Exam 2 Flashcards
How would you state Dalton’s law (in words)?
In a mixture of non-reacting gases, the total pressure exerted is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases which is percentage of the gas (in decimals) * total pressure
How would you state Henry’s law (in words)?
The concentration of a gas dissolved in water in equilibrium is equal to the henry’s constant of that gas * partial pressure of that gas.
Atmospheric composition:
- Describe the composition of the atmosphere;
- what are the major and minor constituents?
composition of the atmosphere: MAJOR Nitrogen 78% Oxygen 21% Argon 1% MINOR (Fall under combined less than .5%) CO2 Ne He H2 Kr Methane
Gases in seawater: What are the major and minor gas constituents in seawater? What are the major sources and sinks of gases within the ocean? What accounts for the oxygen minimum zone’ located in the pycnocline?
MAJOR Nitrogen Oxygen Argon MINOR (Fall under combined less than .5%) CO2 H2 Methane
Gases are consumed or produced by photosynthesis, respiration, radioactive decay and exchange with the sea floor.
Life that consumes oxygen located within the pycnocline creates the `oxygen minimum zone’.
Solubility of Gases in Water: Does gas (e.g., oxygen, carbon dioxide,etc.) solubility generally increase or decrease with an increase in temperature? What about with an increase in salinity?
In general, temp up. salinity up. solubility down.
Carbonate System: What is the denition of pH?
Do acids or bases have higher pH? What are the different carbonate species?
Can you describe the chemistry/stoichiometry of the carbonate system?
How do the relative concentrations of carbonate species change with changes in pH (i.e., which species are more or less abundant at different pH values)? Why do changes in pH and relative concentration of carbon species matter for calcifying organisms?
- pH is the amount of Hydrogen or Hydroxide Ions in water.
- bases have higher pH
- carbonate species: Carbonic acid, bicarbonate, carbonate.
-the chemistry/stoichiometry of the carbonate system:
C02+H20H2CO3HCO3-+H+CO3^2- +2H+
- As pH increases, CO2 and bicarbonate decrease and Carbonate increases(based on standard sea state). At a pH ~7.5, bicarbonate increases.
- As acidity increases, there is less carbonate in the water so organisms cannot generate calcium carbonate (so they cannot create shells)
Biological Production: Can you describe the chemical equations involved in photosynthesis?
Dissolved CO2+ H20+energy from the sun=glucose+ Oxygen
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide: What is the Keeling Curve?
The monthly maximum of CO2 in the air measured from Mauna loa. It shows an increase of CO2 over time and a fluctuation
Methane Hydrates: What is a methane hydrate? Where are they found? What might happen to methane emissions in a warming climate? Why are people interested in harvesting methane hydrates?
Solidified methane that is found in areas of high pressure of low temperature. In a warming climate, the methane stops bonding with water and is released into the atmosphere as methane gas. Oil and gas researchers are trying to produce natural gas from methane hydrate deposits.
Basic Concepts: What are the defining characteristics or attributes of a geophysical fluid? What are some dynamical consequences of each of these characteristics? What are the pycnocline, thermocline, and halocline? What is the Coriolis force and what variables does it depend on? What is the centrifugal force and what variables does it depend on?
- characteristics:low aspect ratio (H/D), density stratified, rotating, self gravitating, and its spherical in shape.
low aspect ratio (H/L)- momentum is conserved. Ocean is thin due to the depth of the ocean being significantly smaller than the length of the ocean.
density stratified-Provides a natural coordinate system. Allows for internal currents.
rotating-B/c it rotates, it provides stiffness to the ocean.
self gravitating-how we get internal and external waves.
spherical in shape-supports planetary waves. angular momentum varies with latitude (closer you get to the equator, the higher the angular momentum).
-pycnocline-A “line” where density increases with depth.
thermocline-A “line” where temperature decreases with depth.
halocline-A “line” where salinity changes with depth.
- Coriolis effect: The apparent force that is due to the rotation of the earth. variables: Mass, Velocity, coriolis parameter (latitude and rotation rate of the earth).
- centrifugal force: an apparent force due to the rotation of a body variables: Mass, rate of rotation, and distance to the axis of rotation.
