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Chapter 6
Review Q
1.How are most waves produced in the surface ocean? What type of energy is transferred from this
source to the surface waters?
Winds are the primary source to generate waves in the surface ocean. The friction between the moving
air and the sea surface transfers some of the wind’s kinetic energy to the sea surface producing waves.
3.For deep-water waves, the diameter of the orbit of a water particle at the ocean surface is equivalent
to the _______.
Wave Height
5.Define fetch. For the same wind speed, are higher ocean waves generated with increasing or
decreasing fetch?
Fetch is the distance the wind blows in the same direction over a water surface. For the same wind
speed, higher sea waves are generated with increasing fetch.
7.Astronomical tides are caused by the gravitational attraction between the rotating Earth and what two
bodies in space?
Which one of these celestial bodies produces greater ocean tides on Earth? Why?
The astronomical tides are caused by the gravitational attraction between the Earth, Moon, and sun. the
sun is so much larger than the moon, it has a much bigger gravitational pull on Earth.
Critical Thinking Questions
1. Compare the restoring force for capillary waves versus tsunami waves.
Water’s surface tension is the restoring force for capillary waves, which have wavelengths less than 1.7
cm..). If the wind stops, water’s surface tension acts as a restoring force that quickly flattens the ocean
surface. A tsunami is a shallow-water ocean wave produced by a submarine earthquake, a landslide, or a
volcanic eruption that disturbs the ocean. A tsunami’s wavelength ranges from 100–200 km and the
waves travel at a speed of hundreds of kilometers per hour. With such small heights, long periods, and
long wavelengths, tsunamis are imperceptible to ships at sea.
3.
Explain how wave interference influences the height of ocean waves.
Constructive wave influence occurs when 2 or more wave crests coincide to form composite waves with
heights greater than any of the original waves
5.
Distinguish among a standing wave and progressive wave, and provide an example of each.
Standing wave- stationery for the medium in which it is embedded, EX: seiche. Progressive wave- move
through a body of water, EX: wind-driven waves
7.
Explain how tectonic activity can affect the inland progression of a tsunami.
A crack between tectonic plates allows water to fill in and the tsunami shifts towards where there is
more water.
Chapter 7
Review Q
1.Explain why the coast is a particularly dynamic part of the Earth system.
The coast is dynamic because it is where the ocean, atmosphere, geosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere
all interact.
3.Why does a wave crest refract as it approaches the shoreline?
Refraction causes the wave crests to be near alignment with the ocean bottom bathymetry and conform
to the shoreline's shape.
5.Briefly describe the origins of a long-shore current.
A long-shore current is an oblique approach of waves to the shore producing a component of water
motion that flows parallel to the shore.
7.Are barrier islands found on technically active or passive continental margins? Justify your choice.
They are on passive continental margins, the Pacific coast is tectonically active, whereas the Atlantic is
not, and most of the barrier islands mentioned in the book are on the Atlantic coast. The Atlantic coast
may at one time have been technically active but is no longer.
Critical Thinking Questions
1.
Explain how wave refraction affects erosion and sediment deposition along an irregular coastline.
As a wave is refracted moving towards an irregular coastline (protruding cliffs) they converge toward the
headlands. Convergence concentrates wave energy, causing erosion of headlands.
3.
What is the origin of the sediment that forms a beach? How do human activities disrupt the supply
of this sediment?
Sediment comes from waves, tides, and currents erode cliffs, wash away dunes, and transport
sand to and from the beach. Artificial structures built by humans can disrupt the supply of sediment, for
example, dams.
5.
List some of the advantages and disadvantages of artificial beach nourishment.
It’s an expensive temporary solution but provides substantial protection for coastal property and
businesses. Dredging will also allow harbors to stay open by removing sediment build-up.
7.
What role is played by the ocean in the development of tropical cyclones?
Uniform mass of humid air over the tropical ocean; originates from the trade winds at the convergence
zone, which is caused by ocean currents. Latent heat released from evaporated water from the ocean
energizes cyclones.
Chapter 8
Review Q
1. Describe the key role played by marine archaea, bacteria, and algae.
All elements essential to life are present as dissolved ions in seawater, albeit sometimes at very low
concentrations, and they are readily available to marine archaea, bacteria, and algae, which perform the
task of converting these dissolved substances into living matter.
3. Why are some algal blooms harmful?
Under the right conditions, algae may grow out of control — and a few of these “blooms” produce toxins
that can kill fish, mammals, and birds, and may cause human illness or even death in extreme cases.
5. Photosynthesis is confined to what portion of the ocean?
Photosynthesis is confined to the tiny fraction of the ocean where sunlight penetrates—at most, the
upper 200 meters.
7. What are three groups of phytoplankton and how do they differ (discuss shell type, mobility, feeding
methods)?
Three of the four groups of phytoplankton are diatoms, coccolithophores, and dinoflagellates.
Diatoms are encased in shell-like substances made up of silica called frustules. They are autotrophic and
free-floating in the ocean. Coccolithophores are covered in tiny calcium carbonate plates to form
spheres. They thrive in nutrient-poor water and form large blooms that when they die collect on the
ocean floor contributing to calcareous sediment deposits. Dinoflagellates are single-celled and move
freely in the ocean. They will join together when conditions are poor and break apart and become active
when conditions improve. They will graze on other microorganisms.
