Oceans & Coasts

Light blue?

continental shelf

Notches?

submarine canyons

Steep Part?

continental slope

Medium Blue?

continental rise

Dark Blue?

abyssal plain

What makes tides possible?

gravity

What makes waves possible?

friction (from wind)

When does a spring tide occur?

sun, moon, and earth in a straight line (full moon or new moon)

What term best describes an out-going tide?

ebb tide

Determine what type of tide to expect based on the not to scale cartoons

spring tide

Determine what type of tide to expect based on the not to scale cartoons

neap tide

Determine what type of tide to expect based on the not to scale cartoons

neap tide

A?

continental shelf

B?

continental slope

C?

continental rise

D?

abyssal plain

Key processes that shape all ocean basins?

tectonics and erosion

What are some ocean basin features?

mid ocean ridges, trenches, and abyssal plains

Costal processes involve the interactions of what 2 systems?

ocean system & atmospheric system

How do the climate system and Earth’s oceans interact?

the oceans absorb heat and co2 from the atmosphere influencing global temp and weather patterns; climate affects ocean circulation and sea level

How do the solar system and Earth’s oceans interact?

the gravitational pull of the moon and sun cause tides; sun provides energy that drives currents and the water cycle

Most marine organisms live where?

near coastlines (due to sunlight, nutrients, and shallow waters)

Continental Shelf *aka economical important source of oil, natural gas, and wind

fairly shallow, low sloping offshore area that receives sediment from continents

Continental Slope

area that descends steeply to the ocean depths

Submarine Canyon

relatively narrow and deep valleys carved into the continental shelf & slope

Continental Rise

gently sloping area of muddy and sandy sediments

Abyssal Plain *extends to the mid ocean ridge

flat area at the bottom of the ocean

Tides *usually 2 times a day

alternate rising and falling of the sea

How to make a tide?

• on moon facing side, water pulled away from earth

• moon also pulls earth toward it (a little bit)

• causes water on opposite side of earth to “slosh away” from earth

• makes high tide on moon-facing & opposite side of Earth

• makes low tide at 90° from the moon-facing and opposite side of earth

Spring Tide

tide in which the difference between high and low tide is the greatest

new moon or full moon *Sun, Moon, and Earth are aligned → stronger tides

Neap Tide

tide that results in a smaller-than-average difference between high and low water levels

first or third quarter moon *Sun and Moon pull at right angles → weaker tides

Flood Tide

tide is rising

Ebb Tide

tide is falling

Tidal Range (Tidal Reach)

the difference between high and low tide

Which bay has the highest tidal range in the world?

Bay of Fundy, Canada

Wave

a disturbance that transfers energy through water, usually caused by wind

Swell

a long, regular, and low-energy wave that forms in the deep ocean

What can:

• become longer, more regular, and uniform

• can travel LONG distances

swell

Fetch

the distance over which the wind blows to generate waves

Wave Crest

the highest point of the wave

Wave Through

the lowest point of the wave

T/F: molecules move in roughly circular motion as the wave passes by them

true

T/F: molecules move in roughly oval motion as the wave passes by them

false

Breaker

occur because water starts to move shore, friction causes the bottom of the wave to slow down and top of the wave to tip over

Swash

the water that moves up the beach AFTER a wave breaks

Backwash

the water that flows back down the beach after the swash

Longshore Drift

sediment transport along a beach by zigzag movement

Longshore Current

shallow, offshore current that flows parallel to shore *causes longshore drift

Wave Refraction

waves bend toward shore as they approach shore

Causes waves to retreat and straighten over time?

wave refraction

Rip Current

strong current flows perpendicular to the shore

Where do rip currents form?

where longshore currents meet (water “piles up”)

What causes winds over earth’s surface?

uneven heating

Current

well defined stream of ocean water

Surface currents are driven by ___ moving across the ocean.

wind

What hemisphere do currents veer right because of earth’s rotation?

northern hemisphere

What does the veering motion make?

gyres

Gyre

large circular flow pattern of ocean’s surface currents

The inside of a gyre is ___

still

Surface water sinks to ocean basins in ____ zones

downwelling

To make deep currents deep water rises to ocean surface in ____ zones

upwelling

Upwelling & downwelling zones are driven by what?

density and temperature differences between surface and deep water

Thermohaline Circulation

the rising and the sinking of ocean water driven by temperature and density differences

What does Thermohaline Circulation do?

move water and heat from ocean basin to ocean basin

Sea Level Rise

rise of ocean water

The melting of ice will/won’t contribute to sea level rise

WILL

The melting of ice floating on ocean will/won’t contribute to sea level rise

WON’T (it already has)

Beach Erosion

beach becomes narrower when sediment removal exceeds accumulation

Hurricane

greatest storm on earth

form in tropical areas

pushed by prevailing winds

Storm Surge

dome of seawater that rises above level of surrounding ocean *one of the most destructive sides of a hurricane