EXAM 3 NJIT PHYS 203 The Earth In Space Libby

Oceanography

study of earth's hydrosphere

Hydrosphere

sum of all of earth's water

Oceanographers

someone who studies oceanography

Bathymetry

measure of depth of earth's features below sea level

Hypsometry

measure of elevation of earth's features above sea level

Sounding

technique of measuring ocean depth by sinking a weighted object and counting rope length

Fathom

6 feet or 2 yards of ocean depth

Echo sounding

technique using sound waves to measure ocean depth

SONAR (SOund Navigation And Ranging)

advanced method of measuring ocean depth using multiple sound emissions

Maximum ocean depth

11 km, Marianas Trench

Maximum continental elevation

8.85 km, Mount Everest

Average ocean depth

3.7 km

Average continental elevation

840 m

Continental Shelf

shallow area extending from the continent

Continental Slope

steeper area that leads to deeper ocean

Continental Rise

area formed by sediment deposits at the base of the continental slope

Ocean Basin

large, flat region of the ocean floor

Abyssal Hills

small, rolling hills on the ocean floor near continental margins

Tablemounts (guyots)

flat-topped seamounts formed by erosion

Seamounts

underwater mountains formed by volcanic activity

Biogenic Sedimentary Rock

rock formed from accumulated organic material, like fish fecal pellets

Oceanic Ridge

underwater mountain system formed by tectonic activity

Oceanic Trenches

deep depressions formed at subduction zones

Active Continental Margin

area with significant geological activity

Passive Continental Margin

area with little geological activity

Submarine Canyons

steep, underwater valleys carved by turbidity currents

Turbidity Currents

underwater landslides moving sediment down continental slopes

Deep-Sea Fan

accumulated sediment deposits at the base of submarine canyons

Water (H2O)

molecule essential for life, structured as a tetrahedron with dipolar properties

Cohesion

attraction between water molecules

Surface Tension

tendency of liquid surfaces to minimize area, allowing objects to float on water

Adhesion

attraction of water molecules to other substances

Capillary Action

ability of water to flow in narrow spaces without external forces

Solvent

liquid, like water, that dissolves solutes to form a solution

Marine Effect

temperature moderation effect of oceans on coastal climates

Continental Effect

greater temperature fluctuations in areas farther from the ocean

Salinity

measure of salt concentration in water

Average Ocean Salinity

3.5% or 35 parts per thousand (‰)

Hypersaline Water

water with higher salt concentration than seawater

Brackish Water

water with salinity higher than freshwater but lower than seawater

Limnological Water

water with very low salinity, close to 0

Salinometer

device used to measure the salinity of a solution

Electric Conductivity

in salinity measurements, higher conductivity indicates higher salinity

Halocline

layer in the ocean where salinity changes rapidly with depth

Thermocline

layer in the ocean where temperature changes rapidly with depth

Isothermal

region of constant temperature with depth

Pycnocline

layer in the ocean where density increases rapidly with depth

Isopcynal

region of constant density with depth

Euphotic Zone

ocean layer with sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis(MIDDLE SUNLIGHT)

Disphotic Zone

ocean layer with limited light, also known as the twilight zone(LEAST SUNLIGHT)

Aphotic Zone

deepest, lightless layer of the ocean

Plankton

drifters in the ocean, including phytoplankton and zooplankton

Phytoplankton

microscopic organisms in the ocean that photosynthesize

Zooplankton

microscopic animals in the ocean, feeding on phytoplankton

Nekton

swimming organisms in the ocean, such as fish and whales

Benthos

bottom-dwelling organisms like lobsters and crabs

Bioproductivity

rate of biomass production in an ecosystem, often dependent on sunlight and nutrients

Surface Currents

horizontal circulating bodies of water on the ocean surface

Subtropical Gyres

large, circular ocean currents that rotate clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere

Equatorial Countercurrents

ocean currents that flow west to east, countering the main equatorial currents

El Niño

warm phase of the ENSO cycle, causing wetter, cooler winters in some regions

La Niña

cool phase of the ENSO cycle, leading to drier, warmer conditions

Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)

recurring pattern of warm and cool surface water in the Pacific Ocean

Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO)

climate pattern similar to PDO, occurring in the Atlantic Ocean

Deep Currents

vertical ocean currents caused by density differences, dependent on temperature

Antarctic Bottom Water

coldest, densest water in the ocean, found near Antarctica

Arctic Deep Water

second coldest, flows above Antarctic Bottom Water

Ocean Waves

propagating disturbances, often driven by wind

Transverse Wave

wave where the disturbance direction is perpendicular to the propagation direction

Longitudinal Wave

wave where the disturbance direction is parallel to the propagation direction

Surface Wave

wave with circular motion, typical on water surfaces

Wavelength

distance between two crests or troughs of a wave

Frequency

number of wave cycles per second, measured in hertz (Hz)

Amplitude

energy of a wave; distance from the center to the crest or trough

Constructive Interference

when two waves meet and combine, increasing amplitude

Destructive Interference

when two waves meet and cancel each other, reducing amplitude

Mixed Interference

combination of constructive and destructive interference between waves

Dispersive Waves

waves where energy travels at different speeds, causing wave packets to spread

Non-Dispersive Waves

waves where energy and wave crests travel at the same speed, maintaining shape

Diffraction

bending of waves around obstacles

Wind Fetch

distance over which wind blows to generate waves

Whitecaps

waves with breaking crests that form foam due to wind

Monster Waves (Rogue Waves)

sudden, large waves caused by constructive interference of multiple wave systems

Shoaling

process of wave transformation as they move from deep to shallow water

Spilling Breakers

gradual, small waves common on the east coast of the U.S.

Plunging Breakers

moderate breaking waves with a steeper slope

Surging Surf

powerful surf resulting from abrupt shoaling, common on the west coast

Prevailing Westerlies

dominant winds in North America that blow from west to east

Tsunami

large, long-wavelength waves caused by submarine disturbances like earthquakes

Flood Tide

term for high tide

Ebb Tide

term for low tide

Spring Tides

tides with the highest tidal range, occurring during new and full moons

Neap Tides

tides with the smallest tidal range, occurring during the first and third quarters of the moon

Tidal Range

difference in height between high (flood) and low (ebb) tides

Semidiurnal Tidal Pattern

two equal high and low tides each day

Diurnal Tidal Pattern

one high and one low tide each day

Tidal Bore

wave created by tides that moves up a river, common in Bay of Fundy, Canada

Bay of Fundy

region in Canada known for the largest tidal range in the world

Geosphere

earth's solid layer, affected by gravitational pull of the sun and moon

Terrestrial Landscape Environments

land environments including forests, mountains, and deserts