Test 2 stuff (oceanography)

What is oceanography?

The composition or structure of the ocean.

What is the largest reservoir in the world?

The ocean.

What is the average salinity of seawater?

3.5% or 35‰ (parts per thousand).

How is salinity in the ocean affected?

It is 33‰ when freshwater is added and 40‰ when freshwater is removed by evaporation.

What is the formula that represents the relationship of precipitation, evaporation, and runoff in the ocean?

P=E+R.

What happens to density as salinity increases in water?

Higher salinity means more density.

What is thermocline?

A layer in the ocean where salinity and temperature gradients change with depth.

What does a gyre refer to in oceanography?

A large system of rotating ocean currents driven by Earth's wind patterns and the Coriolis effect.

What are the four major components of the atmosphere by percentage?

78% N2 (nitrogen), 21% O2 (oxygen), <1% Ar (argon), ≈ 0.04% other gases.

What layer of the atmosphere contains most of our weather?

The troposphere.

What are the two solstices and their corresponding dates?

Summer solstice (June 21) and Winter solstice (December 21).

What are greenhouse gases, give examples?

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere; examples include CO2 (carbon dioxide) and CH4 (methane).

What is the relative humidity equation?

Relative Humidity (RH) = (Water vapor content / Water vapor capacity) x 100.

What is dew point?

The temperature at which air becomes saturated and water vapor condenses.

What is the significance of Mohs hardness scale?

A scale that ranks minerals based on their ability to scratch one another, indicating hardness.

Define mineral. Include its characteristics.

Naturally occurring solid, inorganic, chemical compound with a crystalline structure.