Oceanography Notes- Ocean Water Properties and Currents · Upwelling* Calories Heat capacity...
Transcript of Oceanography Notes- Ocean Water Properties and Currents · Upwelling* Calories Heat capacity...
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Oceanography Notes- Ocean Water Properties/ Currents Name ______________
Date ____________
Vocabulary
On a separate sheet of paper define each term in a complete sentence and number. Those terms
that are * please illustrate Overturn Thermohaline Circulation* Convergence
Tropical convergence North Atlantic deep water* Antarctic bottom water*
South Atlantic surface water* Divergence Ekman spiral
Gyre Eddy* Downwelling*
Upwelling* Calories Heat capacity
Density* Conduction* Convection*
Radiation* Refraction* Sonar*
Sofar Channel Salinity* Trace element
Nutrient Desalinization Reverse osmosis
PH* Ekman Transport
Ocean Water Properties
A. The Water Molecule
1. Made up of three atoms: two __________and one __________, arranged at a ____________ angle
2. Each hydrogen atom has a ___________ while oxygen has a _____________ which attracts with other
water molecules and creates a weak bond
B. Changes of State
1. Water when subjected to low enough temperatures solidifies to become ice, when exposed to high
enough temperatures water will vaporize into ________________
2. A calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius
a. The larger the amount of water the more calories are required to raise all of the water’s temperature
___________________
b. The ______________ is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1
degree Celsius, the high heat capacity of water allows it to gain and lose heat without changing
_______________________
c. Salt water has changes the temperature of freezing water to ____________ and boiling water to
above 100 Celsius
C. Density
1. Defines as ______________________, measured in ___________________________
2. Temperature and Salinity affect water density
a. Temperature- as water temperature lowers to 4 degrees Celsius, its density _______________, once
below 4 degrees Celsius its density begins to _______ until it becomes ice at 0 degrees Celsius
1) Molecules of water are placed closer together with decrease in temperature until
__________________ then the molecules are starting to arrange themselves into a solid and are
more spread out
b. Salinity- density of water increases when salt is added because salt has a greater density than water,
so __________________ at approximately –1 degree Celsius is the densest
D. Transmission of Heat
1. Heat energy is transferred through water in 3 ways
a. _____________- heat is applied in one location and passes to other water molecules, water is a poor
conductor, metals are excellent conductors
b. ________________- heat is applied from below and by density circulates to the top while cooler,
more dense water falls to the bottom to be heated
c. _____________- heat is directly applied from its source such as the Sun’s energy warms ocean
water
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E. Transmission of Light
1. 80% of sunlight is absorbed within the first 10 meters of seawater, no sunlight passes
_____________________
2. The color of oceans is affected by the amount of ________________________ in the seawater, the open
ocean appears clear and _________ because there is no suspended matter while coastal water appear
_______________________ due to silt from rivers and microscopic organisms
F. Transmission of Sound
1. The speed of sound in water is _____________ than in air (water- 1500 meters per second vs. air- 334
m/s), temperature, pressure and salinity when increased, ______________the speed of sound in seawater
2. Echo sounders send sound waves to the sea bottom to determine depth and even sea floor structure is
temperature, pressure and salinity are known
3. Sonar (sound navigation and ranging) can determine echoes in water and distinguish between
_______________________________________________
G. Dissolving Ability of Water
1. The ability of water molecules to separate compounds into their ions makes water an excellent
__________, when sodium chloride is placed in water its bonds break and ions form which attach to
water molecules
H. Salts in Seawater
1. Salinity is measured in g/kg or ____________________, 86% of salt ions are _________ and
______________, other ions are magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sulfate
2. Trace elements in seawater area less than 1 part per million
I. Determining Salinity
1. The first way is by adding ______________ to a sample which reacts with the most salt ions (this
method is sometimes called Chlorinity)
2. The second method is easier by using a __________________ which measures the electrical
conductivity of seawater, the more conductive the water, the greater the salinity
J. Ocean Salinities
1. Ocean salinity is usually ______________________, evaporation increases ocean salinity while
precipitation decreases salinity
2. Depending on _________________ salinity varies based on the climates of rainy belts or desert belts
3. Where rivers empty into the ocean can lower salinity to 25 ppt, in landlocked salty water such as the
______________ salinity can be as high as 42 ppt
K. The Salt Balance
1. Salt comes from a variety of sources: river discharge (from erosion of sediments), volcanoes and mid-
ocean ridges
