Oceanography Study guide.

for EESanswer key

1. What are 3 factors that affect ocean surface currents? ​Wind, coriolis effect, deflection
by land
2. What is the direction and location of the following surface currents?Gulf Stream, North
Atlantic , S. Equatorial, Canary, Peru, Brazil, East Australian, East wind drift.
3. How does the uneven heating of the sun affect the temperature of surface currents?
Currents at the equator are warm and cold currents at the poles( higher latitudes)
4. What type of surface currents travel towards the equator? ​cold
5. What type of surface currents travel towards the poles? ​warm
6. How do surface currents affect climate? Explain ​They transfer heat ..warm up
coastlines and cool off coastlines.
7. What is the relationship between global wind patterns and ocean surface currents?
Move in same direction ( actually 45 degrees)
8. What is the percentage of salt in the oceans? ​3.5%
9. What two elements make up most of the salt in the ocean? (​Na) Sodium and chloride (
CL)
10. What is the definition for salinity? ​The amount of salt in a solution
11. Define thermocline. ​Drastic change in temperature in the intermediate layer
12. What layer is the thermocline located in. ​intermediate or transition zone
13. What are the 3 layers of the ocean? ​Upper surface layer( 0-200m), intermediate ( or
transition zone) lower deep layer (1000-600m)
14. Explain how a deep ocean current works as a conveyor belt mixing water for 1,000
years.. ​Based on density of ocean water, cold dense water sinks and warm less dense
water rises in a convection current. The warm surface currents move to poles and get
colder and sink….
15. Name 2 things a deep ocean density current does in the world’s oceans.​ The current
mixes heat and nutrients throughout the ocean basins.
16. Name 2 factors that affect ocean density. ​Temperature and salinity
17. How can nature decrease the amount of salt in the ocean? ​Precipitation, ice melting,
runoff
18. How can nature increase the amount of salt in the ocean? ​Evaporation, freezing ice
19. What is a tide? ​Rhythmic rise and fall of sea level
20. What is a spring tide? ​Strongest gravitational pull…highest high tide & lowest low
tide, earth sun moon all lined up
21. What is a neap tide? ​Weakest grav pull…earth,sun moon at right angles, low high tide,
high low tide
22. What is a diurnal tide? ​One high tide, and one low tide in a tidal cycle
23. What is a semidiurnal tide? ​2 high tides and two low tides at same height
24. What is a mixed tide? ​2 high tides and two low tides at different heights.
25. How does temperature and salinity affect density. Give examples for temp and one for
salinity. ​Colder and saltier water is more dense.
26. Define a longshore current. A ​current parallel to the shore line.
27. Wave impact and pressure cause ____.​ EROSION
28.
28. The movement of water that parallels the shore within the surf zone is called
____.​Longshore current

29. A sandbar that completely crosses a bay, closing it off from the open ocean, is a ​BAR or
baymouth bar
30. Name 3 shoreline features that are created through the process of erosion? ​Cave, cliff,
arch,stack
31. Name 3 shoreline features which are created through the deposition of sediment.
Tombolo, barrier island, spit, bar
32. Name 3 ways man can prevent shoreline erosion. Beach nourishment, groins, breakwall
or breakwaters, seawall
33. Name one pro and one con for Man’s ways for preventing shoreline erosion. ​Pros
preserves coastline, cons; changes the natural processes….
34.