EARTH 222 UMICH

List the major dissolved ions in seawater. EXAM QUESTION!!

- Chlorine - Sodium - Sulfate - Magnesium - Calcium - Potassium - Bicarbonate

What are the effects of adding salts to water?

- The solids dissolved in seawater raise its boiling point - Seawater evaporates more slowly than fresh water - The dissolved solids lower the freezing point - The temp of maximum density moves towards the freezing point as salinity increases - Density increases as a function salinity

What is a hydrogen bond, how does it form, why is it important

A hydrogen bond is an electrostatic interaction between a hydrogen atom and an electronegative atom with a lone pair of electrons. It forms when a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to an electronegative atom interacts with another nearby electronegative atom. Hydrogen bonds are crucial for stabilizing molecular structures, influencing the solvent properties of water, participating in biological processes, and impacting the physical and chemical properties of compounds.

What is a limiting factor. what 4 factors do algae need to grow

A limiting factor is a physical or biological necessitywhose presence in inappropriate amounts limits thenormal action of organisms (primary productivity)• Photosynthetic organisms need water, CO2 , inorganicnutrients, and sunlight• Water is not a limiting factor in the ocean• CO2 is almost never limiting• Sunlight can be limiting

How do the freezing point of water and the temp of maximum density change with increasing salinity

As salinity increases, the freezing point of water decreases, and the temperature at which water has maximum density also decreases. The presence of dissolved salts disrupts hydrogen bonding, affecting both freezing and density properties.

Describe how the density of pure water changes with decreasing temperature. Where is the point of maximum density? Why is ice less dense than liquid water?

As temperature decreases, the density of pure water increases until it reaches its maximum density at approximately 4 degrees Celsius. Below this temperature, as water freezes into ice, its density decreases. Ice is less dense than liquid water due to the hexagonal arrangement of water molecules in the solid state, creating a structure with more open space compared to the closely packed molecules in liquid water.

Define autotrophs, heterotrophs, primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers.

Autotrophs: Produce their own food (e.g., plants, algae). Heterotrophs: Consume other organisms for food (e.g., animals, fungi). Primary Producers: Autotrophs forming the base of the food chain (e.g., phytoplankton). Primary Consumers: Herbivores consuming primary producers (e.g., plant-eating animals). Secondary Consumers: Carnivores or omnivores feeding on primary consumers (e.g., meat-eating animals).

How are marine provinces divided? How are the benthonic and pelagic environments subdivided?

Benthonic (bottom) and the Pelagic (water column) Benthonic environment is divided by depth into the: intertidal zone, sublittoral zone, bathyal zone, abyssal zone and hadal zone Pelagic environment is divided into the neritic zone and oceanic zone

Define benthos and give examples. EXAM QUESTION!!

Benthos are the organisms that live on the bottom (epifauna) or within the bottom sediments (infauna)

What is the general relationship between the residence time of elements and whether they are conservative or non-conservative?

Conservative constituents: they occur in constantproportion or change very slowly through time. They havelong residence time Non-conservative constituents: they are tied to biologicalor seasonal cycles or to very short geological cycles.They have short residence time

What is energy? Can organism create new energy? What is the ultimate source of energy for all organisms?

Energy is the capacity to do work. Living organisms cannot create new energy, but transform one kind of energy to a different kind. The main source of energy for living organisms is the Sun

Describe the unique properties of water

High surface tension, tremendous dissolving power, highest heat capacity, high melting and boiling points, high heat of fusion and vaporization, density of solid is less than liquid

Define nekton and give examples. EXAM QUESTION!!

Nekton: Nekton refers to actively swimming organisms in aquatic environments that can move independently of water currents. fish and water mammals are examples

What are gross productivity and net productivity? EXAM QUESTION!!

Net Primary Productivity: the difference between allthe carbon fixed by the primary producers and the amountof that fixed carbon that the primary producers utilize fortheir own cellular respiration needs. It is the amount ofprimary productivity that can move up the food chain Gross Primary Productivity: all the carbon that is fixed bythe primary producers of the ecosystem or the totalamount of photosynthesis

How does the distribution of nutrients in the water column compare with dissolved oxygen and why?

Nutrients in the water column typically exhibit an inverse relationship with dissolved oxygen. Nutrient concentrations are higher in deeper waters where organic matter accumulates and decomposes. This is because decomposition consumes oxygen, leading to lower dissolved oxygen levels in deeper layers. In surface waters, where photosynthesis by phytoplankton occurs, nutrients are often depleted, and dissolved oxygen levels are higher due to the production of oxygen through photosynthesis.

What are nutrients? Which are the main nutrients essential for life in the oceans? Which nutrient is almost always abundant with respect to the needs of algae? What does 'micronutrient' mean?

Nutrients: Nutrients are substances essential for the growth and survival of living organisms. Main Nutrients in Oceans: The main nutrients essential for life in the oceans include nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon. These elements play crucial roles in the growth of marine organisms, particularly phytoplankton. Abundant Algae Nutrient: Nitrogen is almost always abundant concerning the needs of algae. Micronutrient: A micronutrient refers to an essential nutrient required by organisms in relatively small quantities. In the context of oceans, micronutrients may include trace elements like iron, zinc, and copper, which are essential for specific biochemical processes in marine life.

