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Flashcards

Science Revision

TyrA gabb English 68 cards

Cards in this deck (68)

  1. 1Define gradientThe rate at which a physical quantity changes over a distance
  2. 2Define thermoclineArea where a temperature decrease occurs
  3. 3Define salinityThe measure of salts (NaCl) dissolved in water
  4. 4Define haloclineA layer in the ocean of rapidly changing salinity
  5. 5Define densityHow much mass contained in a given unit of volume
  6. 6Define surface currentCreated by winds, moving water in the top 400m of the ocean
  7. 7Define gyreA large circular pattern formed by surface currents
  8. 8Define Global Conveyor BeltDeep ocean current that moves enormous amounts of heat from the equator which is then released in the poles
  9. 9Define Coriolis EffectA force on Earth that tends to deflect moving objects to the RIGHT of the NORTHERN HEMISPHERE and to the LEFT in the SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. Plays an important role in the formation of cyclonic weather systems.
  10. 10Define convection currentHot air/liquids rise and cold sinks
  11. 11Define El NinoIrregular and complex series of climatic changes affection Pacific regions near the equator every few years
  12. 12Define La NinaCooling of the water in Pacific regions around the equator which is complementary to El Nino, less damaging
  13. 13Define carbon cycleSeries of processes where carbon compounds pass through the environment: photosynthesis, respiration, decay and burning fossil fuels
  14. 14Define combustionBurning of matter with oxygen
  15. 15Define respirationBreakdown of glucose that releases CO2 to the atmosphere and energy
  16. 16Define photosynthesisProduction of glucose using CO2 and H2O in the presence of light
  17. 17Name the five oceans within the Earth1. Pacific
    2. Atlantic
    3. Indian
    4. Arctic
    5. Southern
  18. 18What are the three states of matter1. Ice (solid)
    2. Water (liquid)
    3. Water vapour (gas)
  19. 19Define temperatureThe measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object
  20. 20Name the three different layers in the ocean1. The surface layer
    2. Thermocline
    3. The deep ocean
  21. 21How does the ocean warm up?The sun hits the surface layer of the ocean, heating the water up. Wind and waves then mix this layer up from top to bottom, so some heat gets mixed downward too
  22. 22The temperature of the surface waters varies mainly with...Lattitude
  23. 23How cold can the polar seas drop?-2 degrees
  24. 24What is the average temperature of the ocean surface waters?17 degrees
  25. 25Why does the water get colder as you go deeper in the ocean?The surface of the ocean is heated by the sun but not enough to warm all the layers which is why the deeper the ocean gets, the colder the water is. COLD WATER SINKS THEREFORE IT'S COLDER THE FURTHER DOWN YOU GO
  26. 26What is density in the ocean determined by?Temperature and salinity but pressure also has an effect because temp. changes with pressure
  27. 27Cold water has a higher density than...Warm water
  28. 28Salt water has a higher density than...Fresh water
  29. 29What does cold water do and what does it carry with it?Cold water sinks and carries salt along with it
  30. 30The densest and coldest water is found near the...Poles
  31. 31The saltiest water is found near the...Centre of the gyres
  32. 32Define pycnoclineA layer in a body of water were the change in density is the greatest
  33. 33Why does ocean water get more-dense as the temperature decreases?The deeper you go down
    I
    The colder it gets
    I
    This increases the pressure
    I
    Which increases the density
  34. 34What two main factors increases ocean density?1. Pressure of the ocean the further you go down
    2. An increase in salinity due to more dissolved material
  35. 35Changes in ocean density cause..Deep subsurface currents
  36. 36List five main points about the Global Conveyor Belt:1. It connects all the oceans
    2. The circulation involves the vertical movement of water
    3. The circulation is different to what happens at the surface
    4. It is not driven by wind or organized into gyres
    5. It is driven by differences in density
  37. 37Cold water vs. Warm water-Cold water is denser than warm water
    -Water gets colder when it loses heat to the atmosphere, esspecially at high latitudes
  38. 38Salty water vs. Less salty water-Saltier water is denser than less salty water
    -Water gets saltier if the rate of evaporation is high or sea ice forms
    -Water gets less salty if there is an influx of freshwater either from melting ice or precipitation
  39. 39Salinity varies with...Depth and the halocline is a layer in the ocean of rapidly changing salinity
  40. 40Antarctica has a low rate of salinity, this is because..Thawing icebergs add freshwater, icebergs that have broken off do not contain salt, and the freezing of seawater into ice floes removes even more salt
  41. 41What is another factor that can reduce the amount of salinity within an oceanHuge amounts of freshwater from rivers being connected to an ocean e.g the Baltic Sea
  42. 42What happens to the water in the polar regions?-The ocean gets colder forming sea ice
    -The surrounding sea water gets saltier due to the sea ice leaving salt behind when it forms
    -Seawater gets denser when it gets saltier and it starts to sink
    -Surface water is pulled in to replace the sinking water which eventually starts the cycle again
    -Initiates the deep-ocean currents driving the global conveyor belt
  43. 43Pressure increases with...Ocean depth
  44. 44Surface currents can be driven by:-The circulation of wind
    -Sinking of water at high latitudes
    -Coriolis force generated by the Earth's rotation
  45. 45DIC equalsDissolved inorganic carbon
  46. 46Upwelling brings up... Downwelling pushes down...Upwelling brings up nutrients
    Downwelling pushes down heated water
  47. 47Describe the source of the energy that warms the oceans?From the sun, most heat is absorbed from the equator
  48. 48What moves the water in a surface ocean current?The circulation of the wind and the spinning of the Earth
  49. 49Describe the warm surface current-A shallow, low salinity current with a gyre rotation.
    - It is less dense
    -Top 400m clockwise = N hemisphere
    anti clockwise = S hemisphere
  50. 50Describe a cold deep current-high salinity, more dense
    -subsurface current
    -1000+m deep below surface
    -very cold
  51. 51What moves the water in a deep ocean current?The subsurface currents are moved by the varying density changes causing circulation
  52. 52Subsurface currents are driven by differences in the density of seawater. The density of seawater changes in the oceans due to variations in the...Temperature (thermohaline) and salinity (halocline)
  53. 53Where does thermohaline circulation begin and what happens to the water in these areas?Begins in both polar regions and when the water in these areas get cold, sea ice forms. The water surrounding the ice gets saltier, increasing in density and sinking
  54. 54Why does an iceberg get bigger below the surface rather than above?Because subsurface temperatures are cooler than the thermocline layer and deep ocean. The further you go down, the colder it gets which therefore increases the pressure, density and salinity as the cold water sinks
  55. 55As viewed from the North Pole, the Earth rotates at a ...High speed counter-clockwise
  56. 56The Coriolis Effect tends to make currents flow in..Curves rather than straight lines
  57. 57The Coriolis Effect does not impact the..Wind speed only the wind direction
  58. 58Why is the ocean often referred to as a 'carbon sink' and what does it form?Because it absorbs more CO2 from the air than it releases. The dissolved CO2 in the surface waters form dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC)
  59. 59What is organic carbon?Carbon found in living organisms e.g plants, animals, humans etc
  60. 60Phytoplankton and seaweeds convert CO2 into organic matter by doing what?Photosynthesis
  61. 61Calcium carbonate is used to build...-Shells
    -Bones
    -Skeletons
  62. 62CO2 dissolves more easily in cold or warm water?Cold water
  63. 63Which carbonate/ions contributes heavily to ocean acidification?Hydrogen carbonate/HCO3- ions
  64. 64What is the chemical reaction involved in ocean acidification?CO2(g) + H2O(l) --> H2CO3(aq)
  65. 65Besides from ocean acidification, what else can an increase in CO2 cause?-Global Warming
    -Decline in fishing industries
  66. 66Why is calcium carbonate important?Because it is used in the 'building' of the shells and skeletons of many marine living things like plankton and coral
  67. 67What would happen if calcium carbonate decreased in oceans?Organisms that rely on the carbonate ions would have to use the energy it normally would to find food, reproduce or defend itself in order to produce enough carbonate ions to survive.
  68. 68What can ocean acidification do these organisms besides from taking away calcium carbonate?An increase in acidity can dissolve already formed shells and skeletons or deform them. This can then create a decline

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Flashcards on Science Revision, created by TyrA gabb on 06/11/2016.
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TyrA gabb
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