SIO 35 Midterm #1-10

What is thermohaline ?

Thermohaline refers to ocean circulation driven by differences in water temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline). This process affects global climate patterns and the distribution of marine life.  This colder, saltier water is denser, so it sinks deep into the ocean.

Why is thermohaline an important regulator of earths temperature?

This is important because of heat distribution(moderates global temperature), climate stability, and the carbon cycle(regulates green house gasses)

Describe Thermohaline

This sinking water flows along the ocean floor toward the equator, while warmer surface waters move poleward to replace it, creating a continuous global circulation pattern

What would happen if this circulation stopped ?

If thermohaline circulation stopped, it would disrupt global climate patterns, potentially leading to more extreme weather, cooling in some regions, and accelerating climate change due to trapped greenhouse gases.

What are the trade winds?

Trade winds are steady, predictable winds that blow from east to west near the Earth's equator.

What causes the trade winds, often referred to as the Easterlies

They happen because the Sun heats the Earth unevenly—warm air rises at the equator and cooler air from the subtropics moves in to replace it, creating wind. The Earth’s rotation causes these winds to bend westward.

What is the Northeast trade wind?

blow from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere

What is the southeast trade winds ?

blow from the southeast in the southern hemisphere

Why are the trade winds important?

They are important because they help drive ocean currents, move weather systems, and were used by sailors to travel across the oceans

Summary of trade winds

Warm air rises at the equator → cooler air moves in → Earth's rotation bends this moving air → steady east-to-west winds form

Why are the trade winds called “Easterlies”

They are called "Easterlies" because they blow from the east toward the west.

What is the theory of plate tectonics?

The theory of plate tectonics says that the Earth's outer layer (the crust) is broken into big pieces called plates.

These plates slowly move around on top of the soft, hot layer underneath (the mantle), like puzzle pieces floating on thick soup.

How do the plates meet?

Move apart (causing volcanoes or new ocean floor)

Collide (forming mountains or earthquakes)

Or slide past each other (causing earthquakes)

What does the theory of plate tectonics explain?

The formation of mountains

Earthquakes

Volcanic activity

The creation of ocean basins

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

Divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries.

What is divergent boundaries?

Divergent boundaries are areas where tectonic plates move apart from each other, leading to the formation of new oceanic crust, volcanic activity, and rift valleys.

What are convergent boundaries?

Convergent boundaries are regions where tectonic plates collide or move towards each other, resulting in the formation of mountains, deep ocean trenches, and volcanic arcs.

What are transform boundaries?

Transform boundaries are locations where tectonic plates slide past one another, causing earthquakes and the formation of faults, such as the San Andreas Fault.

What is an artesian well?

An artesian well is a type of well in which water rises to the surface under natural pressure without the need for pumping(can also flow out freely). It typically occurs in confined aquifers.

What is a confined aquifer?

A type of aquifer that is sandwiched between impermeable layers, allowing water to be stored under pressure.

What are two problems associated with pumping out groundwater?

Groundwater depletion, and land subsidence

What is the problem with groundwater depletion?

1. Pumping groundwater faster than it can naturally recharge leads to a dropping water table. 

   1. This can cause wells to dry up, reduce water availability, and harm ecosystems that depend on groundwater

What is land subsidence ?

1. Removing large amounts of groundwater can cause the ground above the aquifer to sink or collapse

   1. This damages buildings, roads, and other infrastructure and can permanently reduce the aquifers ability to store water

What is aquifer?

A geological formation that can store and transmit water, supplying wells and springs.

What is the orographic effect?

The orographic effect occurs when moist air is lifted over a mountain range, resulting in precipitation on the windward side and often creating a drier area on the leeward side.

What is windward side?

The side of a mountain range that faces the wind, where moist air rises and causes precipitation.

What is leeward side?

The side of a mountain range that is sheltered from the wind, typically experiencing less precipitation and drier conditions.

What is Ekman transport?

Ekman transport describes how ocean water moves at an angle to the wind direction because of the Coriolis effect and friction between water layers

Describe the surface water transport direction and total water transport direction in reference to the wind

Surface water moves at a 45-degree angle to the wind direction, while total water transport occurs at a 90-degree angle due to the cumulative effects of Ekman transport.

How does Ekman transport cause upwelling?

Ekman transport causes upwelling when surface water is displaced away from the coast, allowing deeper, nutrient-rich waters to rise to the surface, enhancing biological productivity.

What is El Nino?

El Niño is a natural climate pattern that happens when the usual trade winds weaken, causing warm water that is normally piled up in the western Pacific Ocean to move eastward toward South America.

What does El Nino disrupt?

It disrupts the typical atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns across the Pacific Ocean.

What happens during El Nino?

The trade winds weaken or even reverse.

Warm water stays near South America instead of moving west.

This changes the usual wind and rain patterns, causing flooding in some places and droughts in others.

What does El Nino effect?

So, El Niño affects both atmospheric circulation (winds and weather) and oceanic circulation (warm and cold water movement), disrupting weather all over the world.

What areas are effected by El Nino?

• Flooding in typically dry areas (like Peru)

• Drought in normally wet regions (like Indonesia and Australia)

• Disruption of fisheries and marine life due to reduced nutrients

Changes in global weather patterns (e.g., milder winters in parts of North America)

What percentage does groundwater make up for usable freshwater?

About 30 percent of total freshwater supply.

What are two immediate concerns regarding ground water?

Overdraft (overpumping), and contamination

Why is overdraft a problem in reference to ground water?

Groundwater is being extracted faster than it can naturally recharge, leading to declining water tables and dry wells. This threatens water supplies for drinking, agriculture, and industry.

Why is contamination a problem in reference to groundwater

Groundwater can be polluted by chemicals from agriculture (like pesticides and fertilizers), industrial spills, leaking landfills, and saltwater intrusion in coastal areas.

Once contaminated, groundwater is very difficult and expensive to clean up.

What is fusion?

Fusion is the process where two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy in the process

What is required for fusion to occur?

• Extremely high temperatures to give the nuclei enough energy to overcome their natural electrical repulsion (since positively charged nuclei repel each other).

• High pressure to force the nuclei close enough together for the strong nuclear force (which binds protons and neutrons together) to take over.
  

Example of fusion using hydrogen to helium

Hydrogen nuclei fuse under extreme conditions to form helium, releasing energy.

What is the most abundent elemet in the solar system?

• In the solar system, the most abundant elements are the light elements like hydrogen and helium.

What is the most abundant element on earth?

• On Earth, the most abundant elements are heavier elements like oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and iron.

Why is there a difference for the most abundant elements on earth and the solar system

• When the solar system formed, light elements (hydrogen, helium) stayed in the outer parts (forming the gas giants and the Sun), while heavier, rocky materials (metals and silicates) clumped together closer to the Sun to form the terrestrial planets like Earth.

• Earth's gravity isn't strong enough to hold on to very light gases like hydrogen and helium, so they escaped into space early in its history.