Vat of Acid
Define an acid
What is a molecular compound that contains one or more hydrogen atoms and produces hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water?
Define a base
What is an ionic compound that produces hydroxide ions (OH-) when dissolved in water?
Describe Sylvia Earle's idea of "Hope Spots"
What is...
Similar to the idea of National Parks on land, Hope Spots are special places that are scientifically identified as critical to the health of the ocean. These spots have been identified as places to be restored. Hope Spots are championed by local conservationists in each area along with scientists to guide the creation of a healthy ecosystem.
Name each of the world's oceans
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Southern/Antarctic Ocean
Fill in the correct "-clines" on the diagram along with the correct lab for the x-axis.
What is...
(from left to right)
Density / Pycnocline
Temperature / Thermocline
Salinity / Pycnocline
Name 3 characteristics of acids
What is...
1. has a ph less than 7
2. tastes sour
3. stings or feels wet
Name 3 characteristics of bases
What is...
1. pH greater than 7
2. tastes bitter or soapy
3. feels slippery
What are...
1. Precipitation
2. Evaporation
3. Freshwater input (rivers and glaciers)
What is the name for "reef-building corals," and describe how these coral colonies form and sustain themselves.
What is...
Reef building or hermatypic corals have polyps that produce calcium carbonate skeletons. Nearly all have the symbiotic zooxanthellae that help corals to make their skeletons.
The colony starts when a planktonic coral larva, planula, settles on a hard surface. The larva transforms into a “founder” polyp that divides over and over to form the colony. They are all connected by a thin sheet of tissue and the digestive and nervous systems are all connected too. Coral polyps are small and simple looking - almost like sea anemones. They consist of an upright cylinder of tissue with a ring of tentacles to capture food. Tentacles surround the mouth, which opens to the gut.
Label the correct type of reef on the diagram.
What is...
(from left to right)
Fringing Reef, Barrier Reef, Atoll
Acids and bases cancel each other out through this process
What is neutralization?
Numerically and chemically describe the pH of the strongest base (most alkaline)
What is...
14 is the strongest base
This substance would have lowest concentration of H+ ions and the highest concentration of OH- ions. It would be 7x more basic than something neutral.
Describe the symbiotic relationship that corals have with zooxanthellae. Relate this to coral bleaching.
What is...
The zooxanthellae housed inside the coral produce organic matter through photosynthesis. Some of this organic matter is passed to the coral. This “sharing” aids the coral and helps the entire reef grow faster. In fact, if zooxanthellae are supplied with enough light, they can feed the coral completely
Water that is too warm is bad for corals. Heat stress is called bleaching, where coral expels its zooxanthellae. It is called bleaching because the green or golden brown zooxanthellae give corals most of their color; without zooxanthellae the coral tissue is mostly transparent and the coral looks white. Corals can recover if the bleaching isn’t too severe. If warm conditions last for too long, the coral dies.
Describe how tsunamis form.
What is...
There is a sudden movement in Earth's crust underwater and that energy is displaced to the water above it. The energy causes waves to form out in the open ocean where the wavelengths, height, and period continue to grow as there are no obstacles. As the tsunami approaches the coastline, it is slowed dramatically by friction with the seabed. Velocity lessens, but wavelength, height, and period are then compressed to become massive waves in rapid succession that hit shore without much warning.
Label the correct part of the wave on the wave anatomy diagram.
What is...
(from left to right on bottom)
wave crest, wave trough, orbital pattern of water molecules
(middle)
wave height
(top)
wavelength
Numerically and chemically describe the pH of the strongest acid (most acidic)
What is...
0 is the strongest acid
This substance would have highest concentration of H+ ions and the lowest concentration of OH- ions. It would be 7x more acidic than something neutral.
Describe how the pH scale works and give an example
What is...
the pH scale is a logarithmic scale. This simply means that each whole number below 7 is 10x more acidic than the number above it.
Example:
pH of 4 is 10x more acidic than pH of 5.
This is also true for numbers higher than 7: each is 10x more basic than the # below
pH of 10 is 10x more basic than pH of 9.
The scientific name for "The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt" and what is the timescale for this water movement
What is...
Thermohaline Circulation and 1,000 years
Describe the model of the 3-layer ocean and how temperature, salinity, and density affect their movement.
What is...
The 3-layer ocean model describes how temperature, salinity, and density drive ocean movement.
