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Tides
The alternating rise and fall of local sea level
Spring
A higher than usual tide that occurs twice a month
Trough
The lowest part of a wave
Breaker
an unstable wave whose crest is falling forward
Longshore current
a current resulting from waves breaking at an angle to the shore
Rip Current
a strong, narrow surface current that carries water from the shore to the sea
Hook
a spit with a sharp bend
Tombolo
a wave deposit that connects an island or a stack with the mainland
Gyre
a circular flow of currents within an ocean basin
Upwelling
cold water rising to the surface
moon
what has the greatest influence in causing the tides?
two low tides two high tides
How many tides do most coasts have in a day?
the sun, moon, and earth, are in a straight line
What is the cause of the very high spring tides that occur twice a month?
Gulf Stream
The major warm current that is in the West Atlantic Ocean
Ekman Spiral
What combines the effects of the Coriolis effect, current speed, and water depth to produce the direction of the current?
European Eels, Humpback Whales, Plankton
Which forms of sea life use the ocean currents to move?
the Center
Where is sea level the highest in an ocean gyre?
Oxygen
Water that is forced down by downwelling has more _______________________but less nutrients than the surrounding waters
Downwelling, Ekman spiral effect, and density differences
What 3 things have the greatest effect on subsurface currents?
Thermohaline currents
Which type of currents are subsurface currents and density currents?
wave base
the deepest depth below the ocean's surface that is affected by a wave
period
Wave speed is directly related to the wave __________________
rip currents
What probably causes the most drownings?
Neap Tides
lower than usual tides that occur twice each month
man's carelessness and a strong oceanic gyre
What are two causes the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
Turbidity current
what type is a type of density current that carries a lot of sediment and acts like an underwater mudslide
Wavelength
the horizontal distance from the crest of one wave to the crest of the next wave
fetch
the distance that wind blows over the water's surface in one direction
stack
a mass of rock that has been cut off from the mainland by erosion
Tsunami
What are the large waves caused by earthquakes
tidal wave
the regular changes in sea level caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon
Groins
What are sometimes constructed along the coastlines because they disrupt longshore currents, which helps to reduce beach erosion
it pulls up nutrients that support phytoplankton which is the basis of the marine food chain
How does Upwelling help make very productive fisheries?
TRUE
True or False: the moon's gravity causes the ocean to rise on just the near side of the earth
Small
Are the power plants designed to harness the power of tidal changes large or small?
Prevailing Westerlies
winds that blow on an angle towards the poles, pushing surface water in a eastern direction
Rotation
Currents are affected by the ____________________ of the earth
False
True or False: due to Kuroshia (Japan) Current, western Canada is colder than eastern Siberia
desert
Cold ocean currents along a coast can dry the air so much that a __________________ forms
False
True or False: Upwelling has been observed only near the equator due to its lower than average sea level
Short
Waves usually move water a _____________________ distance
the Longest waves
What kind of waves have the greatest speeds?
Note
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