midterm vocab!! Flashcards
Hypothesis
one possible answer to “why”
Prediction
what you think will happen in the experiment
Control group
treated the same another experimented groups minus the independent variable
Independant Variable
changed during the experiment
Dependent variable
gets measured
control variables
kept the same (could impact dependent variable)
confounding variables
can affect experiment and cause unreliable data
Hydrogen Bond
dipole-dipole attraction when a hydrogen atom bonds with a strongly electronegative atom
Covalent bond
chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons to form electron pairs between atoms.
Polar molecule
a molecule in which one end of the molecule is slightly positive, while the other end is slightly negative
Neutrons
neutral charge
protons
positive charge
electrons
negative charge
Solute
the substance that dissolves in a solvent
Particle Theory Method
describes how particles move in relation to one another, depending on:
-all particles are moving
-move faster at higher temps
-slow when cooled, only vibrate in place once frozen
Solvent
the substance in which a solute dissolves to produce a homogeneous mixture
Solubility
the ability of a substance to dissolve into a solvent and become a solution
Brackish Water
water that is a mix of salt and freshwater
Average salinity of the ocean
35ppt (parts per thousand)
Things that decrease salinity
- rainfall
- ice melting
- runoff from land
things that increase salinity
- evaporation
- ice formation
Tropical oceans
higher salinities due to increased evaporation. However, salinity drops near the equator due to increased cloud coverage and rainfall
Polar Oceans
lower salinities due to slower rates of evaporation and melting ice
Solubility of gases in seawater
- decreases w/ increasing temp
- decreases w/ increasing salinity
- increases w/ increasing pressure
oxygen minimum layer
where the lowest O2 levels occur
Ocean Acidification
phenomenon where the ocean’s pH is decreasing
Density
D= mass/volume
Pycnocline
region of the water column of rapid density increase
Surface mixed layer
later of rapid temperature decrease where heat energy is quickly lost
Halocline
region of the water column where salinity changes significantly with depth
Continental crust
Made of granite. Older, thicker, less dense
Oceanic Crust
Made of basalt. Younger, thinner, more dense
Theory of continental drift
theory that all the continents used to exist as a single continent called Pangea
Convection Currents
heat-driven cycles that occur in the air, ocean, and mantle
Subduct
to be pushed under
Trench
formed by a convergent boundary
Convergent boundary
Plates collide and the more dense plate is subducted under the other
Marina Trench
Deepest trench
Earthquakes
caused by built up pressure from plates not moving for a long time. A burst of energy releases when there is finally movement and the energy released moves as seismic waves
Tsunamis
Caused by a sudden release of energy on the seafloor (earthquake or volcanic eruption)
Divergent Boundaries
Two plates moving away from each other
Seafloor Spreading
When plates diverge in the ocean, allowing magma to push through the crust and form new crust
mid-ocean ridges
Underwater mountain ranges that form when new rock builds up
Rift
cracks in the crust caused by oceanic crust separating at mid-ocean ridges
Transform Boundaries
Forms when 2 plates slide past each other. They do not create or destroy lithosphere
Lithosphere
the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.
Hydrothermal Vents
an opening in the sea floor where heated mineral-rich water flows.
Weathering
Breaking down of a material into smaller pieces of sediment
Erosion
the removal of material and transportation away from its location
Chemical weathering
occurs when the chemical composition of rocks changes through exposure to water or oxygen
Physical Weathering
occurs when rocks are broken down into smaller pieces with no chemical change
Organic weathering
occurs when living organisms break down rock
Sedimentation
the deposition of particles to a new location
The littoral Zone
the intertidal region between the highest and lowest tides
Rocky shores
- high levels of erosion
- vertical cliffs and flat rock
- little sedimentation
Sandy Shores
- rate of erosion is less than the rate of sedimentation
- low elevation/no cliffs
- made of loose deposits of sand
- are constantly in motion (waves move sand up and down the beach)
Muddy Shores
- low levels of erosion
- low wave action
- water is murky
Tides
patterns of rise and fall of the ocean’s surface
Tidal Range
vertical difference between high water mark and low water mark
Flood Tide
occurs during a rising tide when water is moving toward the shore.
