Ocean Water and Life
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Questions and Answers

What is the average salinity of seawater?

  • 35 parts per thousand (correct)
  • 55 parts per thousand
  • 25 parts per thousand
  • 45 parts per thousand
  • Which factor does NOT influence the distribution of marine organisms?

  • Wind speed (correct)
  • Nutrient availability
  • Depth of water
  • Salinity
  • What causes the phenomenon of upwelling and why is it important?

  • Warm surface waters creating cycles, important for nutrient distribution
  • Cold, dense waters rising to the surface, crucial for marine life productivity (correct)
  • Temperature changes altering salinity levels, improving water clarity
  • Prevailing winds pushing surface waters away from coastal areas, enhancing biodiversity
  • How does thermohaline circulation affect global water movement?

    <p>It contributes to both deep and surface water currents through temperature and salinity variations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the West Wind Drift?

    <p>It is the largest continuous current in the Southern Hemisphere affecting climate patterns</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Ocean Water and Ocean Life

    • Salinity: The total amount of dissolved salts in a water sample.
    • Average Salinity: 3.5% or 35 parts per thousand.
    • Sources of Salinity: Weathering of rocks, volcanic eruptions, hydrothermal vents.
    • Surface Salinity Variation with Latitude: Higher salinity near the tropics due to high evaporation and lower precipitation; lower salinity near the poles due to melting ice and higher precipitation.
    • Surface Water Temperature Variation: Decreases with increasing latitude due to less direct sunlight.
    • Thermocline: A zone of rapid temperature change. It acts as a barrier to mixing between warmer surface waters and colder deep waters.
    • Density: Mass per unit volume. Density increases with increasing salinity and decreasing temperature.
    • Marine Organisms:
      • Plankton: Drifting organisms.
      • Nekton: Active swimmers, like fish.
      • Benthos: Bottom dwellers, like crabs and sea anemones.
    • Factors Influencing Marine Organisms Distribution: Temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen.
    • Photosynthetic Productivity: Rate at which organic matter is created by photosynthetic organisms.
    • Productivity Influencing Factors: Nutrient availability and sunlight.
      • Polar Oceans: High productivity due to upwelling and abundant nutrients.
      • Tropical Oceans: Low productivity due to lack of nutrients and a strong thermocline preventing mixing.
      • Midlatitude Oceans: Moderate productivity due to seasonal upwelling and more sunlight.

    The Dynamic Ocean

    • Ocean Surface Circulation: Driven by prevailing winds.
    • Major Ocean Gyres: Large systems of rotating ocean currents.
    • Coriolis Effect: The apparent deflection of moving objects due to the Earth's rotation. Affects surface water movement, causing it to curve to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
    • West Wind Drift: A major ocean current flowing eastward around Antarctica; unique because it is not controlled by a gyre.
    • Warm Currents: Relatively warm water flows that bring warmth to higher latitude areas.
      • Effects: Moderate temperatures and influence climate.
    • Cold Currents: Relatively cold water flows that bring cold water to lower latitude areas.
      • Effects: Moderate temperatures, influence climate, and support rich marine life.
    • Upwelling: The movement of cold, nutrient-rich water from the ocean depths to the surface.
      • Origin: Caused by winds blowing parallel to the coastline and Coriolis effect.
      • Importance: Contributes to high productivity and supports a vast array of marine life.
    • Thermohaline Circulation: Global circulation of ocean water driven by differences in temperature and salinity.
    • Global Water Movement: A combination of surface and deep ocean circulation.
    • Shoreline Features:
      • Wave Erosion: Wave-cut platforms, cliffs, terraces, sea arches, and stacks.
      • Sediment Deposition: Spits, bars, tombolos, and barrier islands.
    • Wave Parts: Crest, trough, wavelength, wave height, and wave period.
    • Wave Bottom Influence: Waves feel the bottom at a depth equal to half their wavelength.
    • Wave Breaking: Waves break at a depth equal to about one-seventh their wavelength.
    • Tides: The periodic rise and fall of sea level caused primarily by the Moon's gravitational pull.
    • Tidal Cause: The gravitational pull of the Moon and, to a lesser extent, the Sun.
    • Spring Tide: Occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned (new or full moon). Characterized by large tidal range.
    • Neap Tide: Occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon form a right angle (quarter or three-quarter moon). Characterized by smaller tidal range.
    • Tidal Patterns:
      • Diurnal Tide: One high tide and one low tide per day.
      • Semidiurnal Tide: Two high tides and two low tides per day with equal range.
      • Mixed Tides: Two high tides and two low tides per day with unequal range.

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    Description

    Explore the fascinating dynamics of ocean water, including salinity, temperature variations, and the diverse marine organisms that inhabit these ecosystems. This quiz covers essential concepts like the thermocline and the impact of latitude on surface salinity. Test your knowledge on the composition and behavior of ocean water and its inhabitants.

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