Introduction to Oceanography Flashcards
What are the earth’s systems?
Biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.
What is another name for geosphere?
Lithosphere
What is the similarity and the difference between the three systems?
Similarity: Fluids in motion
Difference: Their viscosity
What are the common features?
Convection, eddies, and energy transport through wave propagation.
How is CO2 reduced on earth?
Through the activity of bacteria which reduced CO2 levels to tolerable concentrations and produced oxygen (O2) in the process.
What are the CO2 concentrations in Venus and Mars?
Venus = 99% (known as green house planet) Mars = 95%
How is CO2 and O2 Reduced and produced?
CO2 is reduced and O2 is produced by plants
O2 is reduced and CO2 is produced by animals and humans
Define Dynamic equilibrium.
There is life
Define Dead equilibrium.
Absence of life in the atmosphere
What does extra-terrestrial mean?
Not on earth
Define gaea. Give an example
The presence of life has far reaching consequences for the planet as a whole.
Forest development Reduces albedo (Reflectivity of the earth’s surface) Earth is several degrees warmer than it would be without the presence of life
Define Oceanography. What is the goal of studying it?
The study of the ocean, with emphasis on its character as an environment. The goal is to obtain a description sufficiently quantitative to be used for predicting the future with some certainty.
Define Geophysics
The study of the physics of the Earth.
Define Physical Oceanography
The study of physical properties and dynamics of the oceans.
What are the primary interests?
Interaction of the ocean with the atmosphere, the oceanic heat budget, water mass formation, currents, and coastal dynamics.
