Ocean and water cycle Earth Environmental science AFHS

What is adhesion in the context of water properties?

particles of a different substance stick to each other.

Define cohesion as it relates to water.

particles of the same substance stick to each other.

What is surface tension?

A force that creates a film on the surface of water as particles of water stick together.

Explain polarity in water molecules.

Where a molecule has a positive charge on one end and a slightly negative charge on the other end.

What are the main stages of the water cycle?

Includes evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, percolation, and runoff.

How does evaporation contribute to the water cycle?

When water rises into the sky as vapor.

What occurs during condensation in the water cycle?

When water vapor cools and forms clouds.

Describe precipitation in the water cycle.

When water droplets fall back to Earth from clouds.

What is infiltration in the context of the water cycle?

When water seeps into the ground.

Define percolation in the water cycle.

The movement of water through soils and layers into underground groundwater.

What causes runoff in the water cycle?

When water does not seep into the ground and flows into other bodies of water.

What is specific heat capacity and how does it relate to water?

The amount of energy required to increase the temperature of water, which is high for water.

What is the difference between a sea breeze and a land breeze?

Occurs during the day from the sea, while a land breeze happens at night from the land.

What causes coastal breezes to change direction?

Differences in temperature cause coastal breezes to change direction, as land cools and warms faster than water.

Where does the salt in the ocean primarily come from?

Salt in the ocean comes from the weathering of rocks on continents and from magma beneath the earth.

How can salinity in the ocean change?

Increases when water is removed and decreases when water is added.

What is the thermocline?

The area of rapid increase in temperature found in bodies of water.

How do temperature and salinity affect the density of water?

Increased temperature makes water less dense, while colder temperatures and higher salinity increase density.

What drives surface currents in the ocean?

Surface currents are driven by the wind.

What causes deep ocean currents?

Deep ocean currents are caused by thermohaline circulation.

What is the Coriolis Effect?

The Coriolis Effect is the deflection of moving objects due to the Earth's rotation.

How does the Coriolis Effect influence ocean currents?

It causes currents in the northern hemisphere to spiral clockwise and in the southern hemisphere to spiral counterclockwise.

What is upwelling and why is it important?

Upwelling is the rise of nutrient-rich water to the surface, which fertilizes the ocean floor and supports marine life.

What are the two major reasons for rising sea levels?

The two biggest reasons for rising sea levels are melting ice caps and thermal expansion.

What does pH measure and how is the pH scale organized?

pH measures acidity; the scale ranges from 0-6 (acidic), 7 (neutral), to 8-14 (basic).

How does the ocean act as a carbon dioxide filter?

The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, leading to increased acidity.

How does ocean acidification affect marine animals with shells?

Ocean acidification dissolves the shells of marine animals.