Unit 3 Notes- Oceanography

The largest loss of life from a hurricane is usually due to

Storm surge

Earth's axis of rotation is tilted at an angle of

23.5

Measure ocean surface currents directly

Accidental spills from container ships

The Coriolis effect is due to

Changes in the velocity of Earth with latitude

A cold air mass moving into an area occupied by relatively warm air is called

Cold front

The apparent deflection of air masses to the right or left (depending on latitude) as they move from one latitude to another is called

Coriolis Effect

Surface ocean currents are driven primarily by wind and modified by

Coriolis effect and land

The movement of water from top to the bottom of the water column is called

Downwelling

The net water movement to the left or right of the direction of the wind

Ekman transport

Measure deep ocean currents directly

Free-drifting Argo floats

The intensity of solar radiation received at lower latitudes (near the equator) compared to higher latitudes (near the poles) is

Greater

Current contributes to the Southeastern United States being humid

Gulf Stream

When ice forms from seawater, the remaining seawater will have a

Higher salinity

The two most abundant components of dry air are

Nitrogen and oxygen

Air warmed by the land that rises and replaced by cooler air from the ocean may produce a

Sea breeze

The Ekman spiral is caused by

The wind and the Coriolis effect.

The lowermost portion of the atmosphere where most weather occurs is called

Troposphere

Movement of water from the bottom to the top of the water column

Upwelling

Surface waters are pushed away from land and replaced by nutrient-rich deep water through

Upwelling

The El Nino Southern Oscillation can best be described as

the relationship between sea surface temperature and changing atmospheric pressure