The Origin and Evolution of the Marine Environment

Flashcards for vocabulary related to the marine environment and glacial studies.

Relative Sea-Level

The sea level that is seen from land, i.e., the waterline at the beach.

Eustatic Sea-Level

The global average of sea level, the standard zero for sea level measurements.

Global Hydrologic Cycle

The cycle by which water evaporates, travels through the atmosphere, and returns to the surface as precipitation.

Eustatic Sea-Level Rise

Sea level rise caused by melting ice/ice sheets on land and thermal expansion of warming seawater.

Cirque Glaciers

Glaciers that fill mountain-top bowls.

Valley Glaciers

Glaciers that flow like rivers down valleys.

Piedmont Glaciers

Glaciers that spread out at the end of a valley.

Ice Sheet

A vast ice covering large land areas, such as those found in Greenland and Antarctica.

Glacier Advance

Occurs when accumulation of snow is greater than ablation.

Glacier Retreat

Occurs when ablation is greater than accumulation.

Zone of Accumulation

Area of net snow addition where snow remains across the summer months.

Zone of Ablation

Area of net ice loss.

Plucking

The process where glaciers freeze to rocks and pull pieces of the rock away as they move.

Abrasion

The sandpaper effect of glaciers generating rock flour and polishing bedrock.

U-Shaped Valley

A valley shaped by the erosive action of a glacier.

Fjord

A flooded glacial valley.

Remote Sensing

Measurements taken at a distance from the object being measured, often used in conjunction with geophysical research.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)

A remote sensing method used to measure land elevation models.

Satellite Altimetry

A technique for measuring Eustatic sea level using satellites.

Icehouse World

Periods characterized by repeated cycles of ice sheet formation and melting.

Pleistocene Ice Ages

A series of glacial periods during the Pleistocene epoch.

Milankovitch Cycles

Climate variations caused by changes in Earth's orbital geometry.

Oxygen Isotope Ratio

The ratio of different oxygen isotopes (18O/16O) used to study past ocean conditions.

Chemical Weathering

The erosion of rocks caused by chemical reactions, which can be influenced by atmospheric CO2 levels.

Basal Slip

The sliding of a glacier over its base due to meltwater acting as a lubricant.

Thermal Expansion

The increase in volume of water as it warms, contributing to sea-level rise.

Equilibrium Line

The elevation at which the accumulation of snow equals the ablation of ice.

Crevasses

Cracks that form in the ice of a glacier as it moves.

Glacial Speed

The rate at which glacial ice moves, often measured using remote sensing.

Seawater Isotope Ratio

The specific ratio of oxygen isotopes found in seawater, influenced by freezing and melting processes.

Interglacial Period

A warmer period between ice ages when glaciers retreat.

Glacial Erosion

The process by which glaciers shape the landscape through the removal of sediment and rock.

Fjords

Narrow inlets formed by flooding of glacial valleys.

Greenhouse World

A period where the Earth is ice-free, but sea level changes still occur.

Quaternary Sea-Level Change

Sea-level changes linked to glacial-interglacial cycles over the Quaternary period.

Primary Production

The production of organic compounds from carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.

Albedo Effect

The reflectivity of Earth's surface, with changes influencing climate and temperature.

Oxygen Isotope Fractionation

The process by which isotopes of oxygen separate during evaporation and precipitation.

Pee-Dee Belemnite

A standard for measuring oxygen isotopes established in 1951, now replaced by the

Climate Variation

Changes in climate resulting from various natural and anthropogenic factors.

Greenland Ice Sheet

The vast ice sheet that covers Greenland and is significant for global sea level.

Antarctica Ice Sheet

The ice sheet covering Antarctica, contributing to sea-level changes when it melts.

Geophysical Research

Scientific study focused on measuring Earth's physical properties, often using remote sensing technology.

Oceanic Currents

Large-scale movements of water within the world's oceans, influencing climate and sea-level.

Isotope Ratio Change

Variations in oxygen isotope ratios in marine sediments indicating historical sea levels.