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Oceanography Final
Ocean facts
111
Science
Undergraduate 1
05/16/2011

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Cards

Term
How much of the earth's surface is covered by water?
Definition
74%
Term
How much of the water that covers the earth is ocean?
Definition
71%
Term
What is the average depth of the ocean?
Definition
3.8 km
Term
How do you find the longitude of a given point?
Definition
It is the time difference from the prime meridian times 15 degrees (because the earth rotates 15 degrees/hour)
Term
How do you find the latitude of a given point?
Definition
It is the angular distance measured North or South
Term
Who created the first ocean bathymetric map and when?
Definition
Maury, 1855
Term
How much water is there? (volume)
Definition
1.4 billion km^3
Term
What is the percentage breakdown of the water on earth?
Definition
97% in oceans, 2.1% in ice, 0.6% in groundwater supplies, 0.01% in lakes and rivers, 0.001 in atmosphere.
Term
Why can't meteors be sources of extraterrestrial delivery?
Definition
The levels of Xenon in our atmosphere are very low, and there's much more Xenon in meteors. It's a noble- nonreactive- gas, so there's not really anywhere it could have gone.
Term
What is the issue with comets?
Definition
The D/H ratio of most comets is twice as high as the ratio in ocean water, except for the D/H ratio of comet linear, which is similar to ocean water.
Term
What does geoid mean?
Definition
mean shape of the earth. topographic profile of planet above and under water.
Term
What is the average elevation above sea level?
Definition
875 meters
Term
What is the average elevation below sea level?
Definition
-3794 meters
Term
Properties/density of continental crust
Definition
-granatic
-derived from partial melting of oceanic crust
-Rich in Si, K, light color
-Average density= 2.7 g/cc
Term
Properties/density of oceanic crust
Definition
-Basaltic
-derived from partial melting of the mantle
-Rich in Fe, Mg, dark color
-Average density= 3.0 g/cc
Term
Why do we have different types of rock?
Definition
Thermal differentiation
Term
What is fractionation?
Definition
Compositional separation
Term
Average thickness of continental crust? Oceanic crust?
Definition
Continental=avg thickness is 40km, max is 70km
Oceanic= 5km, max is 10km (rides lower on mantle)
Term
Who proposed continental drift, and when?
Definition
Alfred Wegener, 1912
Term
What are the layers of the earth?
Definition
-layers of the earth: lithosphere (crust and upper mantle), asthenosphere mantle), mesosphere (mantle), outer core (core), inner core (core).
Term
Where does most volcanism occur?
Definition
80% occurs at spreading centers
Term
How do slow spreading and fast spreading differ?
Definition
-slow spreading: high, rugged, narrow, peaked ridges, oceans deeper. ex: mid-atlantic ridge.

