Geography Flashcards
What are the world’s 6 oceans? Where are they?
Check on google
Describe Artic and some of its characteristics.
- Found in northernmost part of Earth.
- Cold temperatures
- Permanent frozen snow and ice
Describe ‘Coral Reef’ and some of its characteristics.
- Mostly found within tropical and subtropical water
- Filled with amazing amount of diversity, coral, invertebrates.
Describe ‘Deep Sea’ and some of its characteristics.
- Refers to the part of the ocean where it’s over 1000 meters deep.
- No light so it’s very dark, there’s also a lot of pressure.
Describe ‘Mangrove’ and some of its characteristics.
- Warmer areas between the latitudes of 32 degrees north and 38 degrees south
- Salt-tolerant plant species with roots that dangle in the water.
Describe ‘Kelp Forest’ and some of its characteristics.
- Found along rocky shorelines, mostly in pacific coast.
- Growing lots of kelp that provides food and shelter for a variety of organisms.
- Consists of nutrient-rich, cool waters
Describe ‘Rocky Shore’ and some of its characteristics.
- Found where sea meets the land.
- Large amounts of rocks, intertidal zone, rock cliffs
Describe ‘Sandy Shore’ and some of its characteristics.
- Beaches, near the ocean
- More sand in summer months and less sand (rockier) in the winter months
Where is Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve located?
Located in Sydney, Manly – around Shelly Beach and the Fairy Bower Beach
What are the organisations that protects the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve?
- The Friends of Cabbage Tree Bay gather once a month to clean, monitor and care for the environment.
- Situated within the Manly local government area/Northern Beaches council.
What are the protections around Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve?
- Provides protection from fishing and/or collection of fish.
- No boats allowed to archer on seabed or enter reserve area.
- Nothing can be removed from the area.
- No baiting of fish species
- Police and council enforce regulations of the reserve.
What are the main habitats and species there?
- It includes a rocky shore
- Over 50 types of invertebrates and 160 species of fish
- 5 endangered fish species
- Tropical species that travel here
- Many species of aquatic plants – algae, kelp, crayweed, sea grass meadow, paddle weed…etc
Define: Primary research
Gathering information by conducting research methods such as fieldwork.
Define: secondary research
Gathering research that is already gathered and analysis by others.
What is ‘Precis Map’ used for in fieldwork?
A summary map that summaries up the area’s specific features.
What is ‘Aerial photographs’ used for in fieldwork?
Used to identify the features of the area
What is ‘Anemometer’ used for in fieldwork?
Measure the wind speed and direction
What is ‘thermometer’ used for in fieldwork?
Measure the temperature of the soil/water
What is ‘soil pH tester’ used for in fieldwork?
Measure the acidity of the soil
What is ‘soil type classification’ used for in fieldwork?
Used to identify the type of soil
What is ‘transect line’ used for in fieldwork?
Measure the type of land/soil/vegetation that is present
What is ‘water pH indicator’ used for in fieldwork?
Measure the acidity of the water
What is ‘water phosphorus indicator’ used for in fieldwork?
Measure the amount of nutrients in the water
What is ‘turbidity tube’ used for in fieldwork?
Measure the amount of solid particles suspended in the water
What is ‘survey / questionnaire’ used for in fieldwork?
To find out opinions from the locals or non-locals
Outline the depth, characteristics, marine life and food source for the Sunlight zone:
—- Depth:
- 0 to 200 m
—- Characteristics:
- Sunlight – food source & heat
- Minimal pressure
- Human recreational + industrial activities
—- Marine life:
- Coral reefs
- Mammals & fishes
- 90% of all marine life
—- Food Source:
- Sunlight – photosynthesis
- Phytoplankton
- Food web
Outline the depth, characteristics, marine life and food source for the Twilight zone:
—- Depth:
- 200 to 1000 m
—- Characteristics:
- Faint light
- More pressure
—- Marine life:
- Swordfish
- Wolf eel
- Other fishes
- Bioluminescent creatures
—- Food Source:
- Some phytoplankton
Outline the depth, characteristics, marine life and food source for the Midnight zone:
—- Depth:
- 1000 to 4000 m
—- Characteristics:
- No visible light from surface
- Light from creatures
- Immense pressure
- Very cold temperatures
—- Marine life:
- Sperm Whale
- Isopods
- Fangtooth fish
—- Food Source:
- “Maine Snow”
Outline the depth, characteristics, marine life and food source for the Abyssal zone:
—- Depth:
- 4000 to 6000 m
—- Characteristics:
- Freezing temperatures
- No visible light
- Very few creatures
- ¾ of the ocean floor
—- Marine life:
- Invertebrates
- Scavengers
- Sea cucumbers
- Hagfish
- Rattails
—- Food Source:
- “Marine Snow”
Outline the depth, characteristics, marine life and food source for the Hadal zone:
—- Depth:
- 6000 to 11000 m
—- Characteristics:
- Deepest part of the ocean
- Mostly found deep water trenches and canyons
- Deepest point – 11,300 m approx.
