ESCI 130 Final Study Guide: Ocean Processes and Impact

Tides

The regular rising and falling of sea levels caused by the gravitational force of the moon and the centrifugal force from the Earth-moon system's rotation.

Spring Tides

Tides that occur during the period of a new moon, when the moon and the sun are lined up on the same side of the Earth, producing the greatest range between high water and low water.

Neap Tides

Tides produced when the moon is at a right angle to the line of centers of the Earth and the sun, resulting in a small range between high and low water.

Semidiurnal Tides

Tidal pattern characterized by twice occurring high and low tide sequences, where high and low tides are both at the same level.

Diurnal Tides

Tidal pattern characterized by one high and one low tide per day.

Mixed Semidiurnal Tides

Tidal pattern where each high tide reaches different heights and each low tide falls to different levels.

Tidal Range

The difference in height between high tide and low tide, determined by basin configuration.

Tidal Bore

A high, often breaking wave generated by a tide crest that advances rapidly up an estuary or river.

Grunion Run

The phenomenon where grunions run up the shore to lay eggs, which are then covered by males in the sand in the spring and later hatch when taken away by the tide in winter.

Tidal Power

A form of renewable energy generated from tides, which is predictable and environmentally friendly, but has environmental effects, is expensive, and has low production rates.

Size

boulder, cobble, pebble, gravel, sand, silt, clay (from biggest to smallest)

Lithogenous Sediments

Sediments from terrestrial sources, sands and muds, glacial deposits.

Red Clays

Low productivity, wind-blown sediment.

Organic Matter

Height of overlying sediment plus increase in temperature leads to petroleum, black, lots of organic matter.

Unoxidized Sediment

Mud, black, buried quickly beneath other sediment so can't be oxidized.

Oxidized Sediment

Red/greenish gray mud, water, and carbon dioxide, burrows in them where there is oxygen.

Biogenous Sediments

From hard part of organisms; biogenic sands are considered if >30% is organic matter.

Siliceous Oozes

Formed from shells of planktons, microscopic.

Calcareous Oozes

Formed from shells of planktons, cannot survive below CCD.

Hydrogenous Sediments

Formed from precipitation.

Metal Bearing Nodules

A type of hydrogenous sediment.

Calcium Carbonates

Accumulates on sea floor and forms layers, turns CaCO3 from mud into limestone.

Metal Sulfides

Found in hydrothermal vent systems.

Evaporites

Rock salt, evaporation triggers deposition of chemical precipitates.

Cosmogenous Sediments

From space, meteorites, iridium.

Terrigenous Sediments

Most lithogenous sediments found on beaches.

Neritic Sediments

Lithogenous and hydrogenous sediments found on the continental shelf.

Pelagic Sediments

Lithogenous, biogenous, hydrogenous sediments found on the continental slope and seafloor.

Composition of Sediments

Mostly siliceous and calcareous.

Siliceous Oozes Characteristics

Form from the siliceous shells (tests) of plankton such as Diatoms and Radiolarians.

Calcareous Oozes Characteristics

Made from Foraminifera, Coccolithophores, Pteropods; tests cannot survive below the CCD.

Carbonate Compensation Depth (CCD)

Depth in the ocean below which anything made of calcium carbonate dissolves very rapidly.

High Productivity Areas

Areas around the surface with larger-than-normal concentrations of silica or calcium carbonate shelled organisms.

Deposits of Calcareous Shelled Organisms

Restricted to the outer edges of the continental shelves, below warm waters yet above the CCD.

Salt

extracted from seawater and evaporite sediments

Phosphate Rock

found in marine sediments, used in fertilizers

Petroleum

oil and gas are often trapped in sedimentary rock layers beneath the ocean floor

Natural Gas

formed from the decay of marine organisms buried in sediments

Sand, Gravel, and Stone

mined from continental shelf sediments for construction

Clays

deposited in quiet marine environments, used in ceramics and construction

Metallic Resources

sometimes concentrated in ocean floor sediments or mined from deep-sea hydrothermal deposits (like Iron Ore, Zinc, Copper, Lead, and Bauxite)

Coal

originates from ancient coastal and swampy environments where marine and terrestrial sediments mixed

Other Minerals and Metals

including rare earth elements, can accumulate in ocean nodules or crusts

Beach

a buffer zone protecting the one-shore area

Summertime Beaches

characterized by light wave activity, swash dominance, wider beach, and fair weather

Wintertime Beaches

characterized by heavy wave activity, backwash dominance, narrower beach, and forms offshore sand bars in stormy weather

Coastal Cells

a natural geographical area in which sediments are moved around, confined to that area

Rip Currents

carry sand offshore into deep water, characterized by churning, choppy water and a notable difference in water color

Longshore Currents

forms as the wave feels the seafloor, wave refracts and becomes more parallel to shore, causing current to form

Longshore Drift

the continuous movement of sand, sediment, and other materials along a coastline, driven by waves striking the shore at an angle

Classification of Beaches

based on shape & structure, size of materials, composition, and color

Size of Materials

determines the steepness of the beach slope; finer particles create flatter beaches, coarser particles create steeper slopes

Composition of Beaches

can include lithogenous sediments (sand, silt, clay), biogenous sediments (shells), and hydrogenous sediments (manganese nodules)

Color of Beaches

depends on the composition of the sediment, ranging from tan mineral sand to white quartz or coral to green olivine

Primary Sources of Beach Sand

Rivers and Streams, eroding beach cliffs, and sand from the seafloor immediately offshore

Eroded Materials

beaches are comprised of eroded materials that originate from the region surrounding them.

