Final Exam Flashcards
1
Q
What two elements make up one water molecule?
A
Hydrogen and Oxygen
2
Q
What type of bond is formed between a hydrogen atom and an oxygen atom in a water molecule?
A
Covalent Bond
3
Q
What type of bond is formed between two water molecules?
A
Hydrogen Bond
4
Q
Why do water molecules form bonds between a hydrogen and oxygen atom?
A
The electrons are shared by atoms forming covalent bonds.
5
Q
Name one of the two important ocean voyages during the 1800s sponsored by Great Britain. Give the name of the ship and the individual associated with the voyage.
A
HMS Beagle - Charles Darwin
6
Q
List the four general disciplines of science that are included in the study of the oceans?
A
Biology
Chemistry
Geology
Physics
7
Q
Name two pieces of ocean sample equipment that you have used and what did it measure
A
Refractometer - Salinity
Thermometer - Temperature
8
Q
Cohesion
A
Water molecules “stick together”
9
Q
Adhesion
A
Water molecules “stick” to other surfaces
10
Q
Universal solvent
A
Hydrophilic compounds, such as polar solutes and ions, love water while hydrophobic ones do not
11
Q
At what temperature is liquid water the densests
A
~ 4 degrees celcius
12
Q
Define salinity
A
Salinity is the amount of solute dissolved in a sample of water
13
Q
In what units is salinity reported?
A
Parts per thousand
14
Q
What are the 3 constituent ions by concentration found in typical salinity seawater?
A
Chloride
Sodium
Sulfate
15
Q
What factor has the greatest affect on seawater density?
A
Temperature
16
Q
Is the relationship between temperature and density direct of opposite?
A
Opposite
17
Q
Is the relationship between salinity and density direct or opposite?
A
Direct
18
Q
Name the three factors that determine seawater density
A
Pressure
Salinity
Temperature
19
Q
What three physical factors are represented in depth profile graphs?
A
Temperature
Salinity
Density
20
Q
What is the shallowest depth at the top of the “clines”
A
200 meters
21
Q
What is the deepest depth at the bottom of the “clines”
A
1000 meters
22
Q
Define density
A
Density refers to the weight or how heavy something is
23
Q
What units is density reported
A
grams/cm3
24
Q
What is the photosynthesis equation?
A
6CO2 + 6H2O —–> C6H12O6 + 6O2
25
Characteristics of an active continental margin and give an example
Narrow continental margin
A lot of tectonic activity
Steep slope sometimes w/ deep offshore trenches
ex. West coast of United States
26
Characteristics of a passive continental margin and give an example
Wide continental margin
Gentle / gradual slope
Usually lack tectonic activity
ex. East coast of United States
27
What is the name of the sediment grain size scale
Wentworth Scale of Grain Size
28
Which specific layer of the Earth's internal structure is the reservoir for magma?
Asthenosphere
29
In which of the three main marine provinces of the ocean would you find the thinnest layer of accumulated sediments?
Abyssal Plains
30
What is the term for an underwater avalanche of accumulated marine sediments from the shelf break down to the continental rise?
Turbidity current
31
What is the chemical formula for Calcium Carbonate?
CaCO3
32
What two types of crust make up the tectonic plate in Earth's lithosphere?
Oceanic and Continental
33
What type of rock primarily makes up oceanic crust?
Basalt
34
What type of rock primarily makes up continental crust?
Granite
35
What is the density of oceanic crust?
3.0 g/cm3
36
What is the density of continental crust?
2.7 g/cm3
37
Where does a large amount of sediment accumulate on a passive continental margin?
Continental rise
38
What tectonic plate feature formed and continues to form the Hawaiian islands?
Lava erupting from hotspots in the crust
39
At what depth has particulate calcium carbonate completely dissolved into ocean water?
5000 meters
40
What are the three types of seismic waves?
Primary (P) Waves, Secondary (S) Waves, and Surface Waves
41
What is the outline of the pacific plate referred to as?
The Ring of Fire
42
What are two examples of physical and geological evidence that combine to support this description?
