Oceanography Chapter 1 Flashcards

What are the four branches of oceanography?

Physical, Chemical, Geological, and Biological

What is Physical oceanography?

study of ocean movement, waves, and physical properties

What is Chemical oceanography?

study of seawater chemistry and cycles of elements

What is geological oceanography?

study of seafloor and Earth processes in the ocean

What is biological oceanography?

study of marine life and ecosystems

Give three examples of physical oceanography

• Ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream or Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

• Tides and their influence on coastal environments.

• Ocean-atmosphere interactions like El Niño and La Niña.

Give three examples of chemical oceanography

• Measuring dissolved oxygen levels in the deep ocean.

• Tracking carbon dioxide absorption and ocean acidification.

• Studying nutrient cycles (nitrogen, phosphorus, silica) in seawater.

Give three examples of geological oceanography

• Mapping mid-ocean ridges and seafloor spreading zones.

• Investigating deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

• Studying marine sediments to reconstruct past climates.

Give three examples of biological oceanography

• Plankton productivity and its role in the food web.

• Coral reef ecology and bleaching events.

• Migration patterns of whales, tuna, or sea turtles.

What’s the typical depth of an ocean?

3729 m

What are the 5 characteristics of science?

• Guided by natural law

• Explanatory by reference to natural law

• Testable against the observable

• Conclusions are tentative (subject to change)

• It is falsifiable 

Deductive reasoning is _____ based

Hypothesis

Inductive reason is _____ science

Discovery

Deductive reasoning is

You make a hypothesis on a certain situation from general principles.

What is inductive reasoning?

derives generalities from many specific observations

What are the steps of the scientific theory?

• Observation 

• Make a hypothesis

• Test hypothesis (experimentation or systemic observation)

• Analyze results 

• Record results/declare theory