Study Guide - Final

Plate Tectonics-

Be familiar with the three major plate boundaries and their relative movement (ex. divergent- spreading)

Be familiar with the features associated with each boundary (ex. divergent, mid-ocean ridge)

Understand the relationship between Divergent and Transform boundaries (transform faults at ridges)

Geography of the Oceans

What are the 3 provinces of the ocean and what are the features associated with each.

EX: Continental Margin Province - Shelf, slope, rise

Features on Shelf/slope: submarine canyon

Be able to identify these features on a diagram

Depth/Sounding

What is the relationship between the speed of sound in water and temperature?

What is the relationship between the speed of sound and pressure?

Make sure you know which is dominant near the surface (temperature or pressure) and which one is dominant at depth (below 1,000m).

Lab 5 - Sediments

Know the basic types of sediments - Lithogenous, biogenous, hydrogenous, and cosmogenous - and where each is most common.

ie. - Abyssal clays are red and are found in the deep ocean basin.

Lab 11 & Handout- Waves in deep water

What controls the speed of waves in deep water?

What is the wave base and how do you calculate the wave base?

Know the basic parts of a wave.

Lab 12 & Handout

When will a wave break? - Know how to calculate this.

What is wave refraction/diffraction.

Know how to draw the orthogonals on a diagram.

What is the longshore current?

Handout - Water & Seawater

Know the subatomic particles (protons, neutrons, electrons) and their relative charges

Understand how to read the periodic table

 -ie.the periodic table is organized based on the number of protons so the atomic number tells you the  number of protons

What does the mass number tell you?

How do you determine the number of electrons in an atom?  How do you determine the number of electrons in the outer shell?

What type of bond exists within a water molecule?

What type of bond exists between molecules?

Why is this special or what special properties does this lead to in water (know at least two).

Know the changes of state of water (solid, liquid, gas)

and what process occurs within each change of state (solid to liquid = melting; liquid to vapor = evaporation)

What is latent heat?

Lab 10 - Tides

Know the different tidal cycles.

Be able to identify a tsunami on a tidal diagram.

What is the tidal range?

What are spring tides vs. neap tides / When do they occur?

Exercise 7- Temperature and Salinity

How do temperature and salinity affect density.

Be able to identify a thermocline or halocline on a graph.

What impact does a thermocline or halocline have on vertical circulation?

Know how to contour temperature and/or salinity.

Be familiar with the basic factors that affect salinity (evaporation, runoff, etc.)

Exercise 9 - Surface Currents

What drives surface currents (how do they move)

What is an Eastern Boundary current vs. a Western Boundary current

What are the basic differences in terms of temperature and speed between Eastern Boundary and Western Boundary currents?

What is a gyre?

What is an eddy and how do they form?

Be able to identify an eddy on a map.

Exercise 8 - Water Masses and how we Study them.

Be able to identify the mixed layer vs. the stable water based on a temperature and/or salinity values.

Be familiar with the basic deep water masses -  Antarctic Bottom water, North Atlantic Deep Water, Mediterranean Intermediate Water, and Surface water

    - Be familiar with the basic characteristics of each and be able to identify them on a temperature/salinity plot.

Air/Sea (handout) /Hurricanes -

What are the primary gases that make up the atmosphere? 

What are the gases in the atmosphere that influence weather and climate and why do they influences weather and climate?

How does temperature vary with altitude (especially in the troposphere)?

How does pressure vary with altitude?

What is the greenhouse effect?

Be familiar with the general weather associated with a warm front vs. a cold front?

What is the air flow associated with a hurricane/ What do we call this?  What conditions are associated with this?

What are the three conditions necessary for a hurricane to form?
 

Productivity

What are the two factors necessary for productivity?

What is the difference between gross primary productivity and net primary productivity?

What is meant by "critical depth?"

In general, in the ocean, where is productivity greatest?