Surface Layer (Mixed Layer) – The least dense layer, warm and less salty. Mixed by wind, waves, and currents. Thermoclines form in spring and summer as the sun heats the upper ocean.
Intermediate Layer – Contains the permanent thermocline, a transition zone between warm surface water and cold deep water.
Bottom Layer – The densest water, uniformly cold and salty.
This circulation pattern plays a crucial role in distributing heat, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the ocean.
Label the diagram that demonstrates the correct arrangement of planetary bodies for a spring tide and a neap tide.
Above: Neap Tides
Below: Spring Tides
Describe the 5 different tests we used in our Acids and Bases Lab and how you would know if your substance is an acid, base, or neutral
What is...
Litmus test: blue and red paper.
Blue paper stays blue means base. Blue paper turns red means acid. Red paper stays red means acid. Red paper turns blue means base. Turns no color or purple means neutral.
Phenolphthalein: white paper.
White paper stays white means acid. White paper turns any shade of pink or magenta indicates base. Weaker base is pink. Stronger base is magenta.
Universal Indicator: orange liquid
2-3 drops of universal indicator into a substance will change its color based on a general color and number scale.
Hydrion or pH paper: orange paper
Paper will change color depending on substance. Based on a more specific number and color scale. Range of red/yellows/orange means acidic (0-14). Range of green/blue/purple means basic (7-14)
Describe the chemistry behind ocean acidification and why this presents as a problem for certain sea-dwelling organisms.
What is...
CO2 is taken up by ocean water. When CO2 combines with water it forms carbonic acid.
(CO2 + H2O --> H2CO3)
This then breaks down into bicarbonate ions and hydrogen ions
(HCO31- and H+)
The hydrogen ions combine with carbonate ions to carbonate ions to form bicarbonate, which organisms take up to form calcium carbonate skeletons.
(CO3- and H+)
This has maintained the H+ concentration for thousands of years. The problem now is that higher CO2 emissions mean more H+ in the ocean, and the natural supply of carbonate ions cannot keep up. Increased H+ results in a higher ocean pH and less carbonate, making it difficult for marine life to form calcium carbonate structures.
Define a gyre and how global air circulation in our layers of the atmosphere influences their movement.
What is...
A gyre is a large system of circulating ocean currents, typically driven by global wind patterns and the Coriolis effect. These massive whirlpools of water play a crucial role in regulating climate, redistributing heat, and influencing marine ecosystems. Gyres span ocean basins, flowing clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
Wind-Driven Currents: The Earth's major wind belts, such as the trade winds and westerlies, push surface ocean waters, creating circular movement patterns in the ocean. For example:
Coriolis Effect: Due to Earth's rotation, moving air and water are deflected:
High-Pressure and Low-Pressure Systems: Global atmospheric circulation creates areas of high and low pressure over oceans. Subtropical high-pressure zones encourage gyres to form in mid-latitudes, while polar low-pressure systems influence cold-water currents.
Interaction with Continents: The presence of landmasses shapes gyres by redirecting currents.
These gyres play a vital role in climate regulation, marine ecosystems, and oceanic transport of nutrients and pollutants.
The five factors that affect life in the different ocean layers and an adaption for each.
What is...
Life in the ocean is shaped by five key factors, each requiring unique adaptations for survival:
Pressure – Increases with depth. Deep-sea creatures have soft, compressible bodies to withstand extreme pressure. They also have swim bladders to descend and ascend more easily.
Light – Decreases with depth, with no sunlight in the deep ocean. The anglerfish uses bioluminescence with photophore cells to attract prey in total darkness.
Temperature – Varies from warm at the surface to near freezing in the deep. Some organisms have antifreeze in their blood.
Oxygen – Scarce in deeper waters. Organisms at depth have a slow metabolism, efficient oxygen absorption, and larger gills to survive in low-oxygen zones. They also have higher hemoglobin in their blood to hold onto more oxygen molecules.
Nutrients – Essential for growth but often scarce in deep waters. The deep-sea organisms are opportunistic, waiting motionless for food to drift by. They also use vertical migration to move up in the water column at night to catch falling organic matter.
These adaptations allow marine life to thrive in extreme ocean conditions.
Label the correct ocean zones according to their depths on the diagram.
What is...
Epipelagic: the sunlight zone
Mesopelagic: the twilight zone
Bathypelagic: the midnight zone
Abyssopelagic: the abyssal zone
Hadopelagic: hadal zone; trenches