Test 2 Review: Oceanography

Study all handouts and assignments given in class. Mainly the following:

Handouts: Wind and currents. Ocean currents. Water properties.

Assignments: Ocean Currents questions from booklets.

The saltiest water at 4 % occurs in the: Red Sea

The waters with the lowest salinity (from 0.5-3 %) are in the: Baltic Sea

The easiest and least expensive method to measure salinity is by using a

 refractometer                       

 The most precise method of salinity measurement is: salinometer (conductivity)

The main chemical found in sea water is NACL (sodium chloride)

The average salinity of seawater is 3.5%

A Sextant is an instrument used in navigation for determining position according to latitude by measuring the angle of elevation of a star above the horizon.

SCUBA was invented by Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnon.

A SEA is a large expanse of salt water connected with an ocean.

A Bay is an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf.

A Gulf is an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land.

A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water.

 Salinity is defined as the amount of salts dissolved in water.

A hydrometer measures salinity by measuring the density of water.

1. Name the two main types of ocean currents.

Surface and Deep

2. Surface Currents are Controlled by what three factors:

1. Global winds cause surface currents to flow in the direction the wind is blowing.

2. Coriolis Effect: The apparent curving of moving objects due to the Earth’s rotation Northern Hemisphere = clockwise Southern Hemisphere = counter clockwise

3. Continental Deflections: Shape of continents change the direction of current flow

3. Deep Currents are stream like movement of ocean water far below the surface

They are caused by changes in density. List two causes that change water density.

Temperature and salinity

4. What is Upwelling and what is polar creep?

How does it each affect the growth of fish and plants?

Upwelling: The movement of deep, cold, nutrient rich water to the surface

Nutrients promote growth of marine life, plants and fish.

Areas like the grand banks are important fishing grounds.

Polar creep: The movement of cold water from the surface to lower levels.

It brings oxygen for the marine life (fish) to breath.

5. (a) Name the two main ocean currents off our coast.    

    (b) In what direction do they travel?                  

    (c) List two effects that they have on our climate.  

•        Gulf stream South to North. Warms our climate

•        Labrador current. North to South. Cools our climate

6. When water freezes it decreases in density so it floats. Other compounds similar to water increase in density so they sink.

What effect does this unusual property of water have on marine life?

If frozen water was denser than liquid it would sink and kill the marine life at the bottom of the water.

7. Why do you float better in the ocean than you do in a lake?

Salt increases density which holds you up higher in the salt water.