OCE2001

How many degrees does the Earth rotate in 1 hour?

15 degrees per hour.

What are the Earth's Layers?

3 main layers: Crust, Mantle, & Core - Crust: Continental & Oceanic - Mantle / Asthenosphere - Core: Outer & Inner

What is the average pH of the ocean?

7.8 - 8.3

Who was responsible for the theory continental drift?

Alfred Wegner in 1912.

What is La Nina?

An event during which normal tropical Pacific atmospheric and oceanic circulation strengthens and the surface temperature of the eastern South Pacific drops below average values; usually occurs at the end of an ENSO event.

What are basalt and granite?

Basalt - The relatively heavy crustal rock that forms the seabeds, composed mostly of oxygen, silicon, magnesium, and iron. It's density is about 2.9. Granite - The relatively light crustal rock composed mainly of oxygen, silicon and aluminum - that forms the continents. Its density is about 2.7.

What are the causes and effects of El Nino?

Causes: Trade winds subside or reverse. Warm water in W. Pacific moves East. Thermocline deepens in E. Pacific. Effects: Increased storms. Fisheries decline. Seabird/ mammal reproductive failure. Reduced Zoo plankton. Reduce upwelling and exotic species.

What are the causes and effects of the Global Conveyer Belt?

Causes: Wind, weather, density, tides, topography, and bathymetry. Effects: Could throw us back into the Ice Age. Drastic climate changes.

What properties (temp and pressure) determine the amount of dissolved gasses?

Cold Temperature and high pressure. Solubility increases as pressure increases and temperature decreases.

Discuss the composition and characteristics of Earth's layers. How was the composition of the mantle and core determined?

Density is the key to the layered Earth. Earth is composed of 3 main layers: Crust, Mantle, and Core (the density increases from layer to layer). The Earth's crust is the thickest below the continents (the continental crust is older than the oceanic crust - some rocks are 3.8 billions years old.) The continental crust mainly consists of rocks. Oceanic Crust is below the oceans and is 4-7 miles thick. These rocks are very young compared to the continental crust. The Upper Mantle is called Asthenosphere. Asthenosphere is the weak or "soft" zone in the upper mantle (silly putty like). The outer and inner core consists mainly iron and nickel. Due to the great temperature, the metals of the outer core are all in liquid state. Due to the great pressure in the metals of the inner core are solid.

What is a gyre?

Due to the Coriolis effect, water moves in a circular pattern called a gyre. A gyre is a serious of four interconnecting currents with different flow characteristics and temperatures. they are nutrient poor and have low biological productivity.

How did the Earth form? How did the ocean form? Include relevant terminology, dates, and processes

Earth Earth was formed through the accretion of cold particles. Earth's surface was heated by asteroids, comets and falling debris. This heat combined with gravitational compression and heat from decaying radio active elements caused the Earth to partially melt. Gravity pulled most of the iron and nickel inward to form the planets core. Early volcanoes out gassed massive amounts of Carbon Dioxide, Steam, Ammonia and Methane (Early Atmosphere)...There was NO OXYGEN. It is believed that Earth's surface was originally molten. As it cooled layers began to form layers (Density Stratification), therefore the inner layers of the Earth are more dense than the outer layers. Ocean Gases, including water vapor were released by out-gassing. Water vapor in the atmosphere condensed into clouds ..after millions of years, the clouds cooled and water droplets formed. Hot rain fell and boiled back into the clouds. This process may have repeated itself several times.

How did the Earth form?

Earth was formed through the accretion of cold particles. Earth's surface was heated by asteroids, comets and falling debris. This heat combined with gravitational compression and heat from decaying radio active elements caused the Earth to partially melt. Gravity pulled most of the iron and nickel inward to form the planets core.

Give the Lat/Long for each:

Equator: 0 degrees latitude North Pole: 90 degrees lat / South Pole: -90 degrees lat Prime Meridian: 0 degrees longitude Antarctic Circle: 66.5 degrees South Arctic Circle: 66.5 degrees North Tropics of Caner: 23.5 degrees North Tropics of Capricorn: 23.5 degrees South International Date Line: 180 degrees longitude Horse Latitudes: 60 degrees N, 30 degrees N, 0 degrees latitude, 30 degrees S, 60 degrees S

Describe Longitude.

Lines of constant longitudes "meridians" extend from pole to pole. Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the "east west" position of a point on the earths surface.

Describe the Scientific Method.

Observation (description of an occurrence phenomenon). This is usually followed by a question. Formulation of a hypothesis (educated guess) to explain the phenomena. Use of the hypothesis to predict the answer to the question or the phenomena. Performance of experimental tests of the predictions. Analyzing the data and... The forming of a conclusion.

Calcareous Ooze.

Ooze composed mostly of the hard remains of organisms containing calcium carbonate.

Siliceous Ooze.

Ooze composed mostly of the hard remains of silica containing organisms

Who led the earliest bathymetric studies?

Posidonius 85 B.C.E

What visible light wave is almost completely absorbed and converted to heat within the first few meters of the ocean?

Red Light Wave

Why do Sound and Light waves bend?

Refraction (Refraction is the bending of a wave when it enters a medium where its speed is different. The refraction of light when it passes from a fast medium to a slow medium bends the light ray toward the normal to the boundary between the two media.)