Beaches

Made of sand, rocks, and other materials that come from nearby land, broken down by erosion from wind, water, and waves.

Beach Sediment Origins

The materials on a beach reflect the type of land around it and are carried to the beach by rivers, waves, and currents.

Ooids

Round grains formed in shallow wave agitated waters where CaCO3 precipitates and coats a sand grain or piece of algae.

Beach Erosion

The process of sand being carried away from the beach, influenced by natural and human causes.

Natural Causes of Beach Erosion

Includes rip currents that carry sand offshore and submarine canyons that provide proof of sand loss.

Human Causes of Beach Erosion

Includes the construction of dams, sand and gravel quarries, sea walls, groins, jetties, breakwaters, and paved river channels.

Hard Stabilization

Methods like seawalls, groins, jetties, breakwaters, and river channelization used to stabilize the shore.

Beach Nourishment

An alternative method to stabilize the shore by adding sand to the beach.

Submergent Coastline

Land adjacent to the sea that subsides or where sea level rises, characterized by irregular shorelines and estuaries.

Emergent Coastline

Caused by the uplift of land or drop in sea level, featuring straight shorelines and cliffs.

Active Continental Margins

Regions where submergent coastlines occur, prone to earthquakes, volcanic activity, and tsunamis.

Passive Continental Margins

Regions where emergent coastlines occur, vulnerable to coastal erosion and sea level rise.

Primary Production

The process by which autotrophs convert inorganic compounds into organic compounds using an external energy source.

Autotrophs

Organisms at the base of the food chain that perform primary production through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that cannot create organic compounds from inorganic ones and require consumption of organic compounds.

Consumers

A type of heterotroph that consumes organic compounds for energy.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Herbivores

Animals that eat photosynthetic organisms.

Carnivores

Animals that eat other animals strictly.

Omnivores

Animals that eat both photosynthetic organisms and animals.

Detritivores

Animals that eat detritus, which is loose, fragmented material produced by the disintegration or wearing away of something.

Microbes

Bacteria and archaea that use sunlight or chemicals to create energy, support the base of the food web, and drive decomposition.

Nutrient

A compound required for the production of organic matter and for plant growth.

Nutrient Limiting

When organism growth is limited because of a lack of a specific nutrient.

Limiting Nutrients

Nutrients such as Nitrogen (Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia), Phosphorus, Iron, and Silica that limit growth.

Food Webs

A system that illustrates the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

Photosynthesis

A process that occurs in the transition zone and the aphotic zone where carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight produce glucose and oxygen.

Chemosynthesis

A process that occurs near hydrothermal vents where chemical oxidation produces glucose, sulfur, and oxygen from carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.

Biological Zones

Distinct areas in the ocean separated by temperature, salinity, nutrients, food, light, and water characteristics.

Provinces

Regions in the ocean where organisms are distinct and different from one another, similar to species in tropical rainforests or deserts.

Plankton

Tiny organisms that float or drift in the water and cannot swim against currents.

Nektonic Organisms

Animals that can swim actively through the water, such as fish, squid, and whales.

Benthic Organisms

Creatures that live on or in the ocean floor, like crabs, sea stars, and clams.

Marine Pollution

Any harmful substance or energy put into the oceans by humans.

Pollution

Includes trash, potentially harmful substances (like oil and pesticides), overfishing, and building structures that could adversely impact marine organisms.

Nutrient Cycles

Processes by which nutrients are recycled through plant growth and decay.

Upwelling

A process that brings nutrients from the ocean floor to the surface, enhancing productivity.

Chemical Oxidation

A process in chemosynthesis where an electron is removed, allowing other atoms or molecules to act as electron receptors.

Contamination

the presence of a substance where it should not be or at concentrations above background.

Assimilative Capacity

the maximum input of pollutants into a waterbody without harming the ecosystem.

Types of Marine Pollution

Includes trash, oil spills, PCB, DDT, overfishing, building structures, mercury, and pesticides.

Bioaccumulation

organisms concentrate pollutants from seawater.

Biomagnification

organisms gain more pollutants by eating other contaminated organisms.

Petroleum Pollution

comes from oil spills from accidents involving tankers, pipelines, drilling operations, or other human activities.