2. Researchers believe that salt composition has not changed in ________________, so there is a balance
of removal of salinity by being absorbed by organisms or ___________________
L. Nutrients and Organics
1. Nitrate, phosphate and silicate are three nutrients presented in low concentrations that are considered
fertilizers of the ocean for _______________________
M. The Gases in Seawater
1. ______________________________________ are the most abundant gases in seawater, interaction
with the atmosphere is how most of the gas is found in the oceans but biologic activity influences CO2
and oxygen levels
N. Carbon Dioxide as a Buffer
1. CO2 acts as a buffer to seawater changing its pH, (_______________________), from an acid or basic
solution, average ocean pH is about ________
O. Salt and Water
1. By evaporation of isolated seawater, ________ of the world’s salt is extracted
2. Desalination is a process to obtain freshwater from seawater, the drawback is the
____________________ needed to abstract freshwater
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Currents
A. Density Driven Circulation
1. To increase density of water, there must be a _____________________ or an increase in salinity
2. Warm tropical seawater is the least dense while ____________________ tends to be the densest
B. Thermohaline Circulation
1. The vertical circulation by surface changes in temperature and salinity is called
_________________________
a. ____________- water with a high salinity or low temperature (both are more dense) tends to fall to
the bottom of the ocean and rise up in another location at a different latitude
b. ________________-If a surface process forms more dense water on top, water table becomes
unstable and denser water sinks
c. __________- less dense water rises
d. _______________________ controls thermohaline circulation, changes in temperature are more
important than changes in salinity= climate is getting warmer!!!
C. The Layered Oceans
1. The Atlantic Ocean has a dramatic source of deep water coming from Antarctica and the North Atlantic
that circulates to the equator, seawater is assigned names based on their point of origin which usually
has a certain ________________________
2. The Pacific and Indian Oceans deep seawater circulation is sluggish due to topography (very little Arctic
waters in the Pacific and none for Indian) and location
For D, E, and F refer to pages 186-191 of Chapter 7,
D. Winds on a Non-Rotating Earth
1. As water circulates in the ocean due to _____________ so does air in the atmosphere
2. Wind is produced by the _____________________of air due to density differences
3. Warm air (like warm water) rises at the ______________ and moves towards the poles in a large
_____________________ (see figure 7.15, page 187)
4. Winds are named for the direction from which they blow
E. The Effects of Rotation
1. Due to the ______________ of the Earth air moving in the convection cell mentioned above is deflected
2. The deflection of the moving air in relation to the moving surface due to rotation is called the
_______________________
a. All objects above the Earth’s surface are deflected due to this effect, if a plane leaves near the
Equator and travels directly north then it will gradually be __________________
b. A plane flies directly ______________ then it will be deflected west
F. The Wind Bands
1. Due to the Coriolis effect the air that rises at the equator and moves north (shifted east) and south
(shifted west), the air then sinks or rises depending on density (affected by temperature and water
vapor), causing a _______________________ (page 191)
a. ____________- surface winds between 30 degrees North or South from west
b. _____________- between 30-60 degrees N,S surface winds blow from west
c. The ______________, at the equator, and the horse latitudes at 30 degrees N, S are areas that are
known to not have wind
G. Wind-Driven Water Motion
1. Wind driven currents are deflected to a _____________ from the direction of the wind due to the
Coriolis effect, creating a large scale circulation in the open oceans
2. Below the surface the deeper water down to 150 meters is deflected in the
____________________ection of the wind, called the _______________ after Swedish physicist
Walfrid Ekman in 1902
H. Current Flow and Gyres
1. In the Northern Hemisphere, circular currents called ________ travel in a clockwise pattern around the
ocean, in the Southern Hemisphere the gyres travels in a _________________________
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a. Gyres are created due to ________________s of water at 30 degrees North and South causing a rise
in elevation of about a meter, water flows down the convergence and is then deflected by the
Coriolis effect causing circulation
b. On the western side of a northern ocean, the flow of water tends to ______________________, this
is caused by an increase in the Coriolis effect and stronger winds the further north
I. Ocean Surface Currents
1. Analyzing Currents
a. ________________- current that on western area of Atlantic that brings warm water to New Jersey
in the summers
b. _____________________- Gulf Stream water flows toward Europe in the N. Atlantic
c. _________________- brings cold water to Europe on the eastern side of the Atlantic
d. How would you describe the water in California?
e. How would the water off the coast of Peru be different in the southern hemisphere?
