Final Exam Flashcards
How old is our solar system?
4.6 Billion years old
What event initiated our nebula to condense and form our solar system?
A supernova (great explosion of a star)
What is a nebula?
Cloud of gas and dust
When did dinosaurs exist?
65 million years ago
In the structure of our core, iron and nickel _____ while silicate rocks _____ .
(sink/float), (float/sink
sink/float. Iron and nickel are much more denser
What is the difference between a kupiter and an asteroid belt?
Kupiter= belt of comets
Asteroid belt= belt of asteroids
What are earths layers?
Lithosphere (100km): Crust +Upper Mantle Asthenosphere (600km thick): weak layer Mesosphere: lower mantle Outer core: molten metal Inner core: solid
t/f the outer core is made of solid metal
false, it is made up of molten metal
How exactly did our atmosphere form? (which factor)
volcanic outgassing released H20, CO2, N2, SO2, Cl2, CH4, NH3… remember first 3 (in order of abundance)
What happened (as a result) of huge amounts of H20 being released by volcanoes?
Rained for a long period of time
What are some of the sources for the formation of our oceans?
- rain from volcanic outgassing
2. icy comets
How old are the earliest living organisms?
4 billion years old
What is the date for the start of photosynthetic algae?
2.5 Billion years ago
When did animals evolve?
600 million years ago
What are the 2 main types of energy?
Kinetic (movement) and heat (movement of energy)
*both are connected because kinetic energy can cause heat energy.
What are the 2 main sources of heat energy?
Solar (external)
Geothermal (internal; inner/outer core): convection
What is convection?
sinking of cold air— more dense
rise of warm air— less dense
If the ocean expands, the water must be _____. If the oceans contract, the water must be _____.
(cold, warm) (warm, cold)
warm, cold
Do cold waters have high or low energy?
low
Which is denser oceanic or continental crust? which one is thicker?
oceanic is denser but continental crust is thicker.
In which layer does convection occur in?
asthenosphere
What are the types of plate boundaries? Provide an example of them
- Divergent: moving away from each other
ex: mid ocean ridges - Convergent: coming towards each other
ex: subduction zones - Transform: sliding past each other
ex: San Andreas
Which plate is SD located in?
pacific plate
At which plate boundary, is oceanic lithosphere created?
Divergent; mid ocean ridges
What is the result of mid ocean ridges?
huge volcanic mountain chain under ocean
Which plate subducts underneath the North American plate?
The Juan de Fuca plate
The Himalayas are a result of what?
Convergent boundaries: continental collision
In Southern California, our plate boundary is _____
(divergent, convergent or transform)?
transform
What connects mid ocean ridges?
transform boundaries
Where do hot spots appear?
In the middle of a plate, creating a line of volcanoes
What are hotspots?
A deep mantle plume of hot rock rising by convection
What is an example of a hotspot location?
Hawaii
In which direction is our plate moving?
North west
About __% of earths surface is below sea level.
70%
t/f the abyssal plain is part of a continent.
false
What are the 2 types of continental margins?
passive and active
Describe passive margins
They are found within a plate with little tectonic activity, they have a larger shelf and these margins are mainly found in the Atlantic. (very flat areas )
Describe active margins
They are found at plate boundaries (convergent and transform) not at divergent because MOR are not part of a continent. Here they have a narrow shelf and is actively tectonic. Main includes pacific margins (uplifted)
What makes up the water molecule?
2 hydrogens + 1 oxygen atom bonded together
What is h20’s bond angle?
105 degrees
Water is a _____ molecule.
*think polarity
dipolar
Which h20 end attracts the (-) side of a molecule?
(hydrogen or oxygen)?
hydrogen is positive therefore, attracts the negative side of any other molecule
Which h20 end attracts the (+) side of a molecule?
Oxygen, it is negative therefore attracts the positive end of any other molecule.
What happens to h20 as a result of polarity?
universal solvent; dissolves any substance.
What is heat capacity?
The amount of heat required to raise temperature of 1 gm of a substance by 1 degree
Does h20 have a high or low heat capacity? what does this mean?
H2O has a high heat capacity. This means that it takes a lot of heat for h2o to change substances.
Long time to heat up/cool down is called what?
Thermal Inertia
oceans moderate climate of _____.
coasts
What keeps hurricanes alive?
Oceans
When do hurricanes occur?Why?
Fall/Winter- because they release their energy during summer.
How does salinity and temperature affect density?
low temperature, increases density
high salinity, increases density
so, cold salty waters are dense
t/f Cold salty waters rise at high latitudes
false they sink
What is the average salinity of seawater?