Explain the origin of the ocean salinity

Ocean salinity originates from the weathering of rocks, volcanic activity, hydrothermal vents, biological processes, and sea ice formation. These processes release and contribute various dissolved ions to seawater, resulting in the overall salinity of the oceans.

How does oil make it into the ocean? EXAM QUESTION!!

Oil can enter the ocean through oil spills (accidents during drilling, shipping, or pipelines), runoff from urban and industrial areas, improper disposal of used oil, and natural seeps where small amounts of oil naturally emerge from the ocean floor.

What kind of impact did (and does) it have on sea life?

Oil spills have severe and lasting impacts on sea life. The 2010 Gulf of Mexico BP oil spill caused extensive harm, leading to the death of marine organisms, destruction of habitats, and long-term ecological consequences. Fish, marine mammals, birds, and other species suffered from direct exposure to oil, habitat degradation, and contamination of their food sources. The spill's ecological effects continue to be studied, and the recovery of affected ecosystems is a long-term process.

What is meroplankton?

Organisms that only spend part of their life cycle as plankton

Define plankton, phytoplankton, and zooplankton. Give examples of some organisms. EXAM QUESTION!!

Plankton: Small, drifting organisms that live in aquatic environments, unable to swim against currents. Plankton includes both plant-like (phytoplankton) and animal-like (zooplankton) organisms. Phytoplankton: Microscopic, photosynthetic plankton consisting of algae and cyanobacteria. Examples include diatoms, dinoflagellates, and cyanobacteria. Zooplankton: Heterotrophic plankton composed of small animals that feed on phytoplankton or other zooplankton. Examples include copepods, krill, and jellyfish.

How does the primary productivity change over depth

Primary productivity generally decreases with increasing depth in the ocean. Surface waters receive more sunlight, facilitating photosynthesis by phytoplankton—the primary producers. Deeper waters receive less sunlight, limiting photosynthetic activity. As a result, the majority of primary productivity occurs in the well-lit euphotic zone near the ocean surface.

Define primary productivity. Which organisms are responsible for primary productivity in the oceans?

Primary productivity is the synthesis of organic materialsfrom inorganic substances through photosynthesis (vastmajority) or chemosynthesis

Which organisms directly use solar energy? How?

Producers

What is buffering? Explain how the carbonate buffering system works. Why is it important? Why deep waters are not very acidic?

Reactions involving dissolved CO2 species minimize changes in thepH of the oceans, a process called buffering. Buffering protects theoceans from becoming too acidic or too basic Some of the carbonate ions in the oceans combine withcalcium ions to form calcium carbonate Some of this calcium carbonate is precipitated and depositedon the ocean floor and can cycle back into the ocean bydissolving at depth

What is salinity? What are the units used to expressed salinity? What is the average salinity of seawater

Salinity refers to the concentration of dissolved salts in water, typically expressed as the amount of salt (in grams) dissolved in one kilogram of water. Salinity is commonly expressed in parts per thousand (ppt or ‰) or practical salinity units (psu). The average salinity of seawater is around 35 parts per thousand (ppt) or 35 practical salinity units (psu).

How big was the 2010 BP oil spill

The 2010 Gulf of Mexico BP oil spill, also known as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, was one of the largest environmental disasters in history, releasing an estimated 4.9 million barrels (approximately 210 million gallons) of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over a period of 87 days.

What processes control the concentrations of O2 and CO2 in seawater? How?

The concentrations of O2 and CO2 are controlled by biological process such as photosynthesis and respiration

What are the factors that control the total amount of a gas that can be dissolved in seawater

The factors that control the total amount of a gas that can be dissolved in seawater include temperature, pressure, and the specific gas's solubility characteristics. Generally, colder temperatures and higher pressures enhance gas solubility, while the type of gas and the presence of other dissolved substances in seawater also influence the maximum amount of gas that can be dissolved

What are the major gases dissolved in seawater

The most important gases in seawater are nitrogen oxygen and carbon dioxide, they comprise more than 99% of the gases in the atmosphere and the oceans

What is the residence time of an element in the oceans? What are the basic assumptions that oceanographers make when calculating the residence time of an element?

The residence time is the average time that an atom of an element spends in the ocean. The definition of residence time assumes the existence of steady-state conditions and a well-mixed oceans

What factors control the solubility of a gas? EXAM QUESTION!!

The solubility of a gas is primarily controlled by temperature, pressure, and the specific chemical properties of the gas. Generally, higher pressures and lower temperatures increase gas solubility, while the type of gas and the presence of other dissolved substances in the solvent also affect solubility.

How much mass and energy are transferred between trophic levels?

The transfer of mass and energy between trophic levels is typically inefficient, with a general rule of approximately 10% energy transfer. Only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is passed on to the next. Mass transfer is even less efficient due to metabolic processes and loss of biomass through respiration and waste.

What does it mean that the oceans are in a 'steady state'

This means that the rate at which an element is added to the ocean equals the rate at which is it removed, so that the average amounts of various elements remain constant

Which organisms have to use food to get their energy?

consumers

Define heat capacity and latent heat.

heat capacity--amount of energy needed to be added to water to increase temp of water 1 degree celsius latent heat-- (hidden) energy that is either absorbed or released as water changes state (no temperature change)

What is non-point source pollution?

pollution that comes from many sources