Oceanography

Cohesion

ability of water molecules to stick to each other

adhesion

ability of water molecules to stick to other surfaces

heat capacity

the measure of heat to be supplied to a material to produce a unit change in its temperature

calorie

the amount of energy required to raise 1g of water by 1C

dark oxygen

oxygen that is possibly produced from electrolysis from hydrogenous metallic nodules

thermal gradient

25C/Km

Conservative Consituents (make the ocean salty)

Na, Cl, K, I, Ca, Br

Non conservative constituents

Phosphates, Nitrates, SiO2, CO3, Ca, Al

Three density zones in the ocean

surface zone, Pycnocline, Deep zone

surface zone

lease dense, temp and salinity constant

Pycnocline

higher density, colder, change in temp - thermocline, change in salinity - halocline

reflection

light bouncing off a surface

refraction

light or sound bending in waves or water

scatteriing

when light is bounced between water air and dust particles

sound travels faster in warm water but

velocity increases in deep cold water

vertical winds at the equator

doldrums

Horse latitudes

(30 degrees) between the hadley and ferrel cells

hadley cells

cells nearest the equator

ferrel cells

between hadley and polar

trade winds

E to W

westerlies

W to E

Coriolis effect

gets stonger further from the ITCZ

advection

transfer of heat by the flow of a fluid horizontally

imbrication

when flat or elongated rocks are stacked in alternating fashion

sea breeze

the cycle of ocean/land heating and cooling by night and day

extratropical cyclones

hurricane like storms that form in the ferrel cells

oribital forcing

precession, obliquity, eccentricity

precession

rotation of earths axis (every 18-24k yrs)

obliquity

modification of earths axial tilt from 23.5 to 22.5-24.5 (every 40k yrs)

eccentricity

change in earths orbit from circular to eliptical (every 100-400k yrs)

eastern boundary current

eastern part of a gyre, no eddies, cold water to equator

ekman transport

the movement of water to the center of a gyre

coastal upwelling

transport of nutrients from the deep to the surface

transverse boundary current

due to trade winds, flows in either direction linking E and W boundary currents

monsoon currents

ITCZ migrates and so do certain currents like the indian ocean current

high latitude currents

alaskand, greenland, and labrador currents that flow counter to the coriolis effect

downwelling currents

center of gyres and in polar regions, low productivity

langmuir circulation

sustained wind and coriolis effect causes spiral currents of water near the ocean’s surface

el nino

every 3-7 yrs equatorial winds reverse causing wet season in the americas and dryness in asia/indonesia

la nina

polar jetstream dips south, pacific jetstream moves north, causes storms on the east coast, heat and moisture on west coast

counter currents

flow opposite to prevailing winds, build up of water in the western ocean from gyres, water flows downward under the surface