J. K. Convergence and Divergence
1. ________________________- surface water moves horizontally into a region where sinking occurs,
referred to as an area of downwelling
2. ____________- an area of rising water that has been displaced by sinking converging water, referred to
as an area of upwelling
3. seawater near the equator does not converge as deep as seawater _______________
4. Horizontal movement of seawater is much more rapid than ___________________of seawater
K. Coastal Upwelling and Downwelling
1. _______________- Ekman transport drives surface water toward or away from coast, bringing deep
nutrient rich water to the surface stimulating growth of marine plants
2. _______________- change in wind direction allowing colder water to sink to the bottom
L. __________________
1. Packets of warm water moving in a circular motion- Gulf Stream in the N. Atlantic
M. Measuring the Currents
1. Ways to measure currents:
a. Following a parcel of moving water
b. Measuring the speed and direction of water using buoys or dye
c. Satellite databases
Endless Voyage 111: Going With The Flow Name ________________________
1. What is El Nino? Describe the conditions that El Nino creates, in both the eastern and
western Pacific Ocean.
2. Describe where the term El Nino originates.
3. Describe the forces that create the ocean currents.
4. What is a gyre? Are they geostrophically balanced? What does that last sentence
mean?
5. Where are the strongest ocean currents typically located?
6. What is a countercurrent? Give an example.
7. What is an undercurrent? Give an example.
8. Describe some of the methods utilized to measure ocean currents.
9. Describe how the Topex Poseidon and Jason I are being utilized in conjunction with
each other.
10. What are some of the problems with predicting an El Nino?
Endless Voyage 112: Deep Connections Name ______________________
1. Compare and contrast the influences of Deep and Surface Ocean Currents.
2. How long does it take for the oceans to circulate at depth?
3. What is thermohaline circulation? Describe it primary mechanisms for moving the
water.
4. How is thermohaline circulation related to climate change?
5. Compare and contrast water masses with air masses.
6. Why do Oceanographers study water masses?
7. What is a tracer? Give examples of how they are used?
8. How are CFCs used as a tracer in ocean study?
9. What is a transient tracer? Give an example. How do they get there?
10. How are Corals and Foramonifera used to study ocean chemistry?
11. Describe the time frame of deep ocean current movement.
12. Describe the new study by Reiser (from the University of Washington). What is he
planning?
13. Describe the use of a HRP device. What kind of data is being generated by this
device?
The Floating Egg
Name ____________________ Date _______________ Block _______
Introduction:
Density is defined as mass per unit volume. This means that in the kind of container (volume), the more dense substance
would have more chemical parts (mass) crowded in that another less dense substance. You can understand density better
if you look at the following diagram.
Bucket „A‟ has more (chemical parts) than Bucket „B‟. The liquid in bucket „A‟ is denser than the liquid in Bucket „B‟.
When we study a body of water such as the Delaware Bay, we find that there are areas where fresh water and salt water
meet. These would be areas where rivers like the Delaware enter the ocean. These areas are special places called
estuarine systems where many juvenile animals and plants begin their lives.
In an estuarine system fresh water of one density meets salt water of another density. We can better understand what
happens when salt and fresh water meet by doing this lab. But first, let‟s look at Buckets „A‟ and „B‟ again using their
chemical symbols.
Fresh water has 2 Hydrogen‟s (H) and 1 Oxygen (O) and is represented like this:
Salt water has both the 2 Hydrogen‟s (H) and 1 Oxygen (O) plus Sodium (Na) and Chlorine (Cl) and is represented like
this:
It isn‟t important now to know all the chemical parts (remember your major constituents) but it is important to see which
bucket has the most mass per unit volume.
Bucket „A‟ contains salt water and Bucket „B‟ contains fresh water. Which is denser? __________ Why?
Objective:
Salt water is denser than fresh water. How dense do have to make the salt water (how salty) to float an uncooked egg?
Materials:
Large Beakers Spoon Plastic Cup
Fresh Water (from sinks) Marker Uncooked egg
Table Salt
Procedure:
1. Fill your beaker ½ full of fresh water. Do not over fill your beaker - you will be adding more to it.
2. Carefully put your egg into the beaker of water. What happens to the egg?
3. Start adding salt one SMALL teaspoon at a time. How many spoonfuls of salt does it take until the egg
BEGINS to rise? ______________
- Make sure that part of the egg is sticking all the way out of the water (floating high)
- Why is the egg floating now when it sat on the bottom before?????
4. Make the water level on the beaker wish an “S” for Salt water.
5. Carefully pour some fresh water from your plastic cup into the beaker with the egg in it. Try and not make
any splashes or to disturb the floating egg. What happens to the egg?
