Question | Answer |
What are the two sources of water for Earth's oceans? | Condensation that is expelled from volcanoes as water vapor and Asteroids/comets. |
What is the world's largest and deepest ocean? | The Pacific Ocean. |
What are the four criteria that scientists use to classify Ocean Zones? | Sunlight, Temperature, Salinity, and Density. |
Name the 3 Ocean Zones. | Surface Zone, Middle Zone, Deep Zone. |
As the depth increases in the Polar Regions, Temperature _____. | Stays the same. |
Describe the Mid-ocean ridges. | Tectonic plates pulled apart to form volcanic mountain range, tallest and longest on Earth. |
What Energy Resources can be found on the Seafloor? | Oil, Natural Gas, Methane Hydrates. |
Define Salinity. | Measure of the mass of dissolved solids in a mass of water. |
What is so unique about water's (H2O) solid form, ice? | It is less dense than its liquid form. |
The density of freshwater is highest at what temperature? | 4 degrees Celsius. |
What is a substance that dissolves when placed in water? | Sodium chloride. |
Define Cohesion. | The attraction among molecules that are similar. |
Define Adhesion. | The attraction among molecules that are different. |
State what two molecules create a water molecule, how many of each molecule there is, and which molecules have which charge. | 1 Oxygen molecule (-), 2 Hydrogen molecules (+). |
How many forms of matter does H2O appear as in the natural world? | All three, as a liquid (water), as a gas (water vapor), and as a solid (ice). |
Define Polarity. | A condition in which opposite ends of a molecule have slightly opposite charges, but the overall charge of the molecule is neutral. |
Define Gyre. | It is a circular system of currents. |
Where do upwellings bring the cold water in the Pacific and Indian Oceans due to the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt? | It is brought to the surface where it is then warmed by the sun. |
If coastal areas of the southeastern U.S are experiencing warm and humid summer evenings with frequent rain, what is the cause? | The Gulf Streams transfers strong thermal energy to the land. |
Explain why upwellings occur, and at least one benefit from it. | When wind blows across the ocean's surface and pushes water away from the area and the water can be easily purified due to nutrient-rich water. |
Define an ocean current. | A large volume of water flowing in certain direction. |
What is the cause of density currents? | Due to changes in density. |
Identify five major gyres. | There is the; North Pacific, Indian ocean, North Atlantic, South Pacific, and South Atlantic gyres. |
Identify the effect the Coriolis Effect has on surface currents. | In the northern hemisphere, currents curve right and clockwise, while in the southern hemisphere, the currents curve left and counterclockwise. |
Describe how do prevailing winds influence surface currents and how the currents move the water. | They influence formation and direction of the surface currents and move horizontally and can reach depths of 400 meters or even more. |
Describe seawater and brackish water. | Seawater: Water from a sea or ocean, average salinity of 35 ppt.
Brackish: Freshwater mixed with seawater, average salinity of 1-17 ppt. |
How are water molecules so attracted to each other? | The slightly negative oxygen atom of one molecule attracts slightly positive hydrogen atoms of other water molecules which produces an attraction. |