Seawater and Absorption
_______ seawater can dissolve more gasses, such as O2 and CO2, than ______ seawater.
Cold, warm
Why is productivity so much higher in the photic zone than in deep water.
Sunlight affects the ability to photosynthesize.
The depth of which ocean layer is affected primarily by wind currents?
Mixed-layer
In which layer are most surface currents found?
Mixed Layer
Does water move in a wave?
No, or at least very little; waves are the transport of energy
Oxygen is produced in the _______ zone in the ocean.
Photic
What percentage of CO2 in the oceans is stored in Bicarbonate ions?
>90%
If the Earth was not rotating (or rotating very slowly), what type of surface winds would be most common in the northern hemisphere?
Northerlies
In wave dispersion, at large distances, storm waves get sorted by wavelength. Do longer or shorter waves lead the pack?
Longer
The vertical distance from crest to trough is the _____ of a wave?
Height
As you add CO2 to ocean water, it becomes more...
Acidic
How much of the earth's heat is redistributed by the oceans?
1/3
In the ocean near Hawaii (northern hemisphere), the prevailing winds are the________.
What are the difference between spring and neap tides?
Spring: lunar and solar gravity combine
Neap: lunar and solar gravity counteract
How do waves behave differently in deep and shallow water?
In deep water waves, the ocean floor does not affect the wave, while it does in shallower ones.
What system maintains the pH of water at a stable level?
The Carbonate Buffer system
Where are the densest waters found on Earth?
Antarctic Bottom Water
What current transports heat from the Equator towards the Poles?
Western Boundary Current
How big is the force of solar tides relative to lunar tides?
1/2
How do you calculate the speed of a wave?
Wavelength/period
Many different elements, ions, and molecules are dissolved in seawater. Those that have a residence time longer than the ocean’s mixing time are typically well mixed, occurring in nearly constant proportions to each other everywhere in the ocean. Which element is *not* well mixed in today’s ocean?
Oxygen
Why does ocean acidification affect the CCD?
Carbonate is dissolved in large part due to the water's cold temperature and acidity (increased acidification causes shallower CCD)
Describe the Ekman Response... What does it result in?
Surface deflection 45 degrees right of wind (in N. Hemisphere), Deflected further right with depth
Gyres!
Which ocean currents are the fastest and deepest? Why?
Western Boundary Currents, because Equatorial currents are deflected to high latitudes by continents and Transport warm water to high latitudes (think Jet Stream!)
A wave will tend to break when the wave height/wavelength ratio increases beyond...
1/7