35ppt or 3.5%
What are the most abundant ions?
Chloride and Sodium
Where is salinity highest?
mid latitudes (30 degrees N & S)
What is an example of high salinity?
Mediterranean Sea
Surface salinity is _______ where precipitation is _______
highest, highest) (lowest, highest) (highest, lowest) (lowest, lowest
Surface salinity is lowest where precipitation is highest
&
Surface salinity is highest where precipitation is lowest
What decreases salinity?
Rivers
Is salinity low or high at high latitudes? Why?
low, there is high precipitation, low evaporation and river runoff (melting icebergs) brings fresh water
explain the conditions at subtropical regions where salinity is highest
- hardly rains
- high evaporation
- deserts are found at these regions
explain the conditions at equator
- salinity is in between
- balance— high precipitation and high evaporation
Water gets denser when its colder, at what low temperature does water stop getting denser? why?
4 degrees celsius (39 F) because at 0 degrees, ice forms and ice is less dense than water
Why is ice less dense?
molecules are further apart
Where do salt ions come from?
- continental rocks/sediments flowing through rivers
- volcanic activity- chloride comes from volcanic eruptions
- hydrothermal vents-stuff that comes out provides oceans with salts
Describe the density structure of oceans
- surface layer (2%) of oceans and reaches up to about 200m, mixed later driven by wind (currents and waves produced here
- thermocline (200-1000m) rapid temp decrease with depth
- Deep Zone (1000-4000m) dark, cold, salty and the densest waters
In evaporation is heat released or absorbed? Explain.
Heat is absorbed- evaporation is a cooling phase change (liquid to gas)
In condensation, is heat released or absorbed?
Heat is released (gas to liquid)
Explain solar radiation at polar regions
Shallow angle, larger area: Energy is reflected
Explain solar radiation at low latitudes
Sun is at a high angle over a small area, energy is absorbed
What 2 factors distribute heat around earth
atmospheric circulation and ocean currents
Cold waters push _____ while warm waters push ______.
South, North
Cold waters are found in the ______
north, south east, west
west
Warm waters are usaully found in the _____
north, south, east, west
east
Hurricanes need what type of waters? (cold/warm) is the California current an example?
warm, the cali. current is way too cold
What is the most abundant gas in our atmosphere?
Nitrogen
What is the composition of our atmosphere?
78% is Nitrogen
21% is Oxygen
0.9% is Argon
0.04% is Carbon Dioxide
t/f temp increases with altitude in the troposphere
false, it decreases
What is unique about the troposphere?
Convection takes place. Warm air rises while cold air sinks
is warm air humid or dry? is cold air humid or dry?
warm air is humid, cold air is dry
Low pressure is
a light column of air rising (expands)
High pressure is
Heavy column of air sinking (contracts)
Air moves from ______ pressure to _____ pressure.
high to low
Hadley cell circulates from ___ to ____ degrees
0-30
Because of Coriolis effect, everything in the North hemisphere moves to the ____ and in the south everything moves to the ___.
right, left
Where is there no Coriolis effect? where is it highest?
no Coriolis at equator
high effect at poles
Where do prevailing winds originate? (lat).
30 degrees
The trade winds flow…
east to west (towards equator)
The westerlies flow…
west to east toward poles
Cyclones are __ pressure, they rotate ___________, and this term is used to describe _______ +
Cyclones are low pressure, they rotate counter clockwise and this term is used to describe hurricanes, storms lightning
Anticyclones are ____ pressure and rotate _____.
Anticyclones are high pressure and rotate clockwise
Southern CA is having a ___ pressure system.
Low
Hurricanes are…
A storm forming at tropical regions (5-25 degrees) and spinning very fast counterclockwise
Hurricane VS Typhoon VS Cyclone
All are the same but location is different
If a hurricane is a rotating low P system then it is a
Cyclone
Where do hurricanes die off? Why?
On land because oceans are their source of power
Why is the eye of a hurricane very calm and clear?
Because of rotation, air sinks dries up and forms a H pressure system.
What are conditions for hurricanes?
- 120 km/hr winds
- Seawater has to be warm
- warm/humid/moist air
- Weak wind shear
What is a storm surge?
When oceans are sucked upward (hurricanes) and come into land causing floods
Why was hurricane Katrina catastrophic?
It was very flat, below sea level, passive margin
80% of New Orleans was flooded
What are the most abundant greenhouse gases?
H2O, CO2, CH4, N2O, O3
remember first one at least
Increase in CO2 levels correlate with what?
increase in temperature
t/f Over time there has been a steady but small rise in sea level
true
Since the death of the dinosaurs have we been in a natural warming or cooling phase?
cooling
What is going on in the Arctic?
