Ocean and Atmospheric Circulation Flashcards
What percentage of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans?
Approximately 71%.
What are the primary components of seawater?
Water (H2O) and dissolved salts, mainly sodium chloride (NaCl).
What drives ocean currents?
Wind, the Coriolis effect, and differences in water density (temperature and salinity).
What is thermohaline circulation?
The global circulation of ocean water driven by differences in temperature and salinity.
What causes tides?
The gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun on Earth’s oceans.
What is longshore drift?
The movement of sediment along the coast by wave action.
What are estuaries and their ecological significance?
Estuaries are coastal bodies of water where freshwater meets saltwater, serving as nurseries for marine life and filtering pollutants.
What is a continental shelf?
The submerged edge of a continental landmass, extending from the shoreline to the continental slope.
How do barrier islands form?
By the accumulation of sand and sediment shaped by wave and tidal action parallel to the coast.
What are coral reefs, and why are they important?
Coral reefs are structures formed from the skeletons of coral organisms, providing habitat for marine biodiversity and protecting shorelines.
What are the main components of Earth’s atmosphere?
Nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon (0.93%), and carbon dioxide (0.04%).
What are the four layers of the atmosphere?
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The process by which greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, warming Earth’s surface
What are the primary greenhouse gases?
Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and water vapour (H2O).
What is the Coriolis effect?
The Coriolis effect is the apparent deflection of moving objects (such as air currents) due to Earth’s rotation, causing them to curve to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
