Properties of H2O
What property causes water molecules to stick to one another?
Cohesion.
A large body of air that has similar temperature and humidity throughout.
An Air Mass
What term describes the amount of dissolved salt in ocean water?
salinity
What is the primary force responsible for moving surface ocean currents?
global winds
Which ENSO phase occurs when surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean become unusually warm?
El Niño.
What property allows water to stick to other surfaces, such as glass?
Adhesion.
What type of air mass forms over warm ocean water and brings warm, humid conditions?
Maritime tropical (mT).
What two factors have the greatest influence on the density of seawater?
Temperature and salinity.
In which direction does the Coriolis effect deflect moving ocean water in the Northern Hemisphere?
to the right
Which ENSO phase occurs when surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean become unusually cool?
La Niña.
Why does ice float on liquid water?
Ice is less dense than liquid water.
A continental polar (cP) air mass moves into North Carolina. What type of weather conditions would you expect?
Cold, dry weather because continental polar air masses form over cold land areas.
Why does cold, salty ocean water sink beneath warmer, less salty water?
Cold, salty water has a higher density, causing it to sink beneath less dense water.
What is the name of a large circular system of ocean currents?
Ocean Gyre
Under normal Pacific Ocean conditions, which direction do trade winds generally push warm surface water?
West, toward Indonesia and Australia.
What property allows water to resist rapid temperature changes?
High specific heat capacity.
A cold air mass advances toward a warm air mass, forcing the warm air upward. What type of front forms, and what weather might occur?
A cold front. Rising warm air can produce clouds, heavy rain, thunderstorms, and cooler temperatures after the front passes.
Two containers hold seawater at the same temperature. Container A has a salinity of 20 ppt, and Container B has a salinity of 35 ppt. Which container has denser water?
Container B
What ocean process brings cold, nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean to the surface?
Upwelling
What generally happens to upwelling along the western coast of South America during El Niño?
Upwelling weakens because trade winds weaken and warm surface water spreads eastward.
Why do coastal cities generally experience milder temperatures than inland cities?
Water has a high specific heat capacity, meaning the ocean heats and cools more slowly than land, moderating coastal temperatures.
Wilmington experiences several days of warm, humid weather. Suddenly, temperatures drop, winds shift, and strong thunderstorms develop. Identify the likely air masses involved and explain what caused the weather change.
A cold, dry continental polar (cP) air mass likely moved into an area occupied by warm, humid maritime tropical (mT) air. The advancing cold front forced warm air upward, producing thunderstorms and a drop in temperature.
Explain how differences in temperature and salinity drive deep ocean circulation.
Cold, salty water is generally denser and sinks, while warmer or less salty water is less dense. These density differences help drive thermohaline circulation.
A coastal region experiences a decrease in upwelling. Predict how this could affect phytoplankton and fish populations.
Fewer nutrients reach the surface, decreasing phytoplankton growth and potentially reducing fish populations because less food is available.
Scientists observe stronger-than-normal trade winds, increased upwelling, and unusually cool surface water in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Which ENSO phase is occurring, and why?
La Niña. Stronger trade winds push warm surface water farther west, allowing more cold, deep water to rise in the eastern Pacific.