Volcanos
Earthquakes
43
What does the study of plate tectonics involve?
How plates interact
How plates are destroyed
How plates are formed
44
What is tectonics?
The large scale processes affecting the structure of the Earth's crust
45
List 5 of the plates / plate groupings
North American Plate
Pacific Plate
Caribbean Plate
Australian Plate
Arabian Plate
46
What are the three types of plate boundaries?
Divergent
Convergent
Transform
47
What is a divergent plate boundary?
Where two plates move away from each other (Oceanic - Oceanic) or (Continental - Continental)
48
What is a convergent plate boundary?
Where two plates move towards each other; Oceanic crust is denser and go underneath the continental crust (Oceanic - Oceanic) (Continental - Oceanic) (Continental - Continental)
49
What is a transform boundary?
Two plates sliding horizontally past one another creating fault lines
50
What do seismic waves help to determine?
Location and thickness of plate
Some properties of Earth's internal structure
51
What is the density of the inner core?
10.7 g/cm3
52
What is the density of the lower mantle?
4.5 g/cm3
53
What are surface waves?
The large motion waves the you feel during an earthquake
54
What is the lithosphere
Rigid upper mantle
Crust floats on partially molten asthenosphere
55
Moho Discontinuity
The boundary between the Earth's crust and it's mantle, identified by a distinct change in velocity of seismic waves as they pass through different densities of rock
56
Who was Alfred Wegener?
German meteorologist and geophysicist
Advanced the idea of mobile continents
Fitted the continents together
57
What was Wegener's evidence?
Matching sequence of rocks and mountain chains on separate continents
Fossil evidence of different continents
Glacial deposits in unusual places
58
What did Harry Hess discuss?
The spreading of the seafloor
59
What are the three marine provinces?
Continental Margin
Mid Ocean Ridges
Deep Ocean Basins
60
What are turbidite deposits?
Sedimentary beds caused by turbidity currents
61
What are submarine canyons?
A deep, steep sided valley carved into the ocean floor caused by turbidity currents
62
What are deep sea fans?
A deep sea fan is a large, fan shaped accumulation of sediment that forms at the base of the continental slope or on the continental rise
63
What are the characteristics of mid-ocean ridges?
Entirely volcanic
Composed of basaltic lavas
Crest is a down-dropped rift valley
Hydrothermal vents
64
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Largest mountain range on Earth
Spreading center of a divergent boundary
Extends 75,000 km
1000 km average width
2.5 km above seafloor average height
Covers 23% of Earth’s surface
65
What are the four possible origins of particles?
Lithogenous/terrigenous
Biogenous
Hydrogenous
Cosmogenous
66
Where do cosmogenous particles come from?
Sediments that come from space and are a relatively minor source of ocean sediment
67
Where do hydrogenous particles come from?
Metal-rich particles that come from hydrothermal vents eventually sink to the seafloor in the area surrounding the seafloor
- Iron and manganese
- copper, cobalt, lead, nickel, silver, zinc
68
What are hydrothermal vents?
Discovered in the late 1970s, hydrothermal vents discharge heated water that does not contain oxygen but high concentrations of sulfides
69
Foraminifera (forams)
Calcium Carbonate shells
70
Coccolithophores
Phytoplankton
Mostly in subpolar regions
Made of calclum carbonate
0.003 mm hubcap shape
71
Radiolorians
Single cell
Among oldest protozoa
Planktonic
Silica shells
Rock formed: chert
72
Diatoms
Single cell
2 part silica cell walls
indicators of environmental quality
Rock formed: chert
73
Where do biogenous particles come from?
Largely hard parts
Calcareous (calcium carbonate)
Siliceous
Accumulation rate dependent upon rate of production and rate of decomposition
74
Where do lithogenous particles come from? (primarily silica)
The land through weathering and erosion
75
Neritic Deposits
Derived from rocks from nearby landmasses
- Coarse grained
- Accumulate rapidly on continental slope, rise, and shelf
Ex.
