BIO-362 Marine Ecology Lecture 5

Ocean is highly effective at absorbing light (t/f)

True, by 3 feet, only 45% of solar energy remains

Part of EM spectrum that reach deepest into the ocean

Blue & green light

Turbidity

Influences how deep light can penetrate

Ocean requires little heat to raise temperature (t/f)

False, high specific heat

Ocean currents significantly impact the global climate (t/f)

True, currents store and transport heat

Thermocline

Temperature gradient with depth, varying by region

Thermocline in tropics

Strong and permanent

Thermocline in temperate regions

Fairly strong and seasonal

Thermocline in polar regions

Little to none, constant temperature

Salinity

Measured as the total of all individual dissolved salt ions

Variations in sea surface salinity is caused by

Differences in evaporation and precipitation levels, and freshwater input

Halocline

Strong vertical salinity gradient that affects the density of seawater

Pycnocline

Density gradient created by the interaction of ocean circulation, temperature, and salinity

(halocline + thermocline)

Coriolis effect

Force acting on mass moving in a rotating system, causing it to move perpendicular to the direction of motion and the axis of rotation, strongest at the poles

Ekman transport

Wind-driven water transport deflected by the Earth's rotation, descends in a spiral motion with decreasing speed

Ocean gyres

large, slow, circular system of circulating ocean currents, clockwise -> NH, counter-clockwise -> SH

Upwelling

Upward movement of cool, nutrient-rich deep water

Causes of upwelling

Winds, coriolis effect, and ekman transport

Thermohaline circulation

Movement of water driven by temperature and salinity differences affecting density, causing deep water formation and transport

Great ocean conveyor belt

Global thermohaline circulation that transports warm surface currents and cold deep currents