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Biological_Oceanography > ocean_characteristics > Flashcards

ocean_characteristics Flashcards

1
Q

define: upper-layer water masses?

A

= water masses that go down to the thermocline

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2
Q

how can watermasses move?

A

vertically

horizontally

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3
Q

how can water mass movements be traced ?

A

by thier temp. salniyt characteristics (T-S diagramm)

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4
Q

what is advection?

A

horizontal movement + vertical movement

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5
Q

what is horizontal movemnet? and what is driven by?

A

= surface currants
mostly driven by wind
but also by the corriolis force

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6
Q

what is vertical movemnet ? and hat is it driven by?

A

=T and S variation

density driven

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7
Q

definition of the corriolis effect

A

= deflection (of an object /currents ) due to the corriolis force

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8
Q

northern hemisphere:
corriolis effect to the right or to the left?
clockwise or counter clockwise rotation?

A

corriolis to the right

clockwise rotataion

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9
Q

southern hemisphere:
corriolis effect to the right or to the left?
clockwise or counter clockwise rotation?

A

corriolis to the leftc

counterclockwise rotataion

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10
Q

how many degrees get the currents deflected by the corriolis force?

A

90°

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11
Q

define the polar front

A

area where warm air masses meet cold air masses

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12
Q

weht der wind von hoch zu tiefdruck oder tief zu hochdruch gebiet?

A

hoch zu tief

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13
Q

herscht am äquator tief oder hoch druck gebiet ?

A

tier druck

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14
Q

do cold water and warm water currents mix?

A

yes

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15
Q

describe the three cell circulation model

A
  1. warm air at the equator rises –> equator = low -pressure–> move to 30°
  2. at 30° N/S currents are cooled sink down and move to the low pressure area at the equator / at 60°and get deflected due to the coriollis effect.
  3. cold air at the northpole sinks –> move down to 60° gets defected by the corriolis force starts rising again (=polar front)
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16
Q

ekman spiral:

at what angle, to the wind get the surface currents deflected by the coriolis force?

A

45° to the the wind

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17
Q

are deeper layer also deflected by the coriolis force?

A

yes

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18
Q

what ist the net water movement of the whole ekman layer ?

A

90°

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19
Q

large circulating current system in the mains baisin, formed out of the combination of smaller currents.
- what is that system called?

A

a gyre

pl.: gyres

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20
Q

do gyres influence the average SST ?

A

yes

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21
Q

why are currents biologically important?

A

because they tranport : -temp.

  • nutrients –> impact on biological productivity
  • tranport populations/communitiere
22
Q

what are the three vertical water layers?

A
  • surface layer
  • intermediate layer
  • deep layer
23
Q

what defines the depth of three vertical layers of the ocean ? -

A

vertical water movements

–> temp, density, salinity

24
Q

where are the major upwelling zones on the continents?

A

often at western sides of the continents and at the equatorial area, antarctica

25
Q

how do intermediate wate rmasses form?

A

surface water increases in density –> sinks to depth

26
Q

are intermediate water masses more or less dense than surface waters?

A

more

27
Q

what is the most dense water ?

  1. surface water mass
  2. intermediate water mass
  3. deep and bottom water mass
A

deep and bottom water mass

28
Q

what happens to the water densitity of polar water during winter?

A

water becomes denser –> ice formation is only fresh water
-salt water gets drained out though salt pores
under the ice: high slinity –> high density -> water sinks out

29
Q

hwo do antarctic bottom water and nord atlantc deep water interconnect?

A

in winter sinking out of cold, dense water at the poles –> flows towards equator –> mixing

30
Q

what is the ocean conveyer belt

A

= global system of vertical deep ocean currents and horizontal ocean sruface currents

31
Q

what is thermohaline circultaon?

A

circulation related to differnet temperature and salinity

32
Q

what is the ocean conveyer belt also calles like?

A

THC

33
Q

what are the vertical components of the ocena conveyer belt determined of?

A
  • salinity and temp. gradient

- corriolis effect

34
Q

what are the horizontal components of the ocean conveyer belt determined of?

A
  • wind
  • vertical currents
  • coriolis effect
35
Q

what are the horizontal components of the ocean conveyer belt determined of?

A
  • wind
  • vertical currents
  • coriolis effect
36
Q

what effect has upwelling on the ecosytsme?

A

stimulate dthe production of the ocean, by tranporting deeper, nutrient rch water to the upper layers

37
Q

what water is mostly transported up during upwelling?

intermediate oder bottom water?

A
  • intermediate water
38
Q

what ist the only upwelling on the eastern side of a continnet?

A

somalia upwelling

39
Q

positive/negativ impact of upwelling on primary production?

A

postive impact

40
Q

definition of uwelling

A

the displace of low nutrient water with nutrient rich col deeper water

41
Q

describe upwelling

A

wind pushes away the coastal water –> nutrient rich deeper water rises, replaces the water that was pushed away.

42
Q

is euatorial upwelling more or less intense than coastal upwelling?

A

less

43
Q

compare equatorial upwelling with costal upwelling:

  • area
  • intensity –>- primary production stimulation
A
  • equ. less intense
  • equ. larger area
  • primary production is still effected by equ. upwelling, bevcuase primary production in general low at this place
44
Q

how is equatorial upwelling created?

A

surface watter masses get transported away to the right and to the left, due to the coriolis effect) –> surface water mass is pulled apart
–>cold deeper water replaces water

45
Q

what is el nino?

[el nino southern oscillation (ENSO)]

A

event that occurs in average every 7 years.
- appearance of unusual warm water at the coast of ecuador and peru.
indosian low
south acific high
–> south east trade wind weakens –> amost shut down of upwellig – >impacts on primary and secondary production

46
Q

can climate chnage cause the gulf stream to stop?

A

since oceanic temp. gradients, wind and the rotation of earth will continue –< rather unlikely that gulf stream willstop

47
Q

gulf stream won’t stop due to climate chnage, but it will be effected, how?

A
  • intensity ad speed will decline
  • the water voluem will change
  • age of the water masses wil increase
48
Q

what is an ocean front?

A

narrow zone seperating different water masses

- in a front currents flow either beneath each othe or on each side of front

49
Q

what is it called when in a front ocean currenst flow on each side

A

divergence

50
Q

what is it called when in a front ocean currenst flow beneath each other?

A

convergence

Biological_Oceanography (8 decks)

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