AICE Marine Physics
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60 Terms
What is the main force that drives surface ocean currents?
Wind
What is the name for the apparent deflection of moving water caused by Earth's rotation?
Coriolis effect
In which direction are ocean currents deflected in the Northern Hemisphere?
Clockwise
In which direction are ocean currents deflected in the Southern Hemisphere?
Anticlockwise
What happens to moving ocean water when it encounters a continent?
Its direction changes
What is the name for a large, circular system of ocean currents?
Gyre
What type of current generally carries warm water away from the equator?
Warm current
What type of current generally carries cold water toward the equator?
Cold current
What happens to the density of seawater as its temperature decreases?
Density increases
What happens to the density of seawater as its salinity increases?
Density increases
What two properties of seawater drive thermohaline circulation?
Temperature and salinity
What happens to seawater density when it becomes colder and saltier?
Density increases
What happens to dense seawater in polar regions?
It sinks
What is the name of the global system that transports water through the oceans?
Global ocean conveyor belt
What is the main driving force behind deep-ocean thermohaline circulation?
Differences in seawater density
What process can increase the salinity of seawater when sea ice forms?
Brine rejection
What happens to the density of seawater when freshwater is added?
Density decreases
What is one important effect of the global ocean conveyor belt?
Redistributes heat around Earth
What does ENSO stand for?
El Ni帽o Southern Oscillation
In which ocean does ENSO occur?
Pacific Ocean
What are the two main phases of ENSO besides neutral conditions?
El Ni帽o and La Ni帽a
During El Ni帽o, what happens to sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific?
They become warmer than normal
During La Ni帽a, what happens to sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific?
They become cooler than normal
Which phase of ENSO weakens the normal easterly trade winds?
El Ni帽o
Which phase of ENSO generally strengthens the easterly trade winds?
La Ni帽a
During El Ni帽o, what happens to the normal westward movement of warm surface water?
It weakens
During El Ni帽o, what happens to upwelling off the coast of Peru?
It weakens
During La Ni帽a, what generally happens to upwelling off the coast of Peru?
It strengthens
During normal conditions, where does warm surface water accumulate in the equatorial Pacific?
Western Pacific
During El Ni帽o, which part of the equatorial Pacific experiences increased warming?
Central and eastern Pacific
During El Ni帽o, how can rainfall patterns change in the western Pacific?
Rainfall often decreases
During El Ni帽o, how can rainfall patterns change in parts of the central and eastern Pacific?
Rainfall often increases
What is the name of the atmospheric pressure pattern associated with ENSO?
Southern Oscillation
What happens to nutrient availability in surface waters when upwelling weakens?
Nutrient availability decreases
When cold, nutrient-rich water comes to the surface, what is this process called?
Upwelling
What type of water typically rises during upwelling?
Cold, nutrient-rich deep water
What happens to phytoplankton growth when nutrient supply increases?
Growth generally increases
Why are upwelling regions often productive fishing grounds?
Nutrients support food webs and fish populations
What wind pattern can cause coastal upwelling?
Winds that move surface water away from the coast
What happens to deeper water when surface water moves offshore?
It rises to replace it
What is the name for the movement of surface water away from a coastline?
Offshore transport
What happens to the supply of nitrate and phosphate at the surface during upwelling?
It increases
What is one possible ecological consequence of reduced upwelling during El Ni帽o?
Reduced primary productivity
Which South American country is especially associated with productive coastal upwelling?
Peru
What is the main cause of Earth's tides?
Gravitational attraction of the Moon and Sun
Which celestial body has the greatest influence on Earth's tides?
Moon
What is a high tide?
The highest water level during a tidal cycle
What is a low tide?
The lowest water level during a tidal cycle
What is tidal range?
Difference between high-tide and low-tide heights
What type of tide has the greatest tidal range?
Spring tide
What type of tide has the smallest tidal range?
Neap tide
During which lunar phases do spring tides occur?
New moon and full moon
During which lunar phases do neap tides occur?
First-quarter and third-quarter moons
During a spring tide, how are the Sun, Earth and Moon aligned?
Approximately in a straight line
During a neap tide, what is the approximate angle between the Earth-Moon and Earth-Sun directions?
90掳
What is the term for a tide with one high tide and one low tide each day?
Diurnal tide
What is the term for a tide with two high tides and two low tides of roughly equal height each day?
Semidiurnal tide
What is the term for a tide with two unequal high tides and two unequal low tides each day?
Mixed semidiurnal tide
What is the height of the water above a chosen tidal datum called?
Tidal height
Name one environmental factor, other than lunar and solar alignment, that can affect tidal range.
Wind, air pressure, coastal geomorphology, or size of water body