Earth Science Quiz on Atmospheric and Ocean Processes

Glaciers

• Glaciers are permanent bodies of ice, formed from recrystallized snow. They move downslope due to their weight
• Parts of a glacier:
  • Accumulation Zone: Highest part, snow accumulation leads to net mass gain.
  • Ablation Zone: Lower part, melting exceeds accumulation, resulting in net mass loss.
  • Equilibrium Line: Boundary between accumulation and ablation zones, mass gain equals mass loss.
• Glacial Movement:
  • Internal Flow (Creep): Ice deforms under stress, creating crevasses.
  • Basal Sliding: Meltwater reduces friction, facilitating glacier movement.
• Glacial Erosion and Deposits:
  • Glacial Drift: All sediment moved and deposited by glaciers.
  • Till: Unsorted glacial drift, deposited directly from ice.
  • Moraines: Till deposits, categorized by location (lateral, medial, terminal).
• Types of Glaciers:
  • Continental Glaciers (Ice Sheets): Large ice sheets covering land (e.g., Greenland, Antarctica).
  • Mountain Glaciers (Alpine, Cirque, Valley): Various types found in mountainous regions.

Hydrologic Cycle

• Water Distribution:
  • Oceans contain over 97.5% of Earth's water (mostly saline).
  • Polar ice sheets hold about 74% of Earth's freshwater (frozen).
  • Groundwater is the largest reservoir of unfrozen freshwater.
• Streams:
  • Ephemeral Streams: Flow only after rainfall/floods, no base flow.
  • Perennial Streams: Flow year-round, sustained by base flow.
  • Stream Flow: Consists of storm flow (runoff) and base flow (groundwater).
• Stream Load Types:
  • Bedload: Largest material dragged along the bottom.
  • Suspended Load: Finer materials carried within the water.
  • Dissolved Load: Ions from rock and organic matter.
• Particle Movement: Influenced by particle size, stream velocity, and density.

Porosity and Permeability

• Porosity: Percentage of a rock's volume that is open space.
• Permeability: Ease of fluid flow through a rock.
• Both factors determine how much water a material can hold and how easily water moves.

Aquifer Systems

• Unconfined Aquifers: Directly connected to the surface, with a water table.
• Confined Aquifers: Bounded above and below by impermeable layers (aquicludes).
• Artesian Aquifers: Confined aquifers with high pressure, allowing water to rise in wells.

Atmospheric Layers

• Troposphere: Lowest layer, where weather occurs. Temperature decreases with altitude.

• Stratosphere: Above troposphere, temperature increases with height due to ozone absorbing UV radiation. Ozone Layer is located here.

• Mesosphere: Temperature decreases with height. Meteors often burn up in this layer.

• Thermosphere: Temperature increases with altitude due to absorption of high energy solar radiation.

• Atmospheric Processes:

  • Temperature Changes: Generally decrease with altitude in the troposphere but increase in the stratosphere, leading to distinct layers.

  • Ozone Layer: Absorbs most of the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation, vital for life on Earth.

  • Pressure and Wind: Driven by pressure differences, influenced by temperature differences, Earth's rotation (Coriolis effect).

  • Albedo: The reflectivity of Earth's surface, affects how much solar radiation is absorbed (higher at poles due to ice).
  • Heat Transfer: Convection, Conduction, Radiation.

Heat Transfer

• Convection: Vertical movement of air due to temperature differences.
• Conduction: Direct transfer of heat between molecules.
• Radiation: Transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves.
• Affects the amount of solar radiation absorbed by Earth's surface.

Oceans

• Key Features: Continental margins (passive vs. active), abyssal plains, trenches, mid-ocean ridges.
• Sediments: Lithogenous, biogenous, hydrogenous.
• Circulation: Surface currents, driven by winds and influenced by Coriolis effect. Thermohaline circulation (global conveyor belt).
• Upwelling: Nutrient-rich water rises to the surface.
• El Niño and La Niña: Affect trade winds and upwelling patterns in the Pacific Ocean.

Atmosphere Key Processes

• Solar radiation: Shortwave vs. Longwave
• Albedo: Reflectivity of surfaces, ice has high albedo
• Heat transfer: Includes Conduction, Convection and Radiation (transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves)
• Pressure and wind: Coriolis effect; Influence on weather patterns.
• Jet streams: High-speed air currents, influence weather patterns
• Key Atmospheric Processes:
  • Albedo: Reflectivity of surfaces (e.g., ice has high albedo and reflects more solar energy)..

Carbon Dioxide Cycle

• CO2 is a greenhouse gas.
• Oceans play a significant role in absorbing atmospheric CO2.
• CO2 is incorporated into marine organisms and carbonate shells.