Hydrosphere Exam Flashcards
Oceans cover
25% of earth’s surface
Movement of ocean currents from the equator to the poles on a global scale results in
Distribution of heat from the equator to the poles
At high latitudes the primary productivity is controlled by
Seasonal changes in sunlight
Major water problems of the western United States include:
Chronic drought and insufficient runoff
True or False? The surface of the oceans is generally water than the bottom layer
True
True or false? Water has flown on Earth since the past 13.8 billion years
False
What is the average depth of the ocean
4000 m
What is the driving force for surface ocean current
Global Winds
Density of sea surface water
Is higher at high latitude (at the poles)
Which of the following is NOT correct regarding the term subsidence?
Subsidence is a reversible process
Which layer of the ocean allows for photosynthesis to occur because of sunlight penetration?
Epipelagic zone
The organisms that live around hydrothermal vents are supported by
Chemical nutrients from Earth’s interior
A land area that drains water to a particular stream, river, lake is called:
Watershed
Surface currents circulate in different directions, depending on the ______ in which they occur
Hemisphere
Dissolved oxygen is water varies widely because of:
Living organisms, temperature, atmospheric pressure, salinity
Phytoplankton are microscopic plants living in the surface layer of the oceans
True
If the Earth had NO ocean:
The range of surface temperatures on earth would be much greater than it is now
In California, the greatest user of water is:
Agriculture
Which of the following is NOT a symptom of eutrophication?
Excessively high oxygen levels
Snow in the Sierra Nevada provides about water ________ of the residents in California
30%
About 96% of water is saltwater found in oceans while the remaining 4% is freshwater. Where would the majority of freshwater on earth be found?
Icecaps and glaciers
True or False? About 50% of all photosynthesis in the world is carried out by phytoplankton
True
True or False? More than 1% of the world’s fresh water is accessible for direct human uses
False
The hydrologic cycle is the movement of
Water through the various reservoirs of the hydrosphere
El Nino
Low pressure system over Tahiti (mid-Pacific ocean)
Upwelling
Vertical transport of deep water towards the surface
Mid-ocean gyres
Circulation in the ocean characterized by intensified currents on their western boundaries
Ocean Currents
Global heat redistribution form equator to mid-latitudes
La Nina
Dry winters in the Southwest of the US