6. Mark the new water level on the beaker an “F” for fresh water.
7. Why is the egg floating at a new level?
8. Draw a picture of the beaker and the egg at both the “S” and “F” positions.
9. Now CAREFULLY mix the water in the beaker careful not to disturb the egg.
10. Where does the egg float now?
11. Why has the egg changed its floating level?
Conclusion.
1. What does density mean?
2. Draw a picture to show what fresh water and salt water look like.
3. What is more dense… fresh or salt water?
4. What happens when fresh water is gently poured over salt water?
5. Describe an estuarine system.
6. Why are estuarine systems important?
Name ____________________________
Properties of Water
Introduction:
Water's chemical description is H2O. As the diagram to the left shows, that is one atom of oxygen
bound to two atoms of hydrogen. The hydrogen atoms are "attached" to one side of the oxygen
atom, resulting in a water molecule having a positive charge on the side where the hydrogen atoms
are and a negative charge on the other side, where the oxygen atom is. This uneven distribution of
charge is called polarity. Since opposite electrical charges attract, water molecules tend to attract
each other, making water kind of "sticky." As the right-side diagram shows, the side with the
hydrogen atoms (positive charge) attracts the oxygen side (negative charge) of a different water molecule. (If
the water molecule here looks familiar, remember that everyone's favorite mouse is mostly water, too). This
property of water is known as cohesion.
All these water molecules attracting each other mean they tend to clump together. This is why water drops are,
in fact, drops! If it wasn't for some of Earth's forces, such as gravity, a drop of water would be ball
shaped -- a perfect sphere. Even if it doesn't form a perfect sphere on Earth, we should be happy
water is sticky. Water is called the "universal solvent" because it dissolves more substances than
any other liquid. This means that wherever water goes, either through the ground or through our
bodies, it takes along valuable chemicals, minerals, and nutrients.
Water, the liquid commonly used for cleaning, has a property called surface tension. In the body of the water,
each molecule is surrounded and attracted by other water molecules. However, at the surface, those molecules
are surrounded by other water molecules only on the water side. A tension is created as the water molecules at
the surface are pulled into the body of the water. This tension causes water to bead up on surfaces (glass,
fabric), which slows wetting of the surface and inhibits the cleaning process. You can see surface tension at
work by placing a drop of water onto a counter top. The drop will hold its shape and will not spread.
In the cleaning process, surface tension must be reduced so water can spread and wet surfaces. Chemicals that
are able to do this effectively are called surface active agents, or surfactants. They are
said to make water "wetter." Surfactants perform other important functions in cleaning,
such as loosening, emulsifying (dispersing in water) and holding soil in suspension until
it can be rinsed away. Surfactants can also provide alkalinity, which is useful in
removing acidic soils.
Materials:
Pipet Liquid Soap
Beaker Plastic Cup
Paper Clips Stirring Rod
Part I
Start with a cup of water and some paperclips. Do you think a paperclip will float in the water? Drop one in
the cup to find out. Since the paperclip is denser than the water, it will sink to the bottom of the cup. Now find
out if you can use surface tension to float the paperclip. Instead of dropping the paperclip into the cup, gently
lay it flat on the surface of the water. (This is tricky — it may help to place a piece of paper towel slightly
bigger than the paperclip in the water. Then lay the paperclip on top of it. In a minute or so, the paper towel
will sink, leaving the paperclip floating on top of the water.) Even though the paperclip is still denser than the
water, the strong attraction between the water molecules on the surface surface forms a type of "skin" that
supports the clip.
Part II Cohesiveness of Water:
1. Estimate how many paper clips will fit into a completely full cup of water. Record this number in data
table below.
2. Fill a plastic cup with tap water.
3. Pour tap water from your cup into your beaker
4. Continue to add water by pipet until the top surface appears rounded.
5. Slowly add paper clips one at a time to the beaker keeping count of all paper clips that you add.
6. Stop adding paper clips to the beaker whenever water spills from the top.
7. Record your paper clip count. Compare the actual number of paper clips to the estimated number.
Table 1
Cohesiveness of Tapwater
Estimated Number of Paper
Clips Actual Number of paper Clips Difference
Part III Procedure (Part B) Soap's effect on Surface Tension:
1. Again estimate how many paper clips will fit into a completely full beaker of soapy water. Record this
number in data table
2. Fill a plastic cup with tap water.
3. Add 5-6 drops of liquid soap & use a stirring rod to mix.
4. Pour soapy water from your cup into your beaker.
5. Continue to add soapy water by pipet until the top surface appears rounded.
6. Slowly add paper clips one at a time to the beaker keeping count of all paper clips that you add.
7. Stop adding paper clips to the beaker whenever water spills from the top.
8. Record your paper clip count. Compare the actual number of paper clips to the estimated number.
Table 2
Cohesiveness of Soapy water
Estimated Number of
Paper Clips
Actual Number of paper
Clips Difference
Questions:
1. How did your estimated number compare to your actual number?
2. What happened to the surface of the water as more clips were added?
3. What property of water was shown in Part A?
4. How is this property of water used in nature?
5. Explain why water shows surface tension.
6. Explain why water is a polar molecule and include a diagram of several water
molecules in a drop of water.
