tides, waves, currents

Question 1

tides

Answer 1

the rhythmic rise and fall of the ocean’s waters

Question 2

high tide

Answer 2

rising, incoming tide, flow

Question 3

low tide

Answer 3

receding, outgoing tide, ebb

Question 4

slack tide

Answer 4

vertical movement stops

Question 5

What is a wave period of a tide?

Answer 5

12 hours 25 min

Question 6

How long is a tidal day?

Answer 6

24 hours 50 min

Question 7

How many high and low tides does Massachusetts have?

Answer 7

2 high and 2 low tides daily

Question 8

What causes tides?

Answer 8

gravitational pull of sun and moon on earth

Question 9

Does the sun or moon have a greater effect on tides?

Answer 9

moon is closer, therefore greater effect

Question 10

tidal bulge

Answer 10

moon pulls water away from surface

Question 11

spring tide

Answer 11

moon and sun are in direct line with one another

Question 12

What is the result of a spring tide?

Answer 12

unusually high tidal range

Question 13

tidal range

Answer 13

vertical distance between high and low tides

Question 14

How often do spring tides happen?

Answer 14

2 times a month

Question 15

neap tide

Answer 15

• sun and moon are at right angle
• pulls cancel each other out and causes a weak pull

Question 16

What is the result of a neap tide?

Answer 16

unusually low tide range

Question 17

How often do neap tides happen?

Answer 17

2 times a month

Question 18

diurnal tides

Answer 18

1 high and 1 low / day

Question 19

Where are diurnal tides located?

Answer 19

parts of Gulf of Mexico and Asia

Question 20

semi-diurnal tides

Answer 20

2 high and 2 low / day

Question 21

Where are semi-diurnal tides located?

Answer 21

Atlantic coasts of North America and Europe

Question 22

mixed tides

Answer 22

2 high and 2 low / day (height varies)

Question 23

Where are mixed tides located?

Answer 23

Pacific coast

Question 24

progressive waves

Answer 24

• oscillate uniformly and progress without breaking
• energy transferred from one molecule to another
• water molecules move in circular orbits at sea’s surface

Question 25

What are the types of progressive waves?

Answer 25

longitudinal, transverse, orbital

Question 26

longitudinal and transverse are ___ waves

Answer 26

body

Question 27

orbital are ___ waves

Answer 27

interface

Question 28

What are orbital waves also called?

Answer 28

interface waves

Question 29

Where are orbital waves?

Answer 29

waves on ocean surface

Question 30

What are the components of orbital waves?

Answer 30

has components of both transverse and longitudinal wave

Question 31

wave period (T)

Answer 31

time for one wavelength to pass fixed-point

Question 32

time for one wavelength to pass fixed-point

Answer 32

wave period (T)

Question 33

How long is a wave period?

Answer 33

range between 6 and 16 seconds

Question 34

wave speed

Answer 34

celerity (C)

Question 35

What does each letter mean? C=L/T

Answer 35

c=celerity l=wavelength t=period

Question 36

wave frequency

Answer 36

inverse of period or L/T, the number of wave crests that pass a point in a given period of time

Question 37

inverse of period or L/T, the number of wave crests that pass a point in a given period of time

Answer 37

wave frequency

Question 38

How do waves develop?

Answer 38

sequence by which waves typically evolve in the open ocean when wind interacts with the sea's surface

Question 39

capillary waves

Answer 39

ripples, less than 2cm

Question 40

gravity waves

Answer 40

- more energy transferred to ocean, >2cm - length of wave is 15 to 35 times height

Question 41

What factors affect wind wave formation?

Answer 41

- wind speed - wind duration - fetch

Question 42

wind duration

Answer 42

length of time wind blows in one direction

Question 43

fetch

Answer 43

distance over which wind blows

Question 44

What are the types of ocean currents?

Answer 44

surface currents, deep currents, equatorial countercurrents, subpolar gyres

Question 45

surface currents

Answer 45

- wind-driven - primarily horizontal motion

Question 46

deep currents

Answer 46

- driven by differences in density caused by differences in temperature and salinity - vertical and horizontal motions

Question 47

equatorial countercurrents

Answer 47

eastward flow between North and South equatorial currents

Question 48

subpolar gyres

Answer 48

- rotate opposite subtropical gyres - smaller and fewer than subtropical gyres

Question 49

What is western intensification?

Answer 49

top of hill of water displaced toward west due to hemispheres

Question 50

What contributes to western intensification?

Answer 50

Coriolis effect

Question 51

What are qualities of western intensification?

Answer 51

faster, narrower, deeper, warm

Question 52

What are eastern boundary currents?

Answer 52

- eastern side of ocean basins - tend to have the opposite properties of western country currents

Question 53

What are qualities of western intensification?

Answer 53

cold, slow, shallow, wide

Question 54

upwelling

Answer 54

- vertical movement of cold, nutrient-rich water to surface - high biological productivity

Question 55

- vertical movement of cold, nutrient-rich water to surface - high biological productivity

Answer 55

upwelling

Question 56

What is upwelling caused by?

Answer 56

- diverging surface water - coastal winds - offshore winds - sea floor obstructions - sharp bend in coastline

Question 57

diverging surface water

Answer 57

surface waters move away from area partly because of ekman transport

Question 58

Where does diverging surface water occur?

Answer 58

equatorial upwelling, coastal upwelling

Question 59

coastal upwelling

Answer 59

- ekman transport moves surface seawater offshore - cool, nutrient-rich deep water comes up to replace displaced surface waters

Question 60

- ekman transport moves surface seawater offshore - cool, nutrient-rich deep water comes up to replace displaced surface waters

Answer 60

coastal upwelling

Question 61

Where is an example of coastal upwelling?

Answer 61

U.S. west coast

Question 62

the u.s. west coast is an example of ___

Answer 62

coastal upwelling

Question 63

downwelling

Answer 63

- vertical movement of surface water downward in water column - water piles up and then sinks - low productivity

Question 64

- vertical movement of surface water downward in water column - water piles up and then sinks - low productivity

Answer 64

downwelling

Question 65

What causes downwelling?

Answer 65

- converging surface waters - coastal winds