water and Antarctic Bottom water form at the surface where
the poles
the tide is an enormous wave that
is unaffected by the positions of the continents
wave speed
wavelength dived by period
wave generating forces
wind, atmospheric pressure changes, earthquakes, tides
restoring forces
friction and gravity
deep water waves
water depth greater than 1/2 the wavelength
shallow water waves
water depth less then 1/20 wavelength
photosynthesis
- a process in which carbon dioxide and water are used to produce carbs and oxygen
- the way that phytoplankton obtain their energy
- one of 2 major sources of oxygen in the surface water of the oceans
waves in the ocean can
- be additive (construction) and can form a rogue wave or superwave
- release high amounts of energy when breaking, causing coastal erosion
- occur as subsurface internal waves, occurring between deep water masses
spring tides occur
- twice a month
- when the sun, moon, and earth are in a straight line
the coriolis effect turns wind and water currents
to the right in the northern hemisphere
coral reefs
colonial structures built of calcium carbonate by tiny coral invertebrate animals called polyps
what limits coral reef distribution
- temperature and water depth limit their range
- competition for space and food is intense
how do these tiny animals make such big structures (coral reefs)
- gradually accumulation of skeletons form the reefs
- coral provides carbon dioxide and fertilizer so the coral have access to more oxygen and can then make big structures that are reefs
coral polyps have
symbiont algae inside them
algae provide, and corals provide, for what
algae- extra oxygen
corals-fertilizer (waste) and CO2
for photosynthesis
what do coral reef polyps depend on and why?
their symbionts, if they lose them, corals undergo “bleaching” and die
where are the most productive fisheries
estuaries, nearshore regions and continental shelves
maximum sustainable yield
the amount that can be caught without impairing future stocks. Must consider
- need for breeding stock
- availability of food for animals higher in the food chain
repeating problem regarding fisheries? and examples
overfishing leading to collapse of a fish population ex. cod, anchovies, tuna, herring
what makes marine mammals different from land?
and the same
Same -insulation- fat (blubber) -fur -still air breathing animals Different -streamlined body -large size to retain body heat -deep divers -can hold breath for long time- story oxygen in blood -tissues -can reduce heart rate in a dive
where are the international whale sanctuaries
indian ocean, antarctic circumpolar current (southern ocean)
how do whales communicate with each other across long distance
vocalize or sing, each whales song is distinctive , migration paths?
where do they raise there young
warm water is breeding grounds
where do whales feed
- sieve while moving forward
- lunging into schools of prey
- scooping mud from the bottom
why were whales economically important in the 19th century, and what kinds of products replaced the need to hunt whales
hunted for
- whale oil (lamps and fuel)
- whale blubber (fuel)
- baleen (now items made of plastic)
replaced by jojoba plants
and plastic
la nina and el nino
la nina year less likely in pacific, atlantic is warmer, hurricanes more likely
el nino year more likely in the pacific, atlantic is cooler, hurricanes less likely
LOOK AT el nino and la nina graphs
la nina- thermocline is more steep, warm pool is close to equator and the storm is going right
normal- thermocline is starting to level, warm pool is closer to land and storm is going right
el nino- thermocline is very level and warm pool is big and centered and storm is large and going up and to the left and right
what features determine the development of a hurricane
temperature, water vapor, converging winds, and wind shear
whats critical in the presence of a storm at sea, how big are they, what is their fuel and what happens when they come ashore
warm water temps (80 degrees) and low wind shear, hot towers fuel the whole system, as soon as it hits land it cuts ties from the sea and looses its “gas line” and looses some power
describe the motion of the formation of a hurricane
start as low pressure systems swing around left basic rain storm and starts at the surface air is shot upward follows coriolis at top spinning right spirals in middle going up
climate forcing: external
processes that drive climate change from outside the earth and its atmosphere
From change in earths orbit
-due to changes in earths orbit around the sun
-occurs on time scales from 20,000-100,000 years
From changes in amount of heat emitted from sun. Occurs on time scales of decades to over a thousand years
climaxing forcing: internal
processes that drive climate change from inside the earth and its atmosphere
Due to variations in atmospheric and oceanic circulation, occurs on time scales from tens to thousands of years
Due to volcanic eruptions (cooling) or methane gas releases (warming) these are not a cycle and have varying effects
greenhouse gases (the big 3)
water vapor, CO2, methane CH4
How can we track past climate to find out what is natural and what is contributed by human activity
ocean sediment coring and ice sheet coring. natural libraries of stored climate information. last 2 million years of earths history is marked by more than 100 glacial/interglacial stages
CO2 levels during glacial or interglacial stages
glacial stage (ice age) CO2 is low interglacial stage CO2 is higher about 280 ppm
whats our current CO2 concentration
403 ppm
Humans add BLANK and do it faster than nature
CO2
the ocean is a “sink” for CO2 leading to
-ocean acidification and deep ocean warming
how much energy is coming from renewable sources at present
only about 7% of available energy
what percent do we wish to reach by 2030
13%
we are now at capacity with hydroelectric dams so the future will be in
offshore wind/tide energy farms
