EPS SCI 15 UCLA FINAL

theory

A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data, can only be disproven

hypothesis

a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.

emperical evidence

can be repeated

confidence is based on

observational support

experimental evidence is

king

cientific advancements must often wait for

technoligical advancements

Deep ocean currents are driven by

density differences, GRAVITY

NADW is formed near

greenland

what causes NADW

evaporation and cooling causes surface water to sink and flow south

AABW

densest deep water

what causes AABW

Cold, dense water from sea ice formation in the Weddell Sea sinks and mixes with NADW to form AABW

Oceanic stratification and causes

Oceans have a stable density stratification, with less dense layers over deeper, more dense layers

gyres

main component of surface circulation

gyre

a circular motion of water in each of the major ocean basins

4 components of subtropical gyres

Equatorial current, Western Boundary Current, West wind drift, Eastern Boundary Current

Equatorial current

westward flowing currents that travel along the equator in all ocean basins caused by trade winds

western boundary currents

Warm waters from equatorial regions

Western edge of ocean basins

West Wind Drift

The clockwise movement of water as a current that circles around Antarctica in the Southern Ocean caused by westerlies

Eastern Boundary Currents

which flow from high latitudes to the equator, are slower, shallower, and wider than western boundary currents, cold

main gyres

Indian Ocean, North and South Atlantic, North and Pacific

Ekman transport

the net motion of fluid as the result of a balance between Coriolis and turbulent drag forces

Deflection is to the ______ in northern hemisphere and ______ an the southern hemisphere for Ekman transport

right, left

Hadley Cell

Updraft on hot side and downdraft on cold side

Hadley cells responsible for ___________ winds in the tropics.

trade

Hadley cells control ________-latitude weather patterns

low

Hadley cells circulation is constant/inconsistent?

constant

Coriolis force

The apparent force, resulting from the rotation of the Earth, that deflects air or water movement.

Objects appear to be deflected to the ____ of their intended path in the Northern Hemisphere (Coriolis force)

right

Objects appear to be deflected to the ______ of their intended path in the Southern Hemisphere (Coriolis force)

left

Hurricanes formation over the ocean is fueled by ________ bonds.

hydrogen

Water has a _______ specific heat capacity.

high

Water has high/low latent heat

high

Water _________ when it freezes

expands

Water Can't dissolve molecules that are _________________

nonpolar

Solid ice is -_____ dense than liquid water

less

As temperature increases, density

decreases

As the salinity of seawater increases, its:

density increases

condesation _______ heat

adds

melting _______ heat

reduces

Paleomagnestism

the branch of geophysics concerned with the magnetism in rocks that was induced by the earth's magnetic field at the time of their formation.

atlantic sea floor spreading rate

2-3 cm/year

pacific sea floor spreading rate

10-15 cm/year

interior of earth

most dense at center, least dense at surface

crust

low density rock, granite and basalt

mantle

higher denisty

core

most dense, mostly iron

lithosphere

The cool, rigid, outermost layer of Earth that consists of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle 100 km thick

Asthenosphere

plastic mantle of mantle below lithosphere, 600 km thick

Mesosphere

right layer aka middle and lower mantle

inner and outer core

inner is solid outer is liquid

divergent plate boundary

an area beneath the ocean where tectonic plates move away from each other, lithosphere made

convergent boundary

A plate boundary where two plates move toward each other, subduction occurs, old lithosphere destroyed

heat flow is _____ at trenches but ______ at volcanic archs.

low / high

transform plate boundary

Boundary between two plates that are sliding past each other parralel, conserves lithosphere

transform plate boundaries have _______ heat flow and __________ ____________.

low, shallow earthquakes

Guyot formation

isolated underwater volcanic mountains

hot spots

Plumes of hot magma producing places where molten material from the mantle reaches the lithosphere, aka erupt through a plate moving over it

hot spotsform

chain of extinct volcanic islands

isostasy

The balancing of the downward force of the crust and the upward force of the mantle, blocks of rigid lithosphere that balance in the asthenosphere

oceanic curst

iron and magnesium, 5-10 km (thinner) and denser than continental crust

continental curst

more sodium, pottasium, and calcium, 30-40 km thick, ex is granite

mantle convection

the slow creeping motion of Earth's solid silicate mantle caused by convection currents carrying heat from the interior of the Earth to the surface, 100 mil year

mid ocean range (MOR)

mountain chains that run through center of earth's oceans

how are mor's charcterized

by a high rate of heat flow from the mantle to neighboring segments of the seafloor

_________ often form at MOR's.

volcanoes

plate tectonics and links to life

Essential for the development of complex life forms Presence could be used to detect habitable worlds

Allows for recycling of key nutrients that are needed for life

Generates a magnetic field which deflects the solar wind

Recycling of carbon through tectonic processes stabilizes temperature; lack of it leads to runaway greenhouse

cosmogenous sediment

sediment derived from outer space

hydrogenous sediment

seafloor sediment consisting of minerals that crystallize from seawater

terrigenous sediment

Sediment derived from the land and transported to the ocean by wind and flowing water.

continental margin

a boundary between continental crust and oceanic crust, terrigenous sediment

abyssal clays

wind blownd ust that accumulates for from cont.l margins, terrigenous

volcanogenic sediment

sediment that is derived from volcanic ash, terrigenous

glacial marine

terrigenous, wind blown from ash volcanoes

biogenous sediment

Sediment that is made up of the skeletons and shells of marine organisms.

CCD (Carbonate Compensation Depth)

depth in the ocean at which carbonate minerals dissolve

ocean deep water are very cold, _______ rich

CO2- RICH

calcium carbonate tends to dissolve ________ in deeper water because it tends to be more acidic

faster

local controls on sea level

tectonic forces, crustal adjustment

global controls on sea level

Ocean basin volume change

Global amount of liquid water vs. ice

Global temperature variations

Foreshore zone:

covered / uncovered each tidal cycle

Swash zone

covered / uncovered by each wave

Berm

flat top, steep seaward angle, wave-deposited sand

Longshore bar

bar of sand located typically near the beach break

longshore currents

movement of water near & parallel to shore

Coastal (Littoral) Zone

beach compartments associated w transport of sediments by currents

breakwaters

out from shore

seawalls

at shore

groins

outward from beaches

jetties

at mouths of rivers, inlets, harbours, etc.

beach nourishment

dumping new sand onto eroding beaches to restore them

pelagic organism live in

water column

benthos organisms live on

bottom

Autotroph

An organism that makes its own food

photic zone (ocean)

the zone that receives enough light to allow photosynthesis to occur

Heterotroph

An organism that cannot make its own food.

Phytoplankton

photosynthetic algae found near the surface of the ocean

Zooplankton

small free-floating animals that form part of plankton

phytoplankton are/arent photosynthetic

are

Primary producers of food for other organisms

phytoplankton

adaptations of phytoplankton

Maximum absorption of sunlight

Nutrient-rich waters

Minimize predation