Oceans Test Study Guide

Look through your notes to find the information you need to study to be able to answer these questions. Put the date where you found the information next to each question.

1. Describe how ocean water is a solution of many different substances that dissolved into the oceans from runoff from the land, volcanic gasses under water, from the atmosphere, and from the sea floor.

2. Define salinity as the total amount of dissolved solids in solution.

3. Explain how increased salinity and decreased temperature makes ocean water denser.

4. Diagram how surface ocean currents are caused primarily by wind.

4.1 Explain how upwellings are caused by prevailing winds blowing water away from land.

4.2 Describe how nutrients in upwellings supply the microrganisms at the base of the aquatic food web, and so lead to rich fishing grounds.

4.3 Describe what happens during an El Nino event, and how it changes worldwide weather.

4.4 Describe what happens during a La Nina event, and how it changes worldwide weather.

4.5 Identify cold and warm currents based on the direction of flow.

5. Demonstrate or describe how subsurface currents are caused by differences in density.

6. Explain how currents distribute heat and nutrients throughout the planet.

7. Describe how changes in density and temperature due to atmospheric changes could lead to changes in ocean currents.

8. Use analogy to explain how waves are a mostly vertical movement of water that transfers energy across the surface of the water.

9. Explain that most ocean and lake waves are caused by wind, but earthquakes also cause waves.

10. Diagram how breaking waves occur where the water is shallower than one half the wavelength, resulting in friction that causes the wave to get higher as the wavelength decreases.

11. Explain why the energy of the wave is transferred to the shore when the wave hits, causing erosion of the shore.

12. Describe how tides are a semidiurnal (4 times a day) rise and fall of sea level caused by the gravitational pull of the moon against the ocean water and the Earth as the planet rotates.

13. Explain how spring tides are very high and low tides that occur twice each month when the sun, Earth and moon are aligned.

14. Describe how most coastal destruction occurs when a storm surge comes ashore during a high spring tide.

15. Explain how waves and currents change the shape of shorelines by eroding away material, moving sediments to new locations and depositing sediments.

16. Diagram how abrasion and removal by waves and currents creates shore features such as caves, stacks, and marine terraces.

17. Diagram and explain how waves that reach shore at an angle create longshore currents and rip currents.

18. Explain how longshore currents move and deposit sediments to form beaches, sand bars, and barrier islands.

19. Describe how, when people build structures along beaches, they may change the movement and deposition of sand that created the beach.

20. Diagram how rip currents occur where water from longshore currents returns out to sea, and explain why, if caught in one, a swimmer should swim parallel to shore until out of the current, not against the current.

21. Diagram the bottom of the ocean including the continental shelf, continental slope, abyssal plain, mid ocean ridge/rift system, trenches, volcanic plume islands and seamounts.

22. Explain why less is known about the floor of the ocean than about the surface of the moon, and how new technologies are mapping the ocean floor better.

23. Describe the deposits of the sea floor including ooze and minerals crystallized from seawater, and the refuse of billions of people.

24. Explain how estuaries are the tidal waters where rivers reach the sea.

25. Describe how estuaries are the most diverse and productive zones for life because of the energy and nutrients from the combination of fresh water flows, tides, seawater flows, and marine and fresh water deposition.

26. Compare the production of organic matter in an estuary to other ecosystems.

27. Describe the basic food web of an estuary, and how this is based on the physical functioning of the estuary.

28. List some living organisms that rely on estuary habitat and why.

29. Explain how estuaries support commercial fishing

30. Describe what tidal wetlands and mud flats are, and their function in relation to pollution and coastal protection from storm waves.

31. Explain why because of their location, estuaries are prime areas for development for homes, marinas, industrial sites and shipping facilities