Oceanography and Freshwater Systems

for OAE

Characteristics of water

include its polarity, high heat capacity, cohesion, adhesion, and density. These properties allow water to support life and play a crucial role in Earth's climate and ecosystems.

Evaporation

is the process by which liquid water is transformed into water vapor, occurring when molecules gain sufficient energy to escape the liquid phase. This process is essential for the water cycle and helps regulate temperature in the environment.

condensation

is the process by which water vapor cools and changes back into liquid water, often forming droplets on surfaces. This process is a critical part of the water cycle and contributes to cloud formation.

Sublimation

is the process by which solid water (ice) directly transforms into water vapor without becoming liquid first. This occurs under conditions of low pressure or high energy and plays a role in the water cycle, especially in cold environments.

Interception

Water trapped in vegetation

infiltration

is the process by which water enters the soil and becomes part of the groundwater system. This process allows for the replenishment of aquifers and is essential for maintaining soil moisture.

when is the rate of evaporation highest?

The rate of evaporation is highest during warm, dry, and windy conditions, particularly in summer months. It is also higher when more surface area of liquid is exposed so in oceans.

watershed

An area of land that drains rainfall and snowmelt to a common outlet, such as a river or lake.

water table

The upper surface of the saturated zone in groundwater, below which the soil and rock are fully saturated with water.

Effluent streams

are bodies of water that receive water from a sewage treatment plant or other discharge point, often enhancing flow in dry regions.

influent streams

are bodies of water that lose water to the groundwater system, typically in areas with high evaporation or low precipitation.

emergent coasts

are coastal regions characterized by the uplift of land or a drop in sea level, leading to the exposure of previously submerged areas.

submerged coast

is a coastal region that is formed when land is submerged underwater due to rising sea levels or tectonic activity, resulting in the creation of features such as drowned river valleys.

vardose zone

is the layer of soil and rock above the water table where pore spaces contain both air and water, influencing groundwater recharge.

aquifer

is a geological formation that can store and transmit water, allowing it to supply wells and springs.

aquiclude

is a geological layer that restricts or prevents the flow of groundwater, often serving as a barrier between aquifers.

glaciers

large masses of ice that move slowly over land, formed from compacted snow and responsible for shaping landscapes.

how are glaciers created?

Glaciers are created when snow accumulates, freezes and thaws, over time in a cold environment, compressing into ice as layers build up and become dense.

What part of a glacier moves fastest?

the center flows more quickly than the sides and bottom because it is the least dense and is subjected ot the least amount of friction.

Glacial surge

the bottom of a glacier detaches from the rock floor and moves downward rapidly. Occurs in valley glaciers.

Basal Slip

The process where the base of a glacier slides over the bedrock, facilitated by meltwater or high pressure, allowing the glacier to move more easily. This leaves a polished and scratched ground surface behind.

A glacier is said to move through a plastic flow when:

individual ice crystals deform and slide past each other under high pressure, allowing the glacier to change shape without breaking.

Apline glaciers

are glaciers that form in mountainous regions and flow down valleys, typically featuring steep, sharp, and rugged terrain.

Glacial abrasion (movement of alpine glaciers)

the wearing down of the ground under the base of the moving glacier

glacial quarrying (alpine glacial movement)

is the process by which a glacier removes large blocks of rock from the valley floor or sides, often resulting in sharp, rugged terrain.

Cirques

are bowl-shaped depressions carved into mountains by glacial activity, often forming at the head of a glacier.

Tarns

are small mountain lakes that form in cirques as a result of glacial meltwater.

fjords

are deep, narrow inlets of the sea between high cliffs or steep slopes, formed by the submergence of a glaciated valley.

moraines

are accumulations of debris and sediment deposited by glaciers, often forming ridges or mounds.

characteristics of continental glaciers

large sheets of ice. They move over any object in their way. Smooths out the landand can reshape landscapes as they advance or retreat.

kettle

is a depression or hole in an outwash plain formed by the melting of a buried glacier, often filled with water.

drumlin

small, round hills created under a moving glacier

eskers

long, thin depositions of stratified sediments

Rock glacier

large, tongue-shaped mass of rock and ice that behaves like a glacier formed completely of ice. They form where warm temperatures in the summer cause snow to melt.

How many major ice ages have there been?

4 - an ice age is a period of time when the earths climate is colder and there are more glaciers and ice sheets

What is the chemical composition of oceans?

chloride, sodium, sulfate, magnesium, Ca and K

Salinity

proportion of salts dissolved in the ocean. Its affected by weathering and erosive processes of rock on land by precipitation, volcanic emissions, and the activity of hydrothermal vents on the deep seafloor

Deep-sea vents

located near underwater ridges where mantle materials cause the eruption of water containing minerals through the lithosphere

Island arc

chain of islands resulting in the convergence of 2 oceanic plates. when one plate subducts the other, the mantle of the subducted plate is partially melted by the increase in temperature of the subducted plate

Volcanic chains

a result of magma with dissolved gas from increasing temperatures in the mantle + water

Abyss floor

The deepest level of the seafloor that spans from one continental margin to another

abyssal plains

flat and featureless. covered is basaltic floods or sediments

abyssal hills

gentle rises along the floor of the abyss

Ocean ridge system

tall enough in some places to break the ocean surface. Stands in sharp contrast to the abyssal plains

seamounts

basaltic seafloor volcanoes. not tall enough to reach teh oceans surface

guyots

high undersea volcanoes with the tips cut off

What are the 3 major varieties of reefs?

fringing reef, barrier reef, and atoll

fringing reef

extends out from and grows along a shoreline. Begins to grow around a sinking island

barrier reef

fringing reefs can become this. it surrounds the still-sinking island where the portion of the reef closest to the shore cannot keep up with the biotic growth of the outer portion. The inner portion becomes a lagoon

atoll

the island sinks completely

how do oceanographers vs meteorologists name winds?

Oceanographers name winds for the direction they are headed. Meteorologists name winds the direction they are coming from

What is the Eckman transport?

a theory stating that as each layer of oceanic water is touched by wind, it also experiences the effect of the Coriolis force, which causes it to move 90 degrees to teh right and spiral downward (Ekman spiral)

What are the driving forces of surface waters?

atmospheric winds and the Coriolis force

thermohalin circulation

deep ocean waters is driven by temperature and salinity gradients

2 main processes in wave motion creation

1. distributing forces: wind, changes in atmospheric pressure, mixing of water of different densities, and earthquakes. Drives water into a crest and trough

2. restoring forces: the waters surface tension and gravity to restore equilibrium

water makes up what % of a cell?

70-90%