Using the TEDX film "Rob Dunbar: Discovering ancient climates in oceans and ice" that you watched in unit 2 as a reference discuss the evidences for global warming/climate change.

Sea Level Rising, Ocean Warming, Ocean Acidification. Natural causes of climate change, Air-sea interaction, El Nino, La Nina, Volcanic aerosols and dust, ocean circulation, solar output. Land use, human aerosols, trace gases.

What effects does temperature and pressure have on the speed of sound and light when entering seawater?

Sound travels much farther than light in the ocean. The speed of sound increases with temperature but decreases with pressure.

What "powers" a tropical cyclone such as hurricanes?

Storm system characterized by a low pressure system center and thunderstorms that produce strong wind and flooding rain. Feeds on heat that is released when moist air rises and the water vapor it contains condenses. (Coriolis effect) (Counter clock wise rotation). An intense cyclone with sustained winds exceeding 74mph, tightly organized bond of thunderstorms surrounding a central eye.

Describe Continental Margin.

Submerged outer edge of a continent made of granitic crust. Includes the continental shelf and continental slope.

Describe Latitude.

The angular distance of a place "North - South" of the Earths equator, or of a celestial object North or South of the celestial equator.

Describe Active Margin.

The continental margin near an area of lithospheric plate convergence also called Pacific type margin.

Describe Passive Margin.

The continental margin near an area of lithospheric plate divergence; also called Atlantic type margin.

Explain the stratification of the ocean in terms of density, salinity and temperature.

The density of seawater is between 1.020 and 1.030 cm. Cold, salty water is more dense than warm, less salty water. Seawater's density increases with increasing salinity, increasing pressure and decreasing temperature. The ocean is stratified into 3 density zones. The surface, pycnocline and deep zone. The surface zone or mixed layer is the upper layer of the ocean. Here is the lease dense water. 2% of total volume of the ocean. Pycnocline - 18% of all ocean water. Deep zone contains 80%.

Describe Pycnocline.

The middle zone of the ocean in which density increases rapidly with depth. Temperature falls and salinity rises in this zone.

Describe the relationship between Hydrogen Ions and pH.

The pH of a solution is a way of relating the concentration of Hydrogen Ions to a manageable scale.An excess of hydrogen ions in a solution makes that solution acidic.

The four seasons exist because _________?

The seasons are caused by variations in the amount of solar energy as Earth makes its annual rotation around the sun on an axis tilted by 23 ½ degrees. During the Northern Hemisphere winter, the southern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, and the northern hemisphere receives less light and heat.

Describe Weather.

The state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.

Describe Climate.

The weather conditions prevailing an area in general over a long period of time.

Describe Continental Rise.

The wedge of sediment forming the gentle transition from the outer edge of the continental slope to the abyssal plan; usually associated with passive margins.

Describe Halocline.

The zone of the ocean in which salinity increases rapidly with depth.

Describe Thermocline.

The zone of the ocean in which temperature decreases rapidly with depth.

When/how did oxygen formation begin?

This change was brought about by carbon dioxide dissolving in seawater to from carbonic acid, then combining with crustal rocks. The chemical breakup of water vapor by sunlight high in the atmosphere also played a role. Then 1.5 billion years later, plants produced by photosynthesis enough oxygen to oxidize minerals dissolved in the ocean and surface sediments.

Why are Deep Sea Trenches often the originators of large earthquakes and tsunamis?

Trenches are the most active geological features on earth. And their associated island arcs topped by erupting volcanoes.

Describe Divergent Plate Boundaries.

Two plates move apart from each other - Mid Atlantic Ridge

Describe Convergent Boundaries.

Two plates move toward each other and interact - Nazca plate

Describe Transform Boundaries.

Two plates slide laterally past each other - San Andrea's fault

Consider the "Tragedy of the Commons" and relate it to the High Seas. Please include ways in which people abuse our ocean commons in your discussion. Include at least one detail from our unit 1 TED Talk "Kristina Gjerde: Making Laws on the High Seas."

Waste. Garbage patches the side of Texas. 200,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometer. High seas fishing. There are sections of the ocean that are not governed and people can do what they please.

How was the majority of the ocean's water formed?

Water vapor trapped in Earth's outer layers escaped to the surface through volcanic activity during the planet's youth. The vapor cooled and condensed to form an ocean.

Know/Understand the properties of the Earth's major ocean currents.

Western Boundary - narrow deep fast currents found at the western boundaries of ocean basins. The Gulf Stream, Japan current, Brazil Current, Agulhas Current, Eastern Australian Current. Eastern Boundary - cold shallow and broad and their boundaries are not well defined. Canary Current, Benguela Current, California Current, West Australian Current, Peru Current.

Hydrogenous Sediment.

minerals that have precipitated directly from seawater.

How much time elapsed between formation of the ocean and appearance of life in it?

~~ 100 million years (or less).

What is CCD and what factors affect it?

• The Calcite Compensation Depth (CCD) is the depth in the ocean where carbonate dissolution equals carbonate supply. • The CCD, on average, is 4500 meters below sea level. Below this level, sediment does not usually contain much calcite because it readily dissolves. • CCD= the level at which calcium carbonate dissolves at an increasing rate due to increasing depth.