- Beach deposits
- Turbidite deposits
- Glacial deposits
76
Pelagic Deposits
Fine-grained
Accumulates slowly on ocean floor
Includes particles from volcanic ash and windblown dust
Abyssal clay
77
What was the first oceanographic institution
Woods Hole
78
What percentage of the Earth are oceans?
71%
79
What is the makeup up Earth's current atmosphere?
78% Nitrogen
21% Oxygen
0.9% Argon
80
What is the order of the scientific method?
1. Observation / Problem
2. Question
3. Hypothesis
4. Experiment
5. Data Analysis
6 Conclusion
7. Write-up / Peer Review
81
What small country sponsored many of the early ocean explorations?
Spain
82
The Earth's core is comprised of what elements?
Iron and Nickel
83
What is the definition of accuracy?
Refers to the closeness to the known value
84
What is the definition of precision?
Refers to the closeness of 2 or more measurements to each other
85
How are sediments characterized?
Particle size
Organic composition
Redox potential
86
What are the ocean zones by depth?
0 - 200 meters - Epipelagic
200 - 1000 meters - Mesopelagic
1000 - 4000 meters - Bathypelagic
4000 - 6000 meters - Abyssalpelagic
6000 - 10000 meters - Hadelpelagic
87
How are ocean zones divided?
Depth
Light penetration
Distance from shore
88
What are the ocean zones by light penetration?
0 - 200 meters - Euphotic
200 - 1000 meters - Disphotic
1000 - and on - Aphotic
89
Name 5 types of coastal habitats in the US
Kelp forests
Rocky shorelines
Sandy beaches w/ dunes
Coral reefs
Seagrass Beds
90
What are the 3 most commonly used base units?
Grams
Meters
Liters
91
What is the environmental importance of coastal habitats?
High level of biodiversity
Important nutrient source for marine life
92
What is the economic / human importance of coastal habitats?
Provides job
Barriers between nations
Money (fishing etc.)
93
What is the region along the coast referred to as?
Neritic
94
What are the four sections of the continental margin?
Continental shelf
Continental slope
Continental rise
Shelf break
95
What type of charge do oxygen atoms have?
Negative charge
96
What type of charge do hydrogen atoms have?
Positive charge
97
What are the unique characteristics of water?
Cohesion
Adhesion
Universal solvent
High heat capacity
Expands while freezing
98
What is the formula for salinity?
Mass of dissolved substance / Mass of water sample
99
What would cause high surface salinity
Excess evaporation
100
What would case low surface salinity?
Precipitation that exceeds evaporation
101
What does the halocline refer to?
Salinity
102
What does the thermocline refer to?
Temperature
103
What does the pycnocline refer to?
Density
104
Is cold or warm water more dense?
Cold
105
Density formaula
Density = mass/ volume
106
What are the three major processes in the water cycle that move water to and from the atmosphere and how they effect salinity
Condensation - no direct effect
Precipitation - decrease salinity
Evaporation - increase salinity
107
Silica chemical formula
SiO2
108
What tectonic process happens at convergent boundaries?
Subduction
109
Is the seafloor created or destroyed at Oceanic - Oceanic convergent boundaries?
Destroyed
110
Is the seafloor created or destroyed at Continental - Continental convergent boundaries?
Neither
111
Example of a Continental - Continental convergent boundary
Himalayan mountains
112
Example of an Oceanic - Oceanic convergent boundary
Aleutian island arc
113
What tectonic process occurs at an Oceanic - Oceanic divergent boundary?
Spreading center
114
Is seafloor created or destroyed in divergent boundaries?
Created
115
Example of a Oceanic - Oceanic divergent boundary
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
116
Example of a Continental - Continental divergent boundary
East African Rift Valley
117
Tectonic process that occurs at a transform boundary?
Tranform faulting
118
What landmark is on the West coast of South America?
Andes Mountains
119
What causes surface waves?
Wind
120
What causes internal waves?
Varying fluid density
121
What is the definition of wave frequency?
The number of waves to pass by a fixed point per unit of time
122
What is the definition of wave height?
The distance between the bottom of the trough and the top of the crest on a wave
123
What is the definition of wave length?