Ocean Forcing and Response: In what ways is the ocean forced? What is thermohaline forcing? How do atmospheric winds impacts the ocean?
- wind,pressure, gravity
- thermohaline forcing: colder water is denser than warm water which forces the warm water up.(density stratification)
- They make the ocean move. Because the oceans move, we have everything!
Earth and Ocean Heat Budget: Can you describe in words the Earth’s heat budget? What about the heat budget for the world’s ocean? What does it mean to say that the Earth or ocean heat budget is in steady state’?
- Earth’s heat budget- heat in=heat out. So the earth isn’t heating up or cooling down when time averaged.
- heat budget for the world’s ocean=heat gained-heat lost=net heat transferred
- it does not change over time.
Large-Scale Atmospheric Circulation|Winds: What causes
the winds? What are some of the models of the atmospheric circulation (e.g., Halley, Hadley, etc.)? What are the major circulation
cells (e.g., Hadley, Ferrell, etc.)? What are the names and directions
of the major surface winds? Where does air rise and where does it
sink? What do westerly' and easterly’ mean?
- winds are caused by differences in atmospheric pressure, with air moving from higher to lower pressure.
- Halley model = warm air rises, cold air sinks, doesn’t account for the Earth’s rotation: single cell model (assume that air circulation was from equator to pole)
- Hadley model = same as Halley but accounts for the Earth’s rotation; single cell model (assume that air circulation was from equator to pole)
- Three-Cell Model = has the Hadley, Ferrell and Polar cells
- Hadley Cell = air rises near the equator and comes back down around 30-40º N or S due to cooling down (becomes dense)
- Ferrell Cell = air goes up around 60º and sinks around 30º; rotates in the opposite direction
- Polar Cell = air rises from around 60º latitude and sinks at the pole
- trade winds = occur near the equator; flow east-to-west
- westerlies = between the poles and the zone of the trade winds; flow from west-to-east
- polar easterlies = at the poles; flow east-to-west
- westerly = coming from the west for winds
- easterly = coming from the east for winds
Ocean Surface Circulation Dynamics|Basic Ideas: Who’s
law ultimately governs all ocean dynamics? What are the major
characteristics of eastern and western boundary currents? What are
some examples of these boundary currents? Why is the centrifugal
force dynamically unimportant? What is meant by the term noninertial reference frame'? What is meant by apparent force’? How does the Coriolis deflect moving objects in the Northern or Southern
Hemisphere?
- Newton’s law governs all ocean dynamics
- eastern boundary currents = weak, shallow, and broad; ex. Californian Current, Peruvian Current, Canary Current
- western boundary currents = strong, deep, and narrow; ex. Gulf Stream, East Australian Current
- centrifugal force is dynamically unimportant because everything is counteracted by gravity so it is dynamically significantly less than the gravitational force
- noninertial reference frame = a frame of reference that is undergoing acceleration with respect to an inertial frame
- apparent force = a coupling of different forces that we assume to be a single force because of how they affect bodies
- Coriolis force deflects moving objects to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere
Ocean Surface Circulation Dynamics|Steady State Balances:
What are the important forces in the surface circulation? In what
direction(s) do geostrophic, Ekman, and hydrostatic balances apply?
In these balance, what two forces are balancing' respectively? How
does a geostrophic current
ow around a high or low pressure center
in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere? In what direction is Ekman
transport with respect to that of the driving winds? What is an
Ekman spiral’?
- important forces in the surface circulation = pressure gradient, coriolis force, gravity, friction
- geostrophic balance = latitude-longitude plane; balancing of pressure gradient with the coriolis force
- hydrostatic balance = vertical plane; balance in terms of depth; balance of pressure gradient with the gravitational force
- Ekman balance = applies to the surface of the ocean; balance of the coriolis and frictional forces
- geostrophic current; high pressure system = northern hemisphere = clockwise, southern hemisphere = counterclockwise; low pressure system = northern hemisphere = counterclockwise, southern hemisphere = clockwise
- Ekman transport = mean motion of the wind driven layer is at 90º to the wind direction
- Ekman spiral = wind-driven current decreases exponentially with depth; direction of motion spirals vertically (starts 90º to wind motion then spirals downward)
