Oceans Exam Revision

Composition

100

Density

Mass/Volume - how many particles packed into a volume of seawater

200

Salinity

How many salt particles are dissolved into a volume of water

300

Insolation Angle

Angle of incoming sunlight - 90 degrees overhead at equator lower in the high latitudes

400

Evaporation > Precipitation

Causes salinity to increase - occurs at the mid latitudes where insolation angle is still high and rain levels are low

500

Pycnocline

Steep gradient increase in density between the mixed layer and deep layer - keeps these layers from mixing together

Composition II

100

Mixed Layer

Upper 200m of the ocean that is low density - warm, low salinity, light

200

Deep Layer

Bottom layer of the ocean that is high density - cold, saline, dark

300

Precipitation > Evaporation

Decreases salinity - occurs at the equator due to monsoon rainfall despite high insolation angle

400

Low Density

Warm low salinity water - water particles have more kinetic energy so are spaced wide apart

500

High Density

Cold high salinity water - water particles have less kinetic energy so are packed close together

Surface Currents

100

Trade Wind

Drives transverse currents - Easterly winds at the equator and Westerly winds at the mid latitudes 

200

Coriolis effect

Deflection of wind/water moving North/South due to Earth's spin

300

Ekman spiral

Movement of water layers at different angles deeper into the ocean due to interaction of friction and coriolis effect

400

Ekman transport

Net movement of water at 90 degrees to the direction of wind on the surface - to the left in southern hemisphere and to the right in northern hemisphere

500

Coastal Upwelling

Movement of water up from deep layer due to Ekman transport of surface water away from the coast

Surface Currents II

100

Gyre

Rotating surface current - rotates clockwise in northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in southern hemisphere

200

Transverse Current

Part of a gyre that moves East/West across an ocean basin pushed by Ekman transport

300

Western Boundary Current

Takes warm water away from the equator towards the poles at the surface - narrow, deep, fast and warm

400

Eastern Boundary Current

Takes cold water away from the poles and moves it back to the equator - wide, shallow, slow and cold

500

Equatorial Upwelling

Upwelling of water at the equator due to diverging surface currents in the north and south hemispheres

Carbon Cycle

100

Reservoir

Location where carbon is stored for some time

200

Marine Snow

Falling remains of dead shells and marine organisms that move carbon into the deep layer and sea floor

300

Physical Pump

Movement of carbon into and out of the ocean by diffusion and dissolving of carbon dioxide

400

Biological Pump

Movement of carbon into and out of the ocean by living organisms - photosynthesis brings carbon in, respiration and decay moves carbon out

500

Ooze

Layer of dead remains that build up on the ocean floor - gets compacted and turned into limestone

Ocean Acidification

100

H₂CO₃

Carbonic acid - forms when carbon dioxide reacts with water in the ocean

200

CaCO₃

Calcium carbonate - mineral that shells are made of - requires organisms to have access to carbonate ions in the ocean

300

CO₃^2-

Carbonate ion - made when carbon dioxide reacts with water - used by living things to make shells

400

HCO₃^-

Bicarbonate ion - builds up during ocean acidification since the equilibrium reaction is pushed backwards

500

Equilibrium Reaction

Reactions that can be reversed when too much product is formed