Marine Biology- Chemical and Physical Features of Seawater and the World Ocean (Unit 1)

Wave crest and trough

- When under a wave crest, water moves up and forward - When under wave troughs, water moves down and back - Because of these two actions, water doesn't go anywhere when a wave passes, it only moves in circles

Pressure in the Ocean

-Changes dramatically with depth in the ocean -Organisms on land are under 1 atmosphere ofpressure from the weight of all the air above them -Marine organisms are under much more pressure than those on land

1 calorie = 0°C = 100°C =

1 calorie = amount of heat needed to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius 0°C = melting point of ice, the freezing point of liquid water 100°C = vaporization point of liquid water, condensing point of gaseous water

What percentage of water on Earth is freshwater? How much of that freshwater is in its liquid?

3% of water is freshwater. 1% of that freshwater is in its liquid state.

What percentage of the Earth is covered in water?

71% of earth is covered in water

What percentage of water on Earth is saltwater?

97%

Weathering

A chemical process that breaks down rocks on land - the dissolved rock is then carried to the sea by rivers

What is a molecule? Is it more stable than individual atoms?

A molecule is two or more atoms that bond together. Generally, more stable than individual atoms.

What is a phase change?

A phase change is the change from one state of matter (liquid, solid, gas) to another.

Understand the phase change diagram.

A- solid B- liquid C- gas D- going from a liquid to solid "freezing" E- going to a solid to a liquid "melting" F- going from a liquid to a gas "evaporation" G- going from a gas to a liquid "condensation"

What happens to the temperature of a substance as it is going through a phase change?

As a substance goes through a phase change, the temperature stops increasing for a bit (plateaus), these plateaus will be mixtures of the two phases (solid/liquid, liquid/gas)

What happens to gas filled structures in organisms as they travel deeper in the ocean?

As pressure increases, gases are compressed. This limits the depth range of many marine organisms - Gas-filled structures inside organisms like air bladders and lungs shrink or collapse as pressure increases gas is compressed, this limits the depth range of many marine organisms. (they will compress)

Explain the process of current production, starting with the sun.

Both the wind and surface currents are ultimately driven by heat energy from the sun, the wind drives the strongest ocean currents, which occur in the surface layer - They are also influenced by the Coriolis effect

Waves

Caused by wind - Move energy across the sea surface, but not water - Begin forming as soon as wind starts to blow

Whta is solutes?

Dissolved materials, salt is main salute in ocean water

When does downwelling occur? What does it cause?

Downwelling - when surface water sinks - happens when the water columns become unstable because the surface water becomes more dense than the water below - the sinking water displaces and mixes with deeper water, which is known as overturn

Define: Ions

Electrically charged particle(s) with either a positive or negative charge Example: Table salt is made up of the ions Na+ and Cl-

What is latent heat?

Energy absorbed or released during a phase change.

What is evaporation?

Evaporations is if water molecules move fasts enough, they break free of their hydrogen bonds and escape from the liquid phase into the gas phase (water vapor). (when ater turns from liquid to gas)

Explain the Elkman transport

Even though each portion of the Elkman layer moves in a different direction, the layer as a whole moves at 90◦ from the wind direction

Deep and Bottom Layers

Found below 1,500 m deep - uniformly cold, typically less than 4◦C

Surface currents

Friction on the ocean surface from the major winds on earth cause the sea surface to move, creating currents All major surface currents in the open ocean are driven by the wind (it all starts with the sun)

Surf

Happens when waves approach the shore and touch the bottom, which makes the water move in long ovals instead of circles - this slows the wave down, allowing the waves behind it to catch up - the waves pile up on each other - waves then become so high and so steep that they fall forward and break

Explain what heat capacity?

Heat capacity is he amount of heat needed to raise a substance's temperature by a given amount.

Crest

Highest point of a wave (peak)

What brings two or more water molecules together?

Hydrogen bonds (weak) bring two or more water molecules together

What controls the density of water molecules? What happens to them as they cool to 4 degrees Celsius? What happens to them as they cool below 4 degrees Celsius?