10% ice loss/decade, its sea ice is shrinking and if we keep losing, the oceans will heat up faster
What is the force that makes surface currents move?
prevailing winds
What are the 2 types of currents ?
Surface currents (wind driven) Deep currents (density driven
What are Western Boundary Currents?
warm currents that originate from tropics and flow to the west of an ocean basin (east of continent) ex: gulf stream
What are Eastern Boundary Currents?
Cold currents that originate from polar regions, flow to the east part of an ocean basin. ex: california current
In what direction (clock/counter clockwise) do currents move (N. hemisphere)
clockwise
What leads to up/downwelling?
Ekman flow
What is biological productivity?
Amount of carbon fixed by plants: amount of photosynthesis in oceans
Where is productivity highest? lowest?
Highest at poles, lowest in the middle of gyres
Primary productivity is _____ in the polar oceans because ______.
high; there is no thermocline, water moves vertically easily
t/f the whale shark is the largest fish on earth because it eats large prey
false; it eats small organisms (ex: krill)
t/f the cetaceans are a group of marine mammals that include manatees
false, the group for manatees is called Sirenia
t/f the avg bycatch is 65%
false its 25%
t/f the avg by catch is 65%
false its 25%
What are the 3 types of sea plants?
- plants
- Protists: algae
- Bacteria: phytoplankton
* NOTE: not all are categorized as plants but they all photosynthesize
What is the layer in which photosynthesis takes place?
euphotic zone (first 200m)
Why are oceans blue?
Because blue and green wavelengths are the strongest in the spectrum
What are the inputs/outputs of photosynthesis?
Input: water and Carbon Dioxide
Output: Sugar and Glucose
What are the inputs/outputs of photosynthesis?
Input: water and Carbon Dioxide
Output: Sugar and Oxygen
What is the opposite of photosynthesis?
Respiration
What are the inputs and outputs of respiration?
Input: Sugar and Oxygen
Output: Water and Carbon Dioxide
Where are photosynthetic marine organisms mainly found?
Shallow coastal areas
What are examples of seed plants?
These are “true plants” includes grasses and mangroves
What are the types of protists?
Large Algae: brown, red, green algae
Phytoplankton: most abundant, most producers
(ex: diatoms, coccolithophores, dinoflagellates)
What are the 2 domains?
Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes
What organisms fall into the eukaryote domain?
Animals, Plants, Fungi and Protista
What is part of protista?
algae and phytoplankton
ex: diatoms, coccolithophores, dinoflagellates
What organisms fall into the prokaryote domain?
Bacteria and Archaea
What is part of bacteria?
Cyanobacteria and blue/green algae
What is part of archaea?
Organisms from hydrothermal vents
What are the regions of high productivity?
- Poles (no thermocline-upwelling+downwelling)
- Coasts (upwelling-esp. western margin of continents)
- Coral Reefs
What are regions of low productivity?
Open ocean (within gyres) because it is far from influence of land - no up/down welling. In addition, they have a permanent strong thermocline so it presents no challenges for organisms (too stable)
Where do fishing industries thrive?
Western margin of continents
What happens to organisms in polar oceans during summer?
Diatom+zooplankton increase, those who eat them increase as well
Which lat=low productivity?
30 degrees
As we go up the food chain, what happens to energy?
It decreases, as we go up, we take 10% of energy
All photosynthetic organisms are known as ______ and ________ because they produce their own food.
Autotrophs and producers
All animals that consume photosynthetic organisms are ____ and _______
consumers and heterotrophs
What is the pelagic zone?
the open sea
What are examples of vertebrates?
Fishes, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds
What are some adaptations of vertebrates to the marine environment?
- Swimming
ex: fishes have a streamlined shape, mammals have modified limbs - Avoiding Predators
ex: schooling, camouflage, speed, symbiotic relationships - Gas Exchange
All animals take in o2 and release co2 (respiration)
ex: diffusion in fish - Adaptation of deep sea fishes
They have very good senses, sharp teeth, bioluminescent, male is permanently attached
What is the process of diffusion for fish respiration/gills?
fishes take in a gulp of water, rich in o2 and release water poor in o2 (rich in co2)
What are some examples of adapted deep sea fishes?
dumbo fish, angler fish etc
What is the process in which animals use bacteria for light? What type of relationship is it
This process is called luciferase and exists in symbiotic relationships.
What is the scientific word for the category of bony fishes?
