PSC Earth Sci Exam 4 Study Guide Dr. G

Know the features associated with ocean ridge systems

Deep down faulted structures known as Rift valleys L-12

Know what a barrier island is

L-13

Know the distribution of water vs land that makes up Earth's surface

71%Ocean / 61% oceans vs land Northern ~ 81% ovl Southern. L-12

Know how proximity to the ocean influences climate

A coastal region will have less of a temperature shift between the coldest and hottest parts of the year as opposed to an inland region with a land mass that gets much hotter in the summer and much colder in the winter L-14

Know where accretionary wedges are found.

Accretionary Wedges are formed from accumulations of deformed sediment and ocean crust located primarily around the pacific Ocean. L-12

Know where black smokers are found.

Along mid ocean ridges / at spreading ridges and convergent plate boundaries L-12

Know how longshore currents and beach drift affects the shoreline

Beach drift - • Sediment moves in a zigzag pattern along the beach face. Longshore current - • Current in surf zone. • Parallel to shore. • Moves substantially more sediment than beach drift. L-13

Know what upwelling is

Coastal upwelling presents wind-induced vertical movement and the rising of cold deep water to replace warm surface water, most characteristic along the west coast. Coastal winds combined with Coriolis effect cause water to move away from shore. L-13

Know how deep-sea fans are formed

Deep-sea fans are underwater geological structures located on the continental rise at the base of the slope created from large-scale sediment deposition formed when turbidity currents the sediment from the continental shelf above. L-12

Know the latitude by the different gyres are centered

Each gyre coincides with the subtropics at about 30 degrees N or S latitude. L-13

Know the factors that affect seawater density. What type of seawater would be densest?

Factors: Temp, depth, and the addition or subtraction of fresh water. Answer: Cold salty water L-12

Be able to distinguish between the different hard stabilization methods

Groins • Barriers built at a right angle to the beach •Designed to trap sand Breakwaters • Barriers built offshore and parallel • Protect boats from breaking waves Seawall •Armors the coast against breaking waves •Often not effective •Beach on seaward side of wall experiences strong erosion •Wall undermined by wave action L-13

Know the relative abundance of dissolved solids in seawater

In 965 grams of sea water there are 35g in which there are these dissolved components: 55.0% CI-, 30.6% Na+, 7.7% SO 7.7%, Mg 3.7% Ca 1.2%, K 1.1%, w/minor constituents @ 0.7%. Chlorine, Sodium, Sulfur, Oxygen, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, & more. L-12

Know how salinity changes as a function of latitude.

In high latitudes, where water gets cooler, evaporates, and ice is formed, it causes salinity to become denser.

Know the features that are associated with emergent coastlines

L-13

Know what a beach is

L-13

Be able to distinguish between the different layers of the atmosphere

L-14

Know the difference between the perihelion and the aphelion

L-14

Know the relative abundance of the different gases in the atmosphere

L-14

Know what air is

L-14

Know what humidity is

L-14

Know what reflection is

L-14

Know what the benefit of stratospheric ozone is

L-14

Know what the specific heat is

L-14

Know where the top of the atmosphere is

L-14 there is no defined upper limit of the atmosphere. The top limit of the earths atmosphere is not a clear threshold, but rather a region and transition in which the atmospheric gases gradually rise more diffuse and ultimately scatter into space. The exosphere is the name given to the region between 510,000 km above the surface of the Earth that serves as a transition zone. Hence, there's no defined upper limit of the atmosphere.

Be able to distinguish between the different layers of ocean water and what their proportions are

Ocean layering with regards to salinity is a three layer structure. a) The surface mixed zone, 2%. b) The transition zone, 18%. c) and The deep zone, 80%. L-12

Know the depth at which waves begin to "feel the bottom"

Ocean waves "Feel bottom" at a water depth equal to the wave base. The wave base depth is equal to half the distance of the wave length. L-13

Know how air pressure is affected by altitude

Pressure decreases with altitude. L-14

Be able to differentiate between a seamount and a guyot; be able to identify each

Seamounts are underwater volcanic type structures. Guyots are seamounts with tops that were flattened by wave action before being submerged by rising sea levels or a sinking sea floor. L-12

How does the wavelength of solar radiation compare to that emitted by Earth

The earth re-radiated a longer wavelength as compared to solar radiation. The long wavelength referred to as Terrestrial radiation, includes the infrared radiation, which is emitted by earths surface. Terrestrial radiation is absorbed by Carbon dioxide and water vapor causing the lower atmosphere to be heated by Earths surface. These gases that absorb long-wave radiation are called greenhouse gases. L-14

L/A Know how the melting of the Greenland ice sheet might affect global ocean currents.

