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Flashcards in Oceanography Deck (104)
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1
Q

What factors affect the density of ocean water

A

The density of a material is given in units of mass per unit volume and expressed in kilograms per cubic metre in the SI system of units. In oceanography the density of seawater has been expressed historically in grams per cubic centimetre. The density of seawater is a function of temperature, salinity, and pressure.

2
Q

What is importance of oceanography

A

a) oceanography tells our about ocean and climate system
b) “ocean provides almost half of global oxygen “
c) ocean covers about 71 % of earth surface.
d) ocean is source of life , energy and resources
e) ocean is essential for life on Earth.
f) Oceans are a critical source and absorber of heat, moderating worldwide temperatures.
g) Ocean is considered as the source of food, minerals that are valuable, big place for business, place for recreation and disposal of waste.
h) Ocean waters are used for extracting minerals like salt, magnesium and bromine which can be utilized for commercial purpose. It is found that about 60 different elements are available in Oceans.

3
Q

What are the explanations of sea waves?

A

There are many types of waves, all depend of its oscillation period and restore forces

4
Q

what percent of total water is salt water

A

97.5%

5
Q

measures how deep water is

A

bathymetry

6
Q

how to measure bathymetry/depth

A
  1. rock and rope
  2. single beam sonar
  3. multi bean sonar
  4. satellite altimetry (doesnt measure depth)
7
Q

average depth of ocean

A

12500 ft = 3.81 km

8
Q

describes how temp of water changes

A

thermocline

9
Q

describes change in salinity

A

halocline

10
Q

average ocean temp

A

39 degrees F = 3,89C

11
Q

any body of water with specific temp, salinity and density characteristics

A

water mass

12
Q

below about ….. water is all about the same in relation to……

A

below about 2000m water is all about the same in relation to TEMP and SALINITY

13
Q

:zone where theres enough light to see colors
: 100-600m in clear water
: 40m coastal waters (sediment cloudy and stirred)

A

photic zone

14
Q

aphotic zone

A

below photic zone

zone where theres not enough light to see

15
Q

water cycle

A
  1. Evaporation
  2. Condensation
  3. Precipitation
  4. Ground water
  5. Run off
  6. Transportation
  7. Respiration
16
Q

sea water is made of (elements)

A

hydrogen
oxygen
sodium
chlorine

17
Q

gases in water

A

carbon dioxide
nitrogen
oxygen
***cold water holds more gas

18
Q

where does salt in seawater come from

A
  1. crustal rocks
  2. excess volatiles- volcanoes
  3. hydrothermal vents on mid ocean ridges
  4. mineral formation
  5. biological effects
19
Q

biological effects –> salt in sea water

A
  1. formation of skeletons and shells

2. dissolution of dead organisms

20
Q

:this occurs when trade winds slaken and even reverse direction
:cold water moves to western pacific (drought)
and hot water moves to Eastern pacific (rain)

A

El Niño

21
Q

weather change in asia during El Niño

A

droughts

22
Q

:occurs with worse normal conditions
:increasing speed of upwelling
:trade winds strengthen

A

La Niña

23
Q

depth of surface water

A

down to 660ft =0.2 km

24
Q

what causes tides

A

1) earth rotation: centrifugal force

2) gravitational pull of moon and sun

25
Q

green house gases

A

CO2
methane :CH4
H20 vapor

26
Q

allow visible light to pass thru which is absorbed by earth and released as heat, but hat cannot pass thru gases and is stuck on earth building up

A

green house gases

27
Q

:highest net primary productivity

:pulls highest amount of carbon out of atm or ocean and produce O2

A

coral reefs

28
Q

diatoms draw in … to produce …

A

draw in CO2 to produce glucose

29
Q

remove carbon from atm

A

sinks

30
Q

5 sinks

A

1) weathering of granite
2) photosynthesis
3) burial of biomass
4) deposition of carbonate sediments
5) CO2 dissolves in sea water

31
Q

important for life in ocean and is responsible for protein which is used by plants and animals

A

nitrogen

32
Q

euphotic zone depth

A

down to 70m

33
Q

which of the following organisms makes its skeleton out of silica (glass)

A

diatoms and radiolarians

34
Q

tiny animals that disrupt the layers of sediment, making core samples to need preservatives

A

meiofauna

35
Q

Benthic zones

A
Supralittoral
Littoral
Sublittoral
Bathyal
Abyssa
Hadal
36
Q

zones by depth

A

Epipelagic
Mesopelagic
Bathypelagic
Abyssopelagic

37
Q

Deep ocean currents are driven primarily by

A

density differences

38
Q

Which swift-flowing surface current in a major subtropical gyre transports a large volume of warm water from the equator toward mid-latitudes?