fast spreading: lower, broader, gentle ridge, oceans are shallower. ex: east pacific rise-type.
Term
How deep is the Marianas Trench?
Definition
10,911 meters deep
Term
Where does sunlight reach in the ocean?
Definition
sunlit water= <200m, twilight= 200=1000 m, fully dark > 1000 m
Term
What are the zones of the ocean?
Definition
bathyl zone: 200-2000m, abyssal zone: 2000-6000m, hadal zone >6000m.
Term
Types of sediment
Definition
-sediment types: terrigenous (most sediment is this kind/thickest near continents), biogenic, chemical, volcanogenic, cosmogenic. sedimentation patterns affected by tectonics (active and passive margins).
Term
Examples of biogenic sediment
Definition
-diatoms (photosynthetic) and radiolaria (non-photosynthetic): SiO2, cocolithophorids (photosynthetic) and foraminifera (non-photosyntetic): CaCO3.
Term
Examples of chemical sediment
Definition
evaporites, manganese nodules
Term
Where is sediment located?
Definition
-continental margins take up 78% of ocean sediment while the deep-sea takes up 22% of ocean sediment.
Term
What are the rates of sedimentation?
Definition
Margins build up to 5 cm of sediment a year, deep sea= 1-10 mm/year
Term
Average CCD depth?
Definition
4.5 km (deeper if there is warm water, lower pH, or lower pressure)
Term
Structure of water
Definition
-angle at which H's bond to O is 105°. density of O atoms is 10 times that of H. Hydrogen bond strength is 4% of covalent bond strength.
Term
What is the percent of dissolved constituents in ocean water? What is the average salinity?
Definition
-dissolved constituents range from 33‰-38‰. avg ocean salinity is 35‰ (ranges from 33-38%)
Term
What is energy that breaks bonds?
Definition
Latent heat
Term
What is energy raises temperature?
Definition
Sensible heat
Term
How much energy is generated by evaporation from the ocean?
Definition
23 billion megawatts of energy (360,000 km^3)
Term
What is the difference between velocity in dry air and in water?
Definition
Dry air: 334 m/sec
Water: 1450m/sec
Term
How deep is the SOFAR channel?
Definition
Approx. 700-1200 m deep.
Term
What is sound travel time?
Definition
5000 km/hour
Term
How far from the source can sound in the SOFAR channel be detected?
Definition
20,000 to 25,000 km
Term
How much of radiation from the sun is visible light?
Definition
47%
Term
how many m/sec does sound travel in water?
Definition
Average 145 m/sec
Term
What types of light exist in the ocean?
Definition
gamma ray, xray, ultra-violet, visible, infared, microwave, radio
Term
What wavelengths are absorbed by water first? Transmitted deeper?
Definition
Longer wavelengths absorbed first and shorter wavelengths transmitted deeper
Term
How much light is transmitted to different depths? (in percentages)
Definition
Amount of light: 1 m= 45%, 10 m= 16%, 1000 m= 1%
Term
What did Fridtjof Nancen do?
Definition
froze his ship, noticed that iceberg drift is 20-40 degrees right of wind direction
Term
Where does motion end up in Eckman transport?
Definition
Motion ends up 180 degrees from surface, 225 degrees from wind direction, and retains 4% of surface water speed (which is 1.5-2.5% of wind speed)
Term
What is net Eckman water transport?
Definition
Net water transport is 90 degrees to right (n hemisphere), 90 left in Southern
Term
How deep is the Eckman layer?
Definition
Eckman layer is 100-200 m MAX depth (1-2 % of ocean depth)
Term
What is the effect of stronger winds on Eckman transport?
Definition
Stronger winds=less deflection=lower latitudes=deeper Eckman layer
Term
Is there Eckman transport at the Equator?
Definition
Nope!
Term
At what rate does NADW form?
Definition
15 million m^3 per second
Term
What are the layers of ocean water?
Definition
(from top down) Antarctic intermediate water, North atlantic deep water, Antarctic bottom water
Term
How fast are wind speeds in hurricanes?
Definition
Greater than 120 km/hour
Term
What is the sea surface temperature necessary for a hurricane?
Definition
26 degrees C
Term
Minimum distance from Equator required for a hurricane?
Definition
Plus or minus 5 degrees.
Term
What direction do hurricanes in the N hemisphere rotate?
Definition
left
Term
for every 1 millibar drop in pressure, how much does the sea surface rise?
Definition
1 cm
Term
What is the major factor in a storm surge?
Definition
85% of surge due to winds
Term
What is the scale of measuring hurricane strength called?
Definition
The Saffir-Simpson scale.
Term
How much energy is generated during a hurricane?
Definition
Energy from hurricane up to 200 times the world wide electrical generating capacity or 6 months of US energy consumption
Term
What is the amplitude of a wave?
Definition
The height/2
Term
Definition of period
Definition
(t)= time for one wavelength to pass a fixed point
Term
Definition of frequency
Definition
(F)= # of wave crests/unit t passing a point (or 1/t)
Term
What is the definition of wave base?
Definition
height at depth ½, orbital diam- 4% of height
Term
Deep vs. intermediate vs. shallow water waves
Definition
Deep water waves= depth is greater than wavelength/2
intermediate= depth is less than wavelength/3
Shallow water= depth is less than wavelength/20
Term
Describe cusping waves
Definition
Cusp angle is less than 120 degrees (crowded waves cusp), h/wavelength is greater than 1/8
Term
How do you find the celerity of deep water waves?
Definition
1.25(square root of lamda)= lamda/t

Answer in m/sec
Term
How do you find the celerity of shallow-water waves?
Definition
3.1(square root of the depth)- must be in meters
Term
How large is the pycnocline?
Definition
Approx. 1000 feet
Term
How large are internal waves?
Definition
can be greater than 1000 m and wavelengths from 100s to 1000s of meters with long periods
Term
What percentage of waves are 1 m, 1-4 m, and 4-6 m?
Definition
40% of ocean waves are less than 1 m high, 40% are 1-4 m, 10% are 4-6 m
Term
Definition of significant wave height?
Definition
40% of ocean waves are less than 1 m high, 40% are 1-4 m, 10% are 4-6 m
Term
What is the Significant Wave Height? (SWH)
Definition
average of largest 33% of waves for a given set of conditions
Term
What are rogue waves?
Definition
greater than twice SWH; very rare (less than 1: 300,000)
Term
How much force is exerted by a 30 m wave?
Definition
100 tons/m^2
(30 tons/m2 force needed to dent the hull of a ship)
Term
What's the difference between a bay and a headland?
Definition
headlands= sites of erosion, bays=sites of deposition
Term
How densely populated are coastal cities?
Definition
Greater than 50% of the pop. Lives within 50 miles of the coast

