JHES CH 1 Flashcards
Be able to explain why the temperature of ocean water is mild and stable.
Water warms and cools more slowly than land.
Why is the ocean salty?
Ocean salt mostly comes from rocks on land and openings in the seafloor.
What are the 3 main reasons water density increases?
Temperature, Salinity, and Pressure.
What are the two ocean zones based on depth?
Photic Zone (top 200) and the Aphotic Zone (200 and below)
What is a storm surge and what causes one?
A storm surge is an abnormal rise of seawater during a storm. It is mostly caused by the strong winds from the storm.
Why do we get two high tides a day?
The moon revolves around the Earth in the same direction that the Earth is rotating on its axis. The moon’s gravitational pull affects the tides.
What is a spring tide?
A tide just after a new or full moon, when there is the greatest difference between high and low water.
What is a neap tide?
A tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon when there is least difference between high and low water.
What are the 3 main reasons surface currents happen?
Global winds, the Coriolis effect, and the way that currents are deflected off of continental land masses.
What is the definition of a Trade Wind?
A wind blowing towards the equator from the northeast in the northern hemisphere or the southeast in the southern hemisphere.
What is the definition of Westerlies?
The westerlies are prevailing winds from the west toward the east in the middle latitudes.
What is the definition of Polar Easterlies?
Polar easterlies are the dry, cold prevailing winds that blow around the high-pressure areas of the polar highs at the Poles.
What is a gyre?
A gyre is a large system of rotating ocean currents.
What is Upwelling and what causes it to happen?
Upwelling is a process in which deep, cold water rises toward the surface. Water rises up from beneath the surface to replace the diverging surface water.
What is Downwelling and what causes it to happen?
Downwelling is where surface water is forced downwards, where it may deliver oxygen to deeper water. Downwelling occurs when the water on the surface of the sea becomes denser than the water beneath it and so it sinks.