—- Marine life:
- Starfish
- Tubeworms
—- Food Source:
- “Marine Snow”
Define: Continental shelf
Shallow area of the ocean floor that extends outward from the edge of the continent
Define: Continental slope
Steep gradient that leads to deep ocean floor
Define: Abyssal plain
Very level area of the deep ocean floor, usually laying at the foot of the continental rise
Define: Ocean trench
Steep, long depression in the deep-sea floor that runs parallel to a chain of volcanic islands or a continental margin
What type of tectonic plate causes ocean trench to form?
Convergent plate
Define: Mid-ocean ridge
Undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced
What type of tectonic plate causes Mid-ocean ridge to form?
Divergent plate
Define: Seamount
An underwater island
Define: Guyot
Large flat-topped seamount resulting from an erosion of an island volcano when above sea level
Define: Ocean current
A permanent (or continuous) directed movement of ocean water that flows in one of the Earth’s Oceans
Define: Gyre
A circular ocean current formed by the earth’s wind patterns and the forces created by the rotation of the planet
What are the 5 factors that influence the movement of ocean currents?
—- Surface current
- Wind – drags the waves/water.
- Coriolis effect – water moves slower at the equator and faster at the poles.
—- Deep Ocean current
- Water temperature – cold water sinks and warm water moves.
- Salinity of the ocean – density causing it to sink.
—- Affect Both currents
- Topography of the ocean and shape continents – water hits shore and forced up.
Explain how surface currents occur:
- Insolation heats the ocean surface near the equator – poles receive less solar energy.
- Water warmed from the equator moves to the poles, cooled and return to the equator.
- Coriolis effect – path of trade wind and ocean currents curve Westward (Northern hemisphere curves clockwise/Southern hemisphere curves anti-clockwise)
Why is surface current so important for regulating global climates?
- Equator receives sunlight all year – warm air rises in the atmosphere and cool air moves to replace the rising warm air, causing wind.
- Warm ocean currents – high rainfall
- Cold ocean currents – low rainfall
Explain how deep ocean currents occur:
Differences in water density causes differences in water temperatures and salinity – causes deep ocean currents, called Thermohaline circulation.
Why is deep ocean current so important for regulating global climates?
Helps with even distribution of solar radiation that Earth receives, without it temperatures would be extreme and much less of earth would be inhabitable
Define: Upwelling
Cold water sinks to the bottom in the polar regions and travels to the tropic where it gets heated and rises back to the surface. Brings lots of nutrients to the surface and also helps with temperature regulation.
How does La Nina occur?
- Strengthen of trade wind
- Pushes water to western part of the pacific
How does El Nino occur?
- Trade winds weaken
- Water moves east
Impact of La Nina on climate in Australia:
- Flood
- Cyclones
- Longer but less intense heat waves
- High rainfall
Impact of El Nino on climate in Australia:
- Droughts
- Heat waves
- Extend frost season
- Increase risk of bushfires
What is Southern Oscillation Index?
A measure calculated using the pressure differences between Tahiti and Darwin.
How to enterpret Southern Oscillation Index?
- The positive values above 5 is La Nina – negative values below negative 5 is Le Nino.
- The numbers in between 5 and -5 is neutral.
Define: Economic value
The uses of the ocean that create economic activities and generate income
Define: Utility value
The ability of the ocean’s resources to satisfy human needs and accommodate humans uses
Outline 3 resources obtained from the ocean:
- Food – seaweed
- Mineral and energy resources – oil, minerals
- Economic/transport resources – trade, tourism
Define: Global Commons
Environmental resources that do not belong to any country – oceans, atmosphere, polar lands and outer space
Define: Territorial Waters
12 nautical miles from the baseline of a country – free to set laws, regulate use and use any resource
Define: Exclusive Economic Zone
Extends from the edge of the territorial sea out to 200 nautical miles from the base line of a country – the nation has exploitation rights over all natural resources
Explain the role of the United Nations Law of the Sea 1982:
- Created to defines the rights and responsibilities of actions in their use of the world’s oceans
- They establish guidelines for businesses, environmental and the management of marine natural resources
State the statistics on value in the South China Sea
- 60% of maritime trade
- 12% of global fishes catch
- 190 trillion cubic feet of liquified Natural Gas
- 11 billion barrels of oil
Outline the responses of China in the South China Sea conflict:
- China claims 90% of the South China Sea belongs to them based on the 9-dash line.
- China wanting control over the South China Sea – many surrounding countries didn’t like it.
- Didn’t respect the UN’s rules and ignored judgement from the PCA.
- China responded with intimidation, close watch of others and preserves US as a provocation
Outline the responses of US in the South China Sea conflict:
US navy has engaged in freedom of navigation patrol with the purpose of maintaining the sea as international waters.
Outline the responses of Philippines in the South China Sea conflict:
- Philippines has taken claims of some of the Sproutly islands and creating tourist islands.
- Philippines also putted a retired naval ship on a shallow reef to take claim of the island.
Outline the responses of Australia in the South China Sea conflict:
- Australia has naval ships and aircraft stationed in the South China Sea.
- Australia has also conducted war games & military exercises in the South China Sea.