Hydrogen bonds control the density of water molecules. - As the water cools, it becomes denser as the hydrogen bond lengths shorten water is most dense at 4°C. - Colder than 4°C, the hydrogen bonds begin to move further apart and water becomes less dense

Why is ice so important to organisms on Earth?

Ice is so important to organisms on Earth because Keeps the water beneath it relatively warm and Polar bears need sea ice for hunting, building dense, and caring for their young.

What can affect the density of water?

Impurities and temperature can affect the density of water.

How does the Coriolisis effect, affect the Northern Hemisphere?

In the Northern Hemisphere, it deflects things to the right

How does the Coriolisis effect, affect the Southern Hemisphere?

In the Southern Hemisphere, it deflects things to the left

How can salinity affect the ocean?

It can affect the organisms that live in water. Affects seawaters density - the saltier the water, the denser it is also affects the freezing temp of water - the more salt, the lower the freezing temperature.

Intermediate Layer

Lies below the surface layer, usually up to 1,000 to 1,500 deep - Main (permanent) thermocline is a transition zone between warm surface water and cold water below - breaks down only occasionally and then only in a few places - found only in the open ocean

Trough

Lowest point of a wave

What creates thermohaline circulation?

Movement of ocean water caused by density difference brought about by variations in temperature and salinity. As ocean water freezes at the poles it concentrates salt, and the colder, denser water sinks. - changes in salinity at the surface are caused by precipitation- decreases salinity, evaporation increases, and freezing increase - changes in temperature at the surface are caused by evaporation, solar heating, or the exchange of heat with the atmosphere - once surface water sinks, its salinity and temperature don't change, giving that water mass a "fingerprint"

What are polar easterlies winds?

Occur at high-latitudes and change the most out of all winds on Earth

What are westerlies winds?

Occur at middle latitudes and move in the opposite direction of the trade winds

Overturns

Occurs everywhere but the tropics during the winter when the surface waters cool

Low tide

Occurs when the Earth is no longer under one of the bulges •High tide and low tide occur twice a day because the Earth takes 24 hours to complete a rotation

High tide

Occurs when the Earth lies under one of the bulges •High tide and low tide occur twice a day because the Earth takes 24 hours to complete a rotation

What makes the water column stable?

One where warmer, less dense water, floats on top of denser water - the more stable the water column, the more energy it takes to mix it

How do materials other than water enter the ocean?

Other materials enter the ocean from inside the Earth via hydrothermal vents and fissures, cracks in the bottom of ocean as well as from the atmosphere from volcanoes.

What percentage of solutes in the ocean are sodium and chloride?

Sodium and chloride account for 85% of solutes in seawater, other 15% in the water are things that form salt.

Define: Salts

Substances made up of particles with opposite electrical charges

What will happen to substances with a volume greater than 1 g/ml when placed in distilled water?

Substances with a greater volume than 1g/ml will sink.

What will happen to substances with a volume of less than 1 g/ml when placed in distilled water?

Substances with a volume less than 1g/ml will float.

What are Thermoclines?

Sudden changes in temperature over small changes in depth - surface thermoclines break down because of cooler water, wind, and waves

What are the three layers of the ocean.

Surface, Intermediate, Deep and Bottom layers

What is temperature?

Temperature is the average speed of molecules.

Wind patterns; eqautor

The Equator is warmer than the poles because it absorbs more energy - as air near the equator warms up, it becomes less dense and rises - air from adjacent areas flows in to replace the rising equatorial air, creating wind

Why is the Great Ocean Conveyor so important to life on Earth and in the ocean?

The Great Ocean Conveyor is important to life on Earth because it was created by global thermohaline circulation, mixes the waters in the ocean about every 1000 years and is critical in regulating Earth's climate and is also important in bringing dissolved oxygen to the deep sea.

What is gas exchange?

The back and forth distribution of gasses between the atmosphere and seawater.

What are gyres?

The combined influence of the Coriolis effect results in gyres. Gyres - huge, circular systems of currents

What is the density of distilled water?