A

Kuroshio Current. Western boundary currents are responsible for the mass transport of warm water toward the poles. The Kuroshio Current is the western boundary current in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.

39
Q

gyres

A

Surface currents form circular patterns in the major ocean basins

40
Q

Surface ocean currents are driven primarily by ..

and modifie by….

A

wind; the Coriolis effect and land

41
Q

The zone that lies between the lowest tide level and the highest elevation on land that is affected by storm waves is known as the ________.

A

shore

42
Q

coast

A

The zone extends inland from the shore to as far as ocean-related features can be found is known as the

43
Q

The part of the shore that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide is known as the

A

foreshore

44
Q

The speed of longshore currents decreases as what increases?

A

wave period

45
Q
Which of the following is not considered a pollutant in the marine environment? 
Phytoplankton 
Nutrient runoff 
Sewage sludge 
Heavy metals such as mercury and silver 
Hydrocarbons
A

Phytoplankton

46
Q

Which of the following kingdoms includes species that function primarily as decomposers in the marine ecosystem?

A

Fungi

47
Q

lives on top of benthic sediments

A

epifauna

48
Q
Which of the following is not an effect of climate change in the oceans?
melting of polar ice
decreasing ocean acidity
increasing ocean temperatures
changes in deep-water circulation
increasing hurricane intensity
A

decreasing ocean acidity

49
Q

Name the zone of rapidly changing temperature with depth.

A

Thermocline

50
Q

The relationship between temperature and density is…

A

Inverse

51
Q

This layer has sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis; its depth is usually 20-60 meters, rarely 100 meters.

A

Photic zone

52
Q

What is the % of the deep ocean?

A

80%; except polar region

53
Q

Average depth of the ocean?

A

3800m

54
Q

What’s a term for ‘deep ocean’?

A

Pelagic

55
Q

These are a marine autotrophs that photosynthesize organic material from inorganic material.

A

Phytoplankton

56
Q

This type of phytoplankton has a silica (silicious) shell.

A

Diatoms

57
Q

What are the most common dissolved substances in sea water by percent?

A
Chlorine (55%)
Sodium (30.6%)
Sulfate (7.7%)
Magnesium (3.7%)
Potassium (1.1%)
58
Q

Density ___ with increasing salt

A

increases

59
Q

Density ___ with increasing temp

A

decreases

60
Q

Define Deep Currents

A

High density caused by temperature and salinity differences at the surface

61
Q

How deep do surface currents exist?

A

One Kilometer

62
Q

The thermocline is:

A

The decrease in temperature with depth.

63
Q

Halocline is the change in ______ with depth.

A

Salinity

64
Q

What is Oligotrophic?

A

Pelagic environment (water column) that has low plant nutrient concentrations. Subtropical gyres are oligotrophic.

65
Q

What is Eutrophic?

A

Pelagic environment (water column) has high plant nutrient concentrations. Coastal upwelling zones are eutrophic.

66
Q

What is Net Primary Production (NPP)?

A

Net Primary Production is the difference between the amount of CO2 consumed by photosynthesis and the amount of CO2 produced by respiration.

It is the net gain or net loss of carbon within the cell.

67
Q

What happens to light levels below compensation light level?

A

Phytoplankton cells have insufficient light to photosynthesize to meet basal metabolic needs and cell respiration exceeds photosynthesis, leading to negative values of net primary production.

68
Q

What happens to phytoplankton at low light levels, optimal light levels, and very high light levels?

A

Phytoplankton cells have insufficient light to photosynthesize to meet basal metabolic needs and cell respiration exceeds photosynthesis, leading to negative values of net primary production.

69
Q

What is compensation depth?

A

The depth at which ambient light intensity is equal to compensation light intensity.

70
Q

What is the main source of nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica to the surface ocean?

A

Vertically mixing or upwelling of nutrient-rich deep-water to the surface.

71
Q

What nutrients limit growth of phytoplankton?

A

Nitrogen limits growth of phytoplankton in the ocean, but iron and phosphate may limit growth in certain oceanic regions.

72
Q

What is a trophic level (refined grouping)?

A

A nutritional feeding level within a food chain or food web such as primary producer (autotroph), primary consumer (herbivore), secondary consumer
(first carnivore), and tertiary consumer (second carnivore).

73
Q

What is Gross Growth (Production) Efficiency?

A

Amount of CONSUMER BIOMASS produced divided by amount of PREY INGESTED. This efficiency ranges between 20% and 60%.

74
Q

What are some factors affecting primary productivity?

A
  1. nutrient availability
    * biogeochemical cycling
    * upwelling
    * productivity in tropical oceans
    * equatorial upwelling
    * coastal upwelling
    * high-latitude regions
    * polar ocean productivity
    * temperate ocean productivity
75
Q

in upwelling there is diverging _______

A

surface water

76
Q

is there a high or low biological productivity in upwelling?

A

High

77
Q

Why is it important to study the ocean? (8 reasons)

A
  1. The ocean is vast.
  2. The ocean controls Earth’s climate.
  3. The ocean is diverse.
  4. The ocean is a valuable human resource.
  5. Marine organisms produce most of Earth’s O2.
  6. The ocean is vital to transportation.
  7. The ocean is a neighbor. More people than ever around the globe are living on or near the cost.
  8. The ocean offers employment. Many people directly or indirectly make a living from the ocean and it’s resources.
78
Q

Define physical oceanography.

A

The study of waves and currents, climate prediction.

79
Q

Define marine biology.

A

The study of nature and distribution of marine critters.

80
Q

Define chemical oceanography.

A

The study of the gases and solids dissolved in the ocean.

81
Q

Plankton Net

A

Collects floaters and drifters, microorganisms, bad swimmers.

IMPORTANT BECAUSE: - animal plankton are food
- oxygen

82
Q

What are waves caused by?

A

The interaction between air and water.

83
Q

What does it take to get such big waves?

A
  1. Wind speed
  2. Duration
  3. Fetch - area of the ocean
84
Q

What is a wave?

A

Winds push water up (wind transports energy)

  • Water particles move in circles
  • Energy forces waves up when they reach shore
  • Waves crash on shore
85
Q

Technology - Robots
What is ROV?
What is AUV?

A

???

86
Q

Why does the moon have more of an impact on the tides than the sun

A

The moon is closer to the Earth

87
Q

What is a benefit of downwelling

A

Export of dissolved oxygen to the deep ocean

88
Q

The global ocean conveyer belt circulation is most responsible for distributing what?

A

Heat

89
Q

What is generating force that starts surface currents?

A

Wind

90
Q

What is the driving force behind the generation of deep water currents?

A

Density difference

91
Q

Which organism type comprises the majority of earths biomass

A

Plankton

92
Q

Why are there more benthic species than pelagic species?

A

The benthic zone has more potential habitats

93
Q

The density of water____below 4 degrees C

A

Decreases

94
Q

A large influx of carbon dioxide to the ocean over an extended period of time will have what effect on ph?

A

Decrease the ph

95
Q

If water temp decreases water density___ if salinity decreases density____

A

Increases, decreases

96
Q

Which of the following exerts the greatest control over density at the oceans surface

A

Temperature

97
Q

What is a dead zone?

A

A low oxygen area caused by eutrophication

98
Q

The rate at which photosynthetic and chemosynthetic organisms convert energy into organic matter is referred to as…

A

Primary production

99
Q

Which of the following are the most productive marine algae

A

Diatoms

100
Q

Why are Continental margins more biologically productive than the open ocean

A

There are more available nutrients along the continental margins

101
Q

What is the major limiting factor to phytoplankton production in the tropical oceans

A

Lack of nutrients

102
Q

Why does the mid latitude region usually have to phytoplankton Blooms per year

A

Phytoplankton are limited by sunlight and nutrients at different times of the year

103
Q

What is the major limiting factor to phytoplankton production in the pool oceans

A

Lack of sunlight

104
Q

Satellites can measure which pigment to determine ocean productivity

A

Chlorophyll