7. In order to clean a surface, what must happen to surface tension?
8. What is the job of a surfactant?
9. Name a surfactant used in Part B?
10. Using your data from Part B, explain what proof you gathered in Part B to support
your answer to question 9.
Name _____________________________
NOAA Learning Objects
Please listen to the interactive presentations and answer the questions below, the questions are
in the order of the presentation
Ocean Currents
1. What are the small currents that flow off the Gulf Stream called? ______________
2. How long do these shorter currents last compared to the Gulf Stream?
_____________________
3. What are the three primary factors that create currents?
__________________________________________________
4. What is the dominate surface pattern of ocean circulation called? __________________
5. ______________ is the most important cause of surface currents.
6. What causes the surface currents to flow at an angle from the wind direction?
______________________________
7. What directions to gyres travel in the northern hemisphere? ___________________,
southern hemisphere? _________________________
8. What current in the north Atlantic gyre is strongest and deepest? ___________________
9. How long does it take for this gyre to fully circulate? __________________
10. What current is responsible for bringing icebergs south causing the Titanic to sink?
_______________________
11. What currents bring cold water to the surface along with nutrients for fish populations?
______________________
12. How long does the global conveyor belt take to circulate all of the oceans? ___________
13. Where does the conveyor belt begin? _____________________________
Global Impact
1. What are two ways that humans are dependent on ocean currents?
_____________________________________________________________________
2. What is found at upwelling zones that is the base of the food chain? ________________
_____________________________________
3. What types of currents circulate heat from the tropics to the poles?
______________________________
4. What could shut down the global conveyor belt? _____________________________
5. What would happen if the global conveyor belt does shut down?
____________________________________________________________________
6. How long could catastrophe take? ____________________________
Hurricanes
1. What do hurricanes circulate around? _____________________________________
2. What are hurricanes called in other areas of the world? _______________________
3. What are the two ingredients that cause a hurricane to form?
___________________________________________________________________
4. What are the minimum wind requirements for a hurricane? __________________
5. What winds blow from the west that bring hurricanes to the Carribbean, North and
Central America? ______________________
6. What are two items that weaken hurricanes? _____________________________
7. What is the most destructive force of a hurricane? __________________________
8. What is the bulge of water called that destroys coastal areas? __________________
Global Impact
1. What the hurricane that killed over 8,000 people in 1900 called? ____________________
2. With warming ocean waters, what pattern has occurred?
_______________________________________________________________________
3. How many people live on or near the coast in the U.S.? _______________________
Oceanominoes –Water Properties Chapter 5, 6, 8,and 9
Cut ONLY on the solid black lines. Match terms with definitions. Practice before gluing down. Must end with "END-YEAH!" or you made a mistake
Overturn
Due to heat at the bottom, causing cooler water to sink and warm water rises
Calorie Acts as a buffer to seawater increasing in pH
Downwelling Gulf Stream water flows toward Europe
ABW
Nitrates, phosphates and silicates considered fertilizers of the ocean
Radiation Heat raises the temp. 1g water 1C
Conduction Area where less dense water rises to sea surface
PH Dissolved solids in water
Gyre Very dense water that sinks to the bottom and rises at a different latitude
Canary Distinguishes between marine organisms and underwater vessels
Eddy
All objects above the Earth’s surface are deflected due to this effect
Thermohaline Densest water in the oceans
Westerlies Concentration of Hydrogen ions in a solution
Density
Vertical circulation by surface changes in temperature and salinity
Nutrients END-Yeah! Upwelling Pockets of water found at the edge of the Gulf Stream
Refraction
Heat is passed at one spot and transferred by molecules- i.e. metals
Heat Capacity Currents that travel in a circular pattern
Salinity Area where dense water tends to sink
Sonar Allows water to gain and lose heat/no change in temp.
Convection Heat is directly applied such as the Sun's energy
Start Here When light passes fron air into water it is bent
CO2 Area between 30-60 degrees N,S surface winds
Coriolis Brings cold water to Europe on the eastern side of the Atlantic
North Atlantic
Measured in grams per cubic cm