Chapter 14

What is bathymetry? What techniques do scientists use to discover more about the bathymetry of ocean basins?

Bathymetry is the measurement of ocean depths and charting shape of on topography of ocean floor. Techniques would be sonar, satellites, submersibles

Why is the Earth called the "Blue planet'?

Because it is mostly covered by water. 71% is covered by the global ocean

Why is it uncommon to find calcareous ooze in deep ocean basins?

Calcium carbonate organisms once seeking deeper water of about 45000 they dissolve and disappear before they hit the bottom

What is a continental shelf? What economic significance do continental shelves have?

Continental shelf is the gently sloping submerged surface extending from the shoreline to basin. Significance of this is that continental shelve contain important mineral deposits, large reservoirs of oil and natural gas and huge sand and gravel deposits

From which area of the ocean basin are the resources oil and natural gas harvested?

Continual Shelf

Compara and Contrast deep-ocean trenches and mid-oceanic ridges.

Deep-ocean trenches are long narrow creases in the ocean floor that form at deepest part of the ocean and form at sites of plate convergence where one moving plate descends beneath another and plunges back into the mantle. Mid-ocean ridges are near the center of most ocean basins. It an interconnected system of underwater mountains that have developed newly formed ocean crust

Explain the process by which hydrogenous sediments are formed?

Minerals that crystallize directly from sea water from ocean water through various chemical reactions

Why is multibeam sonar more efficient than simple sonar at collecting data from the ocean floor?

More efficient because has more than one sound source and listening devices

In which ocean basin are most trenches found? Why?

Pacific ocean because trenches occur in the subduction zones and the Pacific contains most of them

What is the difference between terrigenous sediments and biogenies sediments?

Terrigenous sediments originate from land and consist of mineral grains eroded from continental rocker. Biogenies consist of shells and skeletons of marine animals and algae.

What are the uses for sand and gravel harvested from the continental shelf?

Used for landfill, to fill in recreational beaches, and to make concrete

What current disadvantages exit to using gas hydrates as a for of energy?

rapidly break down (evaporate) at surface temperatures and pressures