Exam 1 Flashcards
What is Science?
The study of the natural world through observations and evidence. The overall goal is to discover patterns in the natural world and use this knowledge to make accurate predictions
What is the Scientific Method?
A process of experimentation used to explore observations and create scientific theories.
What is Observation (from scientific method)
The collection of scientific facts through our senses. If an observation is repeatedly confirmed, it is considered a scientific fact.
What is a Hypothesis? ( from scientific method)
A testable statement about our natural world that can be used to build complex interferences and explanations. Example: if_____ then,________ statements. Solar nebula disk model
What is Theory? (from scientific method)
a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of our natural world. Example: big bang theory, the theory of evolution
What are the fields in Oceanography? How are they used?
Some of the fields in Oceanography are geology (seafloor tectonics), geography (weather) ,biology (marine life),chemistry (density),physics (waves), astronomy (origin of water.
What are the earths 4 spheres?
Biosphere: all life on earth
Hydrosphere: all water on earth
Lithosphere: outer rocky layer of earth (100 km)
Atmosphere: envelope of air surrounding a planet
What is Cross-sectional view? Block diagram? Mercator map? Map Projection?
Cross sectional: view from side as if plane were cut in half (vertically) showing internal layers.
Block Diagram: 3 dimensional view
Mercator Map: map we know today distorts the size of objects from equator to poles.
Map projection: 2D view
What are the 5 main oceans from this course? List in order from largest to smallest
Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic, Artic
What is the largest and deepest ocean? Why?
The Pacific is the largest ocean because it covers about 1/3 of earths surface and accounts for about 1/2 of the oceans surface. It is the deepest as well because it had the most trenches including the deepest trench in the world: the Mariana trench.
What is the smallest and shallowest ocean? Why?
The smallest ocean is the Arctic because it is mainly surrounded by land. It is also the shallowest because it has the most continental shelves.
Where does Earths main water come from?
Oceans, they make up 97 Percent of all water on earth.Remaining 2% is stuck as ice (polar/mountain regions). About 1% is rivers,lakes etc.
What is the average depth for oceans?
3800 meters or 12500 feet
How old are the oceans?
4 billion years old
How old is the ocean floor?
200 million years old.
What is the average temperature for oceans?
4 degrees celsius, 38 degrees Fahrenheit
What are the most abundant elements? (in order)
H, O, Cl, Na
The sun reaches about 20% of oceans
False, sunlight can only reach about 2% of oceans
What is the deepest point?
11,000 km or . Mariana Trench
What is energy? What are the two types covered?
Energy is the capacity to do work. The two types are kinetic energy (movement) and heat energy (temperature).
How are the two main types of energy connected? How do they relate to class?
They are connected because kinetic energy is the energy of movement and movement creates heat. Kinetic energy is involved with tectonics and heat energy is involved with our earths internal core.
What are the sources of heat energy for the earth? (solar and geothermal)
Solar: external…for example- the sun
Geothermal: internal, wanting to come out…for example: heat inside of the earth
What is convection?
Sinking of cold air because hot air is less dense therefore it rises.
How is convection related to tectonics?
Plates move as a result of convection taking place inside the earths mantle. It is the driving mechanism of the seafloor.
What is thermal expansion and contraction of the ocean? Where does it occur?
Thermal expansion: when oceans expands, water is warmer. (0-30 degrees, subtropical/tropical zones)
Thermal contraction is when water is colder, density is higher, energy is lower and it occurs at the polar/sub-polar regions.
What is density? (hint.. rock and water, granite and basalt)
density formula is mass/volume but density is basically “how much matter can fit into this space” In oceans, oceanic crust (basalt) subducts underneath the continental crust (granite) because it is more dense.
What is density’s connection to plate tectonics?
Denser materials are found in the core such as iron and nickel which are heavy metals. Lighter material float to surface such as silicate rocks.
What is a supernova?
a great explosion of a star
What is the Solar Nebula Disk Model?
a model explaining the formation of our solar system
What is a nebula?
A cloud of gas and dust
What is density differentiation? How did it appear on earth early on?
It is the idea that denser materials sink to core and lighter materials are on the surface.
How did our atmosphere form? What are the most abundant gasses?
Through volcanic outgassing, a lot of gasses from volcanoes was deposited into the earths atmosphere.
Most to Least
H20 CO2 N2 SO2 Cl2 CH4 NH3
Water, Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, chlorine, methane and ammonia
How did our oceans form?
volcanic outgassing released water vapor that caused earth to rain for thousands of years (50% of water came from here) The other 50 percent of water came from icy comets.
How old is “life”? (living organisms)
4 billion years old
How old is “plant life” (photosynthetic algae) What did they do for the earth?
2.5 billion years old, photosynthetic algae and plants added O2 (oxygen) to our atmosphere.
When did animals evolve?
600 million years ago- there was a rich diversity.
What was the role of asteroids and comets in the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago?
Asteroid hit earth, killed the dinosaurs. Evidence for this is in the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), there is a crater 10-15 km wide.
What are earths layers?
Lithosphere (100km thick)- rigid plates, uppermost mantle
———————–CRUST (lithosphere consists of crust and uppermost mantle) ————————
Asthenosphere (600km thick) weak layer (upper mantle)
Mesosphere solid rock
———————–MANTLE—————————–
Outer core (molten)
Inner core (solid)
————————-CORE———————-
How do earths layers work?
Lithospheric plates are mobile, the rigid plates move horizontally making the continents mobile.