The distance between successive points on a wave like crest to crest or trough to trough
124
What is the definition of wave base?
The depth at which there is no more wave activity
125
What is the definition of the still water level?
The wave level if no waves are occuring
126
What is the definition of a shallow- water wave?
a wave that occurs at a depth less than or equal to the wavelength / 20
127
What is the definition of a deep-water wave
A wave that occurs at a depth greater than or equal to the wavelength / 2
128
Formula for wave speed
S = L/T
129
Wave period is recorded in what type of units?
Seconds
130
Are Tsunamis deep-water waves or shallow-water waves? why?
Shallow-water waves because they occur due to a deep underwater earthquake but have long wavelengths
131
What are the tides called that occur at new and full moons?
Spring Tides
132
What are the tides called that occur at 1st and 3rd quarter moons?
Neap Tides
133
Why is the tide cycle shifted 50 minutes from the previous day?
The moon orbits the Earth in the same direction that the Earth rotates so it takes the moon 50 minutes to catch up
134
What combined force causes the hydrosphere of the Earth to "bulge" outward?
The combined gravitational pull of the sun and the moon
135
Diurnal Tide
Single high and low tides
ex. Gulf of Mexico
136
Semidiurnal Tide
2 high tides and 2 low tides
ex. East coast of North America
137
Mixed Tide
A mix of both diurnal and semidiurnal with higher tides than other high tides in the same period of time
ex. West coast of United States
138
What is a flood tide
Rising tide
139
What is an ebb tide
Falling tide
140
How often does a high tide occur?
every 12 hours and 25 minutes
141
What is a wave period?
The time it takes 1 wave to pass by a fixed point
142
How do water particles move underneath a wave?
Circular orbitals
143
What three factors influence wave development?
Windspeed
Wind duration
Fetch
144
What are capillary waves?
The initial movement of the wave; ripples that are the farthest from the break
145
What are gravity waves?
As the surface water gets rougher and wind has more of an impact the wave creates more energy and breaks on the surface
146
What is the type of wave break that happens on a flat beach?
Spilling wave
147
What is the type of wave break that happens on a moderate beach?
Plunging wave
148
What is the type of wave break that happens on a steep beach?
Surging wave
149
What is the declination (tilt) of the Earth?
23.45 degrees
150
What are photons?
Packets of light energy
151
What is the Albedo?
The reflectivity of Earth material
152
How much solar radiation is reflected off of the Earth's atmosphere?
~ 1/3
153
Where does the heat of the sun strike most directly?
The equator
154
What is the Coriolis effect?
Causes moving objects on Earth to follow a curved path
155
How does air circulate on Earth?
Using convection currents
156
Above the equator, in the northern hemisphere, how are things deflected?
To the right
157
Below the equator, in the southern hemisphere, how are things deflected
To the left
158
What type of atmospheric cells are from 0 degrees to 30 degrees?
Hadley Cells
159
What type of atmospheric cells are from 30 degrees to 60 degrees?
Ferrel Cells
160
What type of atmospheric cells are from 60 degrees to 90 degrees?
Polar Cells
161
What is the definition of weather?
Describes the conditions of the atmosphere at a given time and place; short term; days, weeks, months
162
What is the definition of climate?
Long term average of weather; decade, centuries
163
Who discovered and mapped the Gulf Stream Current?
Ben Franklin
164
What 4 factors affect the pattern of surface currents?
Major wind belts
Coriolis effect
seasonal changes
geometry of ocean basins
165
What is coastal upwelling?
The upward movement of cold, deep, nutrient-rich water to the surface
166
The ozone layer is located in what section of the Earth's atmosphere?
Stratosphere
167
What visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum provides the greatest amount of energy?
Violet
168
What visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum provides the least amount of energy?
Red
169
What is Ekman spiral?
A rotating column of water that forms when wind moves across the ocean's surface, causing water to move at an angle to the wind; water is deflected slightly to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere
170
What is Ekman transport?
The net movement of ocean surface water at a 90 degree angle to the direction of the wind, caused by the Coriolis effect, where water moves to the right of the wind in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere
