Dynamics
The ocean spec (property) which decreases from the surface to the ocean floor.
What is temperature (and light)?
The longest mountain range in the world.
What is the mid-ocean ridge?
This is the horizontal distance between two wave crests or two wave troughs.
What is wavelength?
A fast-moving rush of water that “escapes” back to sea through a narrow opening in a sandbar.
What is a rip current?
This is the cause of surface currents.
What is wind?
The ocean specs (two properties) that increase from the surface to the ocean floor.
What are salinity and pressure?
The technology originally used to measure the depth of the ocean and map the sea floor.
What is SONAR?
This describes the path of water molecules (particle motion) as wave energy travels through the water.
What are orbitals?
These are two natural formations, which protect the shore from erosion.
What are sand dunes and barrier beaches?
This natural phenomenon causes currents, winds, and hurricanes to turn or rotate.
What is the Coriolis effect?
The dynamic, shallow platform of sand located where waves begin to break.
What is a sandbar?
This shallow area of seafloor extends outward from the edge of a continent.
What is the continental shelf?
Reversed Jeopardy!
How is the formation of regular water waves different than the formation of tsunamis?
Normal waves are caused by wind; tsunamis are caused by underwater earthquakes.
This natural occurrence causes both erosion and deposition of sand along shorelines.
What is longshore drift?
The climate characteristics of milder winters, warmer summers, increased humidity and precipitation are a result of this natural occurrence.
This causes deep ocean currents to begin at the poles.
What is very cold, very salty, very dense ocean water?
An underwater volcanic mountain
What is a seamount?
Reversed Jeopardy!
Why does a wave break?
The bottom of the wave is slowed down by friction against the ocean floor. Momentum carries the top of the wave forward, toppling the wave.
A human-made structure that reduces beach erosion
What is a groin?
This is the reason that Iceland and Scandinavia are not covered in ice and snow year-round.
What is the Gulf Stream (and the North Atlantic Drift)?
Reversed Jeopardy!
Top to bottom, how will 1. salty, room temperature water, 2. cold freshwater, 3. room temperature freshwater, and 4. hot freshwater layer in a container. Why does this happen?
Layered top to bottom: Hot fresh, room temp. fresh, cold fresh, salt water due to density differences
The greatest depths of the ocean floor, a famous one is named Mariana...
What is a trench?
Reversed Jeopardy!
Why are tsunamis so tall once they reach the shore?
Water waves become compressed as they approach the shore, because the shallow bottom slows down the waves. The energy cannot be destroyed, so the wave height increases as the wavelength decreases. Tsunamis have huge wavelengths, which become huge wave heights.
This an example of a southern New Jersey beach that is experiencing more deposition than erosion.
What is Wildwood Beach?
It may take 1000 years for this very cold, very dense, highly saline water to travel from the arctic regions to the equator and back again.
What is the Global Ocean Conveyor?