Critical Thinking Questions
1.
Why are microbes able to metabolize so quickly?
Microbial organisms metabolize at rates far exceeding those of larger organisms. This is because the ratio
of surface area to volume is higher for smaller organisms than it is for larger organisms.
3.
All other factors being equal, how does sea-surface temperature affect the rate at which carbon
dioxide dissolves in seawater?
All other factors being equal, the rate at which carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater increases with
decreasing sea surface temperature.
5.
In what general ways do marine ecosystems differ from terrestrial ecosystems?
There is more space in the ocean. There is more variety in marine habitats, and there are more
interactions between plants and herbivores.
7.
What are the basic requirements for primary production at ocean depths above the
compensation depth?
The depth at which primary production equals respiration is called the compensation depth...It coincides
with the depth in the ocean where the light level is 0.1% to 1% of the amount of the sunlight entering
the surface of the ocean. This also coincides with the bottom of the euphotic zone.
Chapter 9
Review Q
1. Describe the portions of the ocean represented by the pelagic and benthic environments and the
neritic province.
The pelagic zone is the open ocean waters. The Benthic zone is the sea floor at all depths. The neritic
zone is the area seaward from the shore, across the continental shelf, to the shelf break at the water
depth of 120-200 meters.
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3. Define adaptation.
Adaptation is a genetically controlled trait or characteristic that enhances an organism’s chances for
survival and reproduction in its environment.
5. What is the function of adaptive coloration and countershading for fishes?
Coloration helps fish blend in with their surroundings to protect themselves from predators.
7. Describe the types of marine organisms found in the benthic environment based on their life strategy.
Animals that live in the benthic zone live either on the ocean floor or within sediment deposits. They
include attached burrowing, and mobile organisms, such as sea stars, crabs, worms, clams, sea
cucumbers, sea anemones, urchins, snails, and barnacles. They rely mainly on the sediments for
nutrients and chemosynthesis to survive.
Critical Thinking Questions
1.
Why is the ocean’s neritic province likely to be eutrophic whereas the open ocean is
more likely to be oligotrophic?
Eutrophic - shallow and oligotrophic - Mediterranee and sargasso sea
3.
Describe the daily changes in the environmental conditions of the intertidal zone.
The daily changes in the environmental condition of the intertidal zone are waves, winds, and tidal
currents continually disturbing this intertidal zone.
5.
Explain how zooplankton avoid predation through vertical migration.
The migration as an antipredator defense in which zooplankton typically descend to dimly lit areas
during the daylight to avoid visual predators.
7.
Provide several examples of how marine organisms avoid sinking to the ocean floor.
Gas chambers, swim bladders, livers, swim, body shapes
Chapter 10
Review Q
1.Define climate.
Weather at a particular location averaged over a specific interval of time (usually 30 years). It also
includes a complete list of weather extremes.
3.Provide three examples of the role played by the ocean in Earth’s climate system.
The ocean influences radiational heating and cooling of the planet. Since it covers 71% of the earth's
surface, the ocean is the primary control of how much solar radiation is either reflected or absorbed by
the ocean. The ocean influences the planetary energy budget not only by affecting the radiational
heating and radiational cooling of the entire planet, but also by contributing to the non-radiative latent
heat and sensible heat fluxes at the air-sea interface. Therefore, the sea surface temperature rises and
falls based on how warm the air is and vice versa. This also leads to the formation of storms which
transport heat and thus influence climate.
5.During an El Niño event, how do sea-surface temperatures and sea level change over the eastern
tropical Pacific?
The sea surface temperature rises significantly as well as the sea level because they dropped significantly
in the west.
7.Distinguish between the two principal types of numerical models that forecasters rely upon to predict
the evolution of El Niño or La Niña.
Empirical models and dynamic models. Empirical models compare the current and evolving oceanic and
atmospheric conditions with observational data from previous episodes over the past 40 years. A
dynamic model uses mathematical equations to brace interactions, or couplings in the atmosphere,
ocean, and land.
Critical Thinking Questions
1.
What is the role of the ocean in Earth’s greenhouse effect?
Water, Carbon Dioxide and the Atmosphere make the greenhouse effect occur and seawater has a much
greater storage capacity for carbon dioxide than the atmosphere.
3.
Explain how changes in patterns of sea-surface temperature can alter the planetary-scale
circulation of the atmosphere.
Cold surface currents cool the surrounding air temperatures, lowering the probability of thunderstorms.
On the other hand, warm surface temperatures warm the air, destabilizing it. thereby energizing storm
systems. It also plays a key role in the global redistribution of heat energy by helping control and absorb
heat from the ocean.
5.
What are the early signs of a developing La Niña in the tropical Pacific Ocean?
The first signs of an El Nino are an unusual warming of the water in the tropical Pacific Ocean, something
that has begun to occur, this results in increases in rising warm air, changes in the air pressure patterns
and shifts in the high-level winds that direct the movement of weather.
7.
What is meant by a teleconnection and what is its significance in forecasting the impact of ENSO?
It is an exchange of information over significant distances by electronic means and its significance with
ENSO, it is connected to an ENSO episode by cable, telegraph, telephone, or broadcasting.