Osteichthyes
Describe Osteichthyes
- Most successful group in oceans due to diversity (3 of species), adaptations
- bone skeleton
- ex: placoderms, armoured jawed fishes
What is the scientific term for Cartilaginous fishes?
chondrichthyes
describe Chondrichthyes
- cartilage skeleton
- mostly live in cold waters due to nutrients
- ex: sharks,rays
Are sharks dangerous?
No, nearly 80% of species are not dangerous
How many people are killed by sharks?
5-15 not huge
What are Shark features?
- Not dangerous
- Remarkable Senses
- can smell 1 part/billion - Very successful- well adapted fishes
- evolved for the last 400 million years
What is the largest fish on earth?
Whale shark, 15m but very docile
-they feed on large amounts of plankton
What are the universal/general characteristics of marine mammals?
- Mammary glands (breastfeeding)
- hair/fur
- care for young
What are characteristics of marine mammals?
- streamlined body
- high metabolism (need tons of nutrients for fat/blubber)
- large layer of blubber
- lungs
What are the 3 orders of mammals?
- Cetacea
- Pinnipedia
- Sirenia
Explain Cetacea
includes whales, dolphins, porpoises
- highly intelligent/social
- live in groups:pods
- evolved from hoofed land animals for the last 50 my
ex: giraffe, deer, pig, horse
Within Cetacea, what are the 2 main groups of whales?
- Odontoceti (toothed whales)
- active predators - Mysticeti (baylene whales
- trap krill, small fish
- very big, docile ex:blue and grey whale
What is the largest animal ever found?
blue whale
Where do grey whales migrate to?
From Mexico to Alaska, they have their pups near Mexico and in summer travel to Alaska (maybe for nutrients)?
Why do whales beach?
Unknown… could be for different reasons
Explain Pinnepedia
Includes seals, sea lions, walruses
-ALL carnivores, related to bears
What are the 2 different types of seals?
- Eared seals: Otarrids
- more adapted to land
ex: cali seals, fur seals - True Seals: Phocids
- more adapted to marine life; mainly swim
ex: elephant seal, harp seal
Explain Sirenia
known as “sea cows” includes manatees and dugongs
-related to elephants; all herbivores, sluggish dont swim fast
Are polar bears and penguins marine or land animals?
Both marine and land
What are the types of fisheries mismanagement?
- Overfishing: harvested fish
- Bycatch: animals killed during fishing of commercial species
- Drift Nets : animals dying from long fishing nets
What happens to the food chain when top predators are in decline due to overfishing?
Dirsupted, organisms below it are going to die and the ones below that will thrive.. (unbalanced)
What is the average bycatch rate?
25% of a total catch
What is the Marine Mammal Protection Act?
1992- US made it illegal to touch/ kill marine organisms
Who banned drift nets? have they been in decline?
United Nations, countries continue to use them illegally (pirates also use/sell them)
ex: Japan, Taiwan,Korea
t/f As population increases, aquaculture production increase
true
What is aqua culture?
Fish farming
Which fish is close to extinction (mentioned in lecture)
Bluefin Tuna
What did the Internation Whaling Comission do in 1986?
Stopped commercial whaling
How does Japan get away with whaling?
Stating it is for scientific research
what are some uses of whales?
blubber oil- used for electricity
baylene- used for corsets
meat
What are benthic environments?
Organisms of the sea/littoral zone
ex: coral reefs and hydrothermal vents
t/f corals are small carnivorous organisms
true
What are corals’ skeleton made of?
Calcite
What do corals become (after a long period of time)?
limestone
Are corals animals or plants?
Animals
Which locations do reefs thirve in?
tropicals, shallow (photosynthesis), warm, clear seawater
What do corals live around?
volcanoes; volcanic islands
What type of relationship do corals have with zooxanthellae?
symbiotic; mutualistic (benefits one another)
what are zooxanthellae’s again (category)
domain:eukaryotes– protists
What do corals/zooxanthellae’s give each other?
corals: provide shelter and co2
Zooxanthellae: provide food, sugar+o2, color
Why does the west pacific have the most reefs?
warm waters
What winds push waters to the west?
trades
What tectonics are coral reef formations associated with?
divergent: hotspots
ex: hawaii- volcanoes away from hotspot will cause reefs to die
What is a fringing reef?
A fringing reef is when a coral reef is built around an active volcano found in warm waters
What is a Barrier reef?
When a coral reef is formed around an inactive volcano (cut off from supply) (lagoon is found in between reef and volcano
What is an Attoll?
Once an eroded volcano is under warm waters and reef is still built.
What causes supply to be cut off volcanoes?
plate movement
Example of attoll?
society islands
Example of barrier reef?
Barrier reef australia
