Topic 2.3 - Arctic Water Cycle
What is the process when solid water (ice) turns into liquid water?
Melting
What are the two types of ocean currents?
Surface and Deepwater Currents
When wind pushes against the water, the wind's energy is ________ by the water.
a) reflected
b) deflected
c) absorbed
d) vibing
c) absorbed.
How does wind speed affect waves?
The more energy, or the faster the wind is, the higher the waves are. This is due to more friction between water particles.
What is an example of a dangerous current?
a) deepwater current
b) all surface currents
c) brown currents
d) rip currents
d) rip currents
These are narrow, powerful channels of concentrated energy that pulls water from the shore back into the sea/ocean.
White surfaces, such as sea ice, reflects solar energy, whereas dark surfaces, such as sea water, absorbs solar energy.
TRUE OR FALSE?
TRUE!
Wind!
Pretty crazy, but currents only use 3-4% of the wind's energy.
Explain how wind duration affects waves.
The longer there's wind for, the more energy the water will absorb, hence the more waves will occur. For the height of the wave, it depends on the fetch.
Explain what fetch is.
Fetch is the uninterrupted distance over which wind blows. The wind travels without hitting any geographical features.
What is downwelling?
The sinking of higher density water from the surface downwards.
DAILY DOUBLE:
What would happen if the ice melted in the arctic ocean? (There are a few answers, consider temperature and salinity.
2. The salinity of the ocean will drop, causing water to be less dense and slowing down ocean currents.
What are deep ocean currents known to be?
Deep ocean currents are known to be cold and more saline --> hence, they are more dense and heavy.
How do whitecaps form?
When a wave reaches its maximum height, the energy from the wind is still absorbed and dissipates as the waves break. This dissipation of energy is expressed as whitecaps.
DAILY DOUBLE:
Without using your notes, name the 6 factors that affect waves.
Fetch, wind speed, wind duration, depth of water column, geographical features, thickness of ice.
DAILY DOUBLE:
Describe the term thermohaline circulation and what is why is the Earth's conveyor belt so important for the Arctic Ocean?
1. Thermo = heat. Haline = salt
Thermohaline circulation is the circulation of temperature and salinity across the oceans by deep-ocean currents.
The conveyor belt is important to transfer heat between the oceans to the polar regions. It controls how much ice forms, but also circulates nutrients and gases across the oceans.
How can scientists learn from indigenous people while researching the Arctic Ocean?
- Hunters testing thickness of ice with harpoon shaft
- Hunters have experience walking on thin ice from tracking polar bear patterns
- indigenous people have experience "reading" ice and predicting patterns
Explain (in your own words) how the Coriolis Effect and how it works.
Your answer should include:
Caused by Earth's rotation, gravity, air & water movement.
Water movement in the northern hemisphere is clockwise.
Water movement in the southern hemisphere is counter-clockwise.
Essentially, the Coriolis Effect describes water movement and pattern across the globe.
If the Arctic Ocean is covered with thin ice, what kind of waves do you expect to see?
Very low amount, if any at all. The energy from with wind is absorbed by the ice layer, thus does not reach the water. Thickness of ice affects the size of the waves.
How does the depth of the water column affect waves?
As the depth decreases, the wave height increases. This happens because the bottom of the ocean steepens, and the waves begin to break.
How does water density affect deep ocean currents?
Density differences between deepwater and surface water is the driving force, along with water temperature, that allows for the movement of these currents.
How might sea ice melting affect polar bears' ability to swim long distances?
What are gyres?
These are currents that move in a circular motion. They have a strong pull that creates the world's garbage patches.
Draw a diagram and explain how wind creates waves. (Hint: what happens to the water molecules?)
The water molecules normally move up and now, bouncing off one another. The wind applies energy and pushes the molecules, which end up moving in a circular motion.
Explain what type of geographical features may affect waves in the Arctic Ocean.
Icebergs, shorelines, beaches, thinner ice sheets.
What would happen to the world if we drained the oceans?
Oceans are responsible for temperature regulation on Earth. Thus, the earth will get very hot. That will melt permafrost which will release methane, thus drastically increase the temperature.
There will also be no rain or snow.