Quiz 2- ocean warming, acidification, climate change

Question 1

Define climate.

Answer 1

weather properties that characterize a region over long time scales (several years, decades, centuries)

Question 2

climate oscillations

Answer 2

predictable oscillations in air pressure, wind systems, sea surface temps, etc that can occur over several years/decades
eg: ENSO (seasons of warmr + cooler sea surface temps)

Question 3

Compare and contrast climate oscillations and climate change, including how they might influence one another.

Answer 3

oscillations can cause temporary highs or lows in certain parameters
- can sometimes hide more long-term changes

Question 4

El Niño La Niña

Answer 4

el nino/enso- climate fluctuation that can be impacted by human-induced climate change
- defined by weakening of winds that drive ekman transport (upwelling)
- el nino is when these winds are weakened for many months/years

Question 5

La Niña

Answer 5

• consistent periods of normal conditions aka strong winds that contribute to upwelling

Question 6

Describe how thermohaline circulation is involved in this system

Answer 6

The horizontal movement of surface waters and the vertical movement of water, as well as the movement of deep-sea currents, are ALL connected in the movement of the global conveyor belt

Question 7

Describe the relationship between ENSO and human-induced climate change

Answer 7

• regular nino/nina fluctuation is not caused by human impact
• as avg sea surf temps warm, el nino will become more severe over time
• aka el nino will increase in temp more and more over time- still fluctuate with temp but overall trend is upward for temp

Question 8

Utilize your knowledge of the global conveyor belt system across the world’s oceans to describe how ENSO impacts marine life. Be able to list 1-2 examples of impacts on marine life.

Answer 8

• upwelling cycles nutrients up- anchovies are primary producers and feed on these (phytoplankton)- during el nino anchovies cant eat
• market squid- move away from shore when upwelling doesn’t occur- makes it more difficult for fisheries to catch them

Question 9

Describe the Enhanced Greenhouse Effect, and its primary drivers. How does it differ from the Greenhouse Effect?

Answer 9

-GE: normal thing- absorption of solar radiation- some trapped by gases in the atmosphere when reflecting off the earth
- EGE: incr in CO2 atmos. conc causes earths temp to rise bc more solar radiation is trapped

Question 10

List and explain the various ways in which human-induced climate change impacts the world’s oceans.

Answer 10

• warming sea surf temps
• marine communities- organisms may be forced to move based on temp changes
• stress on sessile organisms that are unable to move- eg coral

Question 11

Explain the impact of warming ocean temperatures on the Great Barrier Reef

Answer 11

• widespread bleaching- fewer gaps between major bleaching events- less time to recover
• half the areas corals have already died
• by the end of the century bleaching events will happen back to back every summer

Question 12

Describe the role sea level rise is currently playing in the loss of coastal land and habitat in Louisiana.

Answer 12

• trees dying bc theyre unable to adapt to saltiness
• barrier islands and wetlands were drained into the oceans bc of human activity- levis, etc
• up to an inch a year- size of manhattan lost every year in LA

Question 13

Explain how sea level rise can negatively impact coastal habitats and their inhabitants.

Answer 13

Loss of land

Question 14

Describe how global climate change is impacting thermohaline circulation and the global conveyor belt.

Answer 14

• meling polar ice makes water near the poles less saline aka less dense and slower to sink

Question 15

Utilize your understanding of abiotic factors in the ocean to explain the impact of climate change on oxygen concentrations throughout the world’s oceans.

Answer 15

• warmer water holds less o2
• warm waters increase respiration rates of organisms aka increase consumption of o2
• o2 minimum layer is predicted to expand bc of more depletion of o2

Question 16

Explain how the ocean’s buffering system works, and describe how it relates to ocean acidification.

Answer 16

• prevents major pH swings
  
  • normally, co2 dissolves into the ocean and combines with h2o to make unstable carbonic acid (h2co3) that quickly becomes bicarbonate (h+ and hco3-) (so co2 is absorbed so quickly bc in the water it’s instantly changed to something else so the conc in the air will always be higher than in the water)
  • then carbonate is able to collect free H+ ions and as H+ conc increases, bicarbonate will also grab these and turn back into carbonic acid
• removes carbonate- harms molluscs and coral, eg, that use carbonate for their shells, etc
• huge CO2 sink- absorbs 50-60% more than the atmosphere

Question 17

Explain how climate change and ocean deoxygenation are related, and describe the impact on fish species as detailed in the required reading.

Answer 17

• ## As sea surface temperatures increase, the ocean’s ability to dissolve oxygen decreases.

Question 18

Synthesize your understanding of oceanic abiotic factors and the global conveyor belt system to explain why Oregon’s coast has become the frontlines for dealing with ocean acidification.

Answer 18

Thermohaline circulation drives the sinking of colder, more acidic water from across the pacific, which eventually resurfaces on the Oregon coast via upwelling.

Question 19

Explain what types of marine organisms are most heavily impacted by ocean acidification, and why. What ramifications might these impacts have on the greater marine ecosystem?

Answer 19

Those that utilize calcium carbonate
- eg: muscles, pteropods

Question 20

TRUE OR FALSE: Warming sea surface temperatures is increasing the amount of CO2 dissolved into the ocean, causing pH levels to drop. FIX IF FALSE

Answer 20

FALSE:
- Warming sea surface temperatures is increasing the amount of CO2 dissolved into the ocean, causing pH levels to RISE

Question 21

TRUE OR FALSE: Warming sea surface temperatures increases the density of surface water, causing the global conveyor belt system to slow. FIX IF FALSE

Answer 21

FALSE:
- Warming sea surface temperatures DECREASES the density of surface water, causing the global conveyor belt system to slow.
- at the poles, the water is FRESHER bc of MELTING ICE (as well as warmer)

Question 22

TRUE OR FALSE: Warming sea surface temperatures decreases the ability of ocean water to hold dissolved oxygen. FIX IF FALSE

Answer 22

TRUE

Question 23

TRUE OR FALSE: Warming sea surface temperatures increase ocean salinity as polar ice melts and releases highly saline water back into the world’s oceans. FIX IF FALSE

Answer 23

FALSE:
- Warming sea surface temperatures DECREASE ocean salinity as polar ice melts and releases FRESH water back into the world’s oceans.

Question 24

What BEST describes why human-induced climate change is causing deoxygenation of the world’s oceans?

Answer 24

As sea surface temperatures increase, the ocean’s ability to dissolve oxygen decreases.

Question 25

How is human-induced climate change impacting the Louisiana coast?

Answer 25

Coastal land is being lost to rising sea levels.