The density of distilled water is 1g/ml

Wavelength

The distance between crests or troughs; crest to crest or trough to trough

Fetch

The distance of open water over which the wind blows

How does temperature increase?

The faster the molecules move the higher the temperature.

Explain ocean stratification.

The layering of ocean water with the densest water on the bottom and the least dense at the surface; deep water is cold and dense and surface water is warmer and "lighter".

What are the three most important dissolved gasses in seawater? How do they get there? Why are they so important?

The most important dissolved gasses in seawater are oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. A lot of CO2 is in water for sea life to breathe. Carbon dioxide to go through photosynthesis, and nitrogen can be used for protein. All three are found in the atmosphere and dissolve in seawater at the sea surface - The north and south pole has the most oxygen. Cold water dissolve gasses the best - Gasses dissolve better in cold water, so polar waters have more dissolved gasses than the tropics

Tides and sea life

The sea surface's rhythmic pattern of rising and falling •Dominant influence on sea life close to shore •Tides expose and submerge organisms on the shore, drive the circulation of bays and estuaries, trigger spawning, and influence the lives of marine organisms in many other ways

How does the Coriolis effect...effect... surface currents.

The surface currents move at a 45◦ angle because of the Coriolis effect. The layer of water below the surface moves slower and slightly to the right of the surface currents.

Coriolis effect

The tendency of anything moving over the Earth's surface to turn a little rather than moving in a straight line - occurs because the Earth is round and rotating - effects winds and ocean currents that move over large distances

Period of a wave

The time it takes a wave to go by a given point

What is salinity?

The total amount of dissolved salts in seawater.

Explain the Elkman layer

The upper part of the water column that is affected by wind

Height of a wave

The vertical measurement from the trough to the crest of a wave - how the size of an ocean wave is measured using the distance between the trough and the crest

Thermohaline Circulation and the Great Ocean Conveyor

Throughout much of the ocean, surface waters are separated from deeper waters because of different densities caused by temperature and salinity

What are tides caused by?

Tides are caused by the gravitation pull of the moon and sun and by the rotations of the Earth, moon, and sun.

What are trade winds?

Trade winds - approach the Equator at a 45◦ angle - do not move in a straight line because of the Coriolis effect - over the ocean, they are the steadiest winds on Earth

What are the three main wind patterns found on Earth?

Trade winds, westerlies, polar easterlies

Surface Layer

Usually 100 to 200 m deep - mixed by wind, waves, and currents - during the spring and summer in places other than the tropics, the uppermost part of the surface layer is heated by the sun - this causes warm water to float in a shallow "lens" on top, with cooler water right below it

Why is water known as the universal solvent?

Water can dissolve more things than any other natural substance, water is also very good at dissolving salts

Why is heat capacity so important for life on Earth?

Water has a very high heat capacity and is excellent at absorbing energy without increasing in temperature. This is important for life on Earth because it keeps internal temp regulated, for the world as a whole temperature so the temperature doesn't't increase/decrease really fast.

What type of molecule is water? Why is this?

Water is a polar molecule. Water is bonded together by a polar covalent bond (strong) - The oxygen side is larger and negatively charged, - hydrogen side is smaller and positively charged

Where is water concentrated on Earth? What are the name for these five regions?

Water is concentrated in basins called Oceans. The Atlantic, Pacific, Artic, Indian and Southern Oceans.

Tides not facing the moon

Water on the Earth's side that is facing away from the moon moves away from it because the moon's gravitation pull is weaker - It bulges out because of centrifugal force created by the rotation of the Earth

Tides facing the moon

Water on the Earth's side that is facing the moon rises as it's pulled toward the moon because it's gravitational pull is strongest at that point

Seas

Waves that have crests pushed into a sharp peak, stretching the wave out

Swells

Waves with smoothly rounded crests and troughs - occur when the wave has moved away from the wind For Example: When u are sitting in a boat and the boat is this moving

Define: Dissociate

When ions are pulled apart, causing a salt to dissociate. Example: When placed in water, the atoms in a salt are split up and surrounded by water molecules, causing them to dissociate, they dissociate once in water