23/25 most densely pop. cities are coastal
Term
What percentage of the coast is eroding?
Definition
13% of coastline critically eroding, 74% eroding, 13% stable or aggrading
Term
How has the icecap volume changed over time?
Definition
18,000 y.b.p= 120 m (400 ft) lower than now
Term
Rates of current sea level rise
Definition
Sea level rise- 8 cm/degree C

Sea level rise from 1900-2000= 1.7 plus or minus .5 mm/year

Current rate of sea level rise near us is 1-3 mm/year
Term
how many high/low tides are there each day, and how long do they last?
Definition
There are two of each per day and they last for about 50 minutes
Term
How does the solar tide generating effect compare to the lunar tide generating effect?
Definition
Solar tide generating effect= 46% of lunar effect
Term
How do the solar and lunar bulges compare?
Definition
Solar bulge is half as big as lunar bulge
Term
How many spring tides and neap tides are there per month?
Definition
2 of each per month
Term
What is Perigee? Apogee?
Definition
Perigee (moon)= av. 357, 500 km,
Apogee (moon)= av. 407,500 km
Term
What is Aphelion? Periphelion?
Definition
Aphelion(sun)= 1.02 a.u away
Periphelion (sun)= .98 a.u away
Term
How often do maximum possible astronomical spring tides occur?
Definition
Once every 1600 years
Term
What is the angle between the equator and the moon?
Definition
28.5 degrees
Term
What is the wavelength of a tide?
Definition
Earth’s circumference= 40,000 km, tide wavelength= 20,000 km
Term
Mean ocean depth?
Definition
4 km
Term
Are tides shallow water or deep water waves?
Definition
Very shallow water!
Term
What is a node?
Definition
no tidal change
Term
Co-range lines?
Definition
Places of equal high tides
Term
Co-tidal lines?
Definition
Places that have high tides at the same time
Term
When was the invasion of Tarawa?
Definition
1943
Term
Zones of ocean:
Definition
Epipelagic zone= surface to 200m, mesopelagic zone= 200-1000 m, Bathypelagic Zone= 1000-2000, Abyssopelagic zone= 2000-6000
Term
Formulaic example of photosynthesis
Definition
H20 + CO2 + light = CH20 +02
Term
Formulaic example of chemosynthis:
Definition
CO2 +02 + 4H2S = CH2) +4S + 3H2O
Term
At what depth is the photosynthetic peak?
Definition
1-3 meters below the surface
Term
How much Carbon can be found in different places in the ocean?
Definition
Center of gyres: .1 gC/m2/day
Coastal oceans: 1 gC/m2/day
Coastal upwelling zones: 2 g C/m2/day
Term
Time from high tide to low tide?
Definition
12 hours and 25 minutes
Term
By how many minutes are tides delayed each day?
Definition
50 minutes
Term
What factors modify tides?
Definition
Ocean depth, continents dividing the ocean basins, coastline shape
--> "Dynamic theory of tides."
Term
What is the equilibrium theory of tides?
Definition
The gravitational effects of our solar system neighbors, the moon and the sun, cause tides.
Term
Primary/secondary effects of the equilibrium theory of tides
Definition
Primary: lunar, solar
Secondary: distance from moon, distance from sun, earth's axis tilt
Term
In the earth-moon system, what is the common center of mass called?
Definition
The Barycentre
Term
How long is the tidal day and why?
Definition
24 hours and 50 minutes
In 1 Earth day, moon travels through 12° of arc
The tide bulge follows the moon
Earth must rotate 12° (= 50 minutes) to catch up
Term
What is the speed of the tide?
Definition
If using equilibrium theory of tides, it would be 1600 km/hour. But because of modifications of dynamic theory (waves feel the bottom), the actual speed is 3.1 times the square root of the depth (3800 m) makes it more like 700 km/hour
Term
What causes amphidromic circulation?
Definition
effect of continents + coriolis effect
Term
What direction is the amphidromic system in the Northern hemisphere?
Definition
Counter clockwise
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