Ebb Tide
when the water is rushing back toward the sea.
Slack Water
The period of time between flood and ebb tides
Tidal Bores
waves that travel long distances, are very high, and can travel fast
Spring Tide
Occurs during new and full moon (amplifies the effect of the moon and sun’s pull). Largest tidal range of the month.
Neap Tide
Occurs during 1st and 3rd quarter moons (moon and sun at 90 degree angle to each other). Smallest tidal range of the month
Semidiurnal Tides
2 high and 2 low tides a day (same height)
Diurnal tides
one high and one low tide a day
Coriolis Effect
gives currents a spiral pattern resulting from the rotation of the Earth
Wind
The movement of molecules in the air
Ekman layer
The upper part of the water column that is affected by the wind
Ekman spiral
Combination of the wind and the Coriolis effect that creates a spiral effect
Surface Currents
result from global wind patterns, which are caused by the uneven heating of the earth’s surface
Upwelling
Occur where winds force surface water away from the coastline, creating a low pressure area that pulls deep, cold, nutrient-rich water up
Downwelling
sinking of surface waters (more dense, cold water sinks)
Global Ocean Conveyor Belt/ Thermohaline circulation
system of slow moving currents that begins with the downwelling of the North Atlantic Deep Water current and travels through all of the oceans
El Nino
Results in major shifts in:
-Ocean temperatures
-ocean currents
-rain patterns
-disrupts food webs
La Nina
OPPOSITE of El Nino
-Tradewinds are STRONGER
-Warm water is pushed further west across the Pacific
-Upwelling off South America is STRONGER
-Western coast of N and S America even drier than normal
Population
group of the same species (can mate and reproduce)
Community
A group of different species that live and interact together
Ecosystem
the community of organisms plus their abiotic surroundings
Ecology
the study of relationships between organisms and their relationships with the environment
Intraspecific
occurring within the same species
Interspecific
Occurring between different species
Symbiosis
a relationship between two organisms of different species living in close proximity to each other, with one of them spending all or some of their time on or inside the other
Mutualism
both organisms benefit (ex: boxer crabs and anemones)
Parasitism
The symbiont benefits, while the host is harmed
Ectoparasites
live on the outside of their host
Endoparasites
live within the host’s body
Commensalism
The symbiont benefits, the host is neither helped nor harmed
Phoresis
symbiont that attaches to a host in order to travel
Competition
occurs when two organisms are trying to use the same resource. Both are harmed
Predation
is the hunting, killing, and consumption of one species (the prey) by another (the predator)
coevolution
when two species evolve and strengthen their abilities in response to one another
Herbivory
animals feeding on plants or algae
grazing
feeding behavior
trophic level
he position of an organism in the food chain and ranges from a value of 1 for primary producers to 5 for marine mammals and humans.
Decomposer
An organism, often a bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter, making organic nutrients available to the ecosystem
Food Chain
a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
Photosynthesis
process in which producers (plants / algae)
living in the photic zone capture sunlight to create food (sugar).
6CO2+6H2O+light–>C6H12O6+6O2
Chemosynthesis
alternative to photosynthesis. energy stored in
hydrogen sulfides (minerals from the vent) contain chemical energy that is used by bacteria to convert energy to food
Productivity
the rate of production of new biomass (living
material) per unit area by autotrophic organisms, by photo- or chemosynthesis
Net Primary Productivity
the balance of unused energy available to the consumers in the ecosystem
Nutrients
are substances required by organisms for growth, repair, energy, etc
Magnesium
production of cholorphyll
Calcium
Production of bones, shells, and coral skeletons
Nitrogen
Production of proteins and DNA
Phosphorus
Production of DNA and bones
Carbon
Production of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins
Macromolecules
are large molecules (polymers) made of chains of many smaller molecules (monomers)
Residence time
the average time a particle spends in a system
Marine Snow
the continuous sinking of organic matter into the deep
Harvesting
the removal of marine life from the ocean by humans
Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle is nature’s way of reusing carbon atoms.