The melting of Greenland ice sheets will reduce salinity possibly reducing or eliminating the natural thermohaline process which is a critical component for the planet to redistribute heat and nutrient rich waters throughout the oceans. This would affect the weather system resulting in cooler temperatures in the North Atlantic L-13 L/A

Know which is the only ocean current that completely circles the Earth

The thermohaline circulation. Sometimes referred to as the Idealized conveyor-belt circulation. L-13

Know what surf is

The turbulent water created by breaking waves. L-13

Know the different parts of the continental margins - you will also need to label a diagram of these features

There are two types of the continental margins, passive and active. Passive continental margins found on most of the coastal areas that surround the Atlantic Ocean are not associated with plate boundaries, experience little volcanism and few earthquakes, passive continental margins lie on the continental crust and ocean crust and includes the continental shelf, continental slope, the continental rise, the abyssal plain, and include features like submarine canyons, deep sea fans, and a shelf breaks. L-12

Be able to differentiate between the thermocline and the pycnocline

Thermocline (heat-slope) is the rapid change of temperature with depth, whereas, Pycnocline is The rapid change of density with depth. This is not a characteristic present at high latitudes. L-12

Be able to distinguish between the different methods of heat transfer

Three mechanisms of heat transfer are: • Conduction • Transfer of heat through molecular collisions • Convection • Transfer of heat by mass movement or circulation within a substance • Radiation (electromagnetic radiation) • Radiation travels out in all directions. L-14

L/A Know how cold currents in the Pacific Ocean affect climate in South America

Water has a higher specific heat capacity than land so it can absorb a lot of heat w/o of change in temp. Water conducts heat more efficiently than land so he will be distributed over a larger area in the water. Land heats more rapidly, gets hotter, cools faster, & gets cooler. L-13 L/A

Be able to discuss the factors that influence how land and water heat and cool differently

Water has a higher specific heat capacity than land so it can absorb a lot of heat w/o of change in temp. Water conducts heat more efficiently than land so he will be distributed over a larger area in the water. Land heats more rapidly, gets hotter, cools faster, & gets cooler. L-13 L/AL-14 L/A

Know what wave refraction is and what causes it to happen

Wave refraction is the bending (or change of direction) of the wave sets as they transition from deep to shallow waters. This occurs when waves arrive at angle not parallel to the shoreline and begin to experience more and more drag as the sea floor gets closer to sea level, changing the trajectory of these waves to be more parallel to the shoreline. L-13

Know the different shoreline erosional features

Wave-cut cliff - formed by the cutting action of the surf at the base of a coastal landform • Wave-cut platform - relatively flat surface left behind by cliff collapse • Marine terraces - wave-cut platform uplifted above sea level. L-13

L/A Be able to differentiate and describe the different types of seafloor sediments

a) Terrigenous sediment is derived from the weathering of continental rocks with mud, being the most common type of terrigenous sediment. The size and thickness of the accumulated sediment is going to decrease as distance from the shoreline is increased. b) Biogenous sediment is derived from the phosphate-rich remains of organisms like shells, bones and teeth. Ex. Calcareous ooze forms from calcite bearing organisms when they die. Siliceous ooze is composed of skeletons from diatoms and radiolarians. c) hydrogenius sediment comes from minerals that precipitate or crystallize directly from seawater. Most common types include manganese, nodes, calcium carbonate, metal sulfides (from black smokers), and evaporites. L-12

Know what tidal flats are

• Tidal flats are alternatively covered and uncovered by tides. L-13