the hydrosphere 1

Question 1

how much of the earths surface does the ocean cover

Answer 1

71%

Question 2

what controls the earths climate? and why?

Answer 2

oceans, due to high specific heat capacity

Question 3

what regulates and maintain earths oxygen balance

Answer 3

oceans

Question 4

order oceans from largest to smallest

Answer 4

pacific, atlantic, indian

Question 5

order oceans from deepest to shallowest.

Answer 5

pacific, indian, atlantic

Question 6

what are the 5 major forces which govern circulation on the ocean and atmosphere

Answer 6

gravity, pressure gradients, drag/ momentum gain or loss, Coriolis force, tidal motion

Question 7

what causes differences in pressure?

Answer 7

differences in temperature, salinity and density

Question 8

explain what happens with a greater pressure gradient

Answer 8

a greater pressure gradient means a larger pressure gradient force resulting in stronger winds and ocean currents

Question 9

how does pressure move?

Answer 9

from high to low (in the absence of other forces)

Question 10

wha is preseure gradient force

Answer 10

the horizontal acceleration of water or air due to pressure differences

Question 11

what is the formula for PGF

Answer 11

difference in p/ distance

Question 12

what is the coriolis force

Answer 12

force due to the rotation of the earth

Question 13

what does the magnitide of the coriolis effect rely on

Answer 13

speed of the moving object and latittude

Question 14

explain the coriolis effect inthe northern vs southern hemishpere

Answer 14

northern hemishpere; reflection to the right, counter clockwise. southern hemishpere reflection to the left, clockwise

Question 15

what is geostrophic circulation

Answer 15

phenmenon the occurs when pgf and coriolis effect balacne each other out causing geostrophic flow or circulation

Question 16

what couses tidal motion

Answer 16

interaction between earth and other members of the solar system sun and moon

Question 17

what does momentum transfer and drag do

Answer 17

transfers momentum from the atmosphere to the ocean

Question 18

topography of the ocean can be divided into 3 units

Answer 18

continental margins, deep ocean basin floor and mid ocean ridges

Question 19

components of continental margin

Answer 19

continental rise, slope and self

Question 20

deep sea floor topography components

Answer 20

abyssal plains, abyssal hills, oceanic rises, trenches and seamounts

Question 21

layers of the ocean from top to bottom

Answer 21

epipelagic/sunlight zone, mesopelagic/ twilight zone, bathypelagic/ midnight zone, abyssopelagic/the abyss, hadal zone/ the trenches

Question 22

what is salinity

Answer 22

amount of solid material per gram in 1kg of sea water

Question 23

changes in salinity is due to

Answer 23

evaporation and precepitation

Question 24

salinity maxima and minima are located where and why

Answer 24

maxima- in trade wind regions due to high evaporation
minima- near equator(high precepitation) near poles (absence of evaporation) formation of ice rejects salt, dense salt rich water sinks to bottom leaving surface water with low salinity

Question 25

Sea surface temp results from

Answer 25

absorpbtion of incoming solar radiation/insolation

Question 26

explaiint he relationship between sst and latitiude

Answer 26

the higher the latitude the lower the SST

Question 27

rship between salinity and temp

Answer 27

the higher the salinity the lower the freezing point is

Question 28

Average salinity and fresszing point

Answer 28

34.7 and -1.9 c

Question 29

density

Answer 29

determines the depth at which water mass will settle in equilibrium

Question 30

cold temps when it comes to salinity pressure and density

Answer 30

higher

Question 31

warm temps when it comes to salinity, pressure and denity

Answer 31

lower

Question 32

pycnocline zone

Answer 32

500-2000m deep when water salinity increases greatly, very stable area

Question 33

deep zone

Answer 33

area under pycnocline zone whater density increases slowly

Question 34

water mass

Answer 34

large volume of water where particales have similar geographic origin.

Question 35

sound in water depends on what variables

Answer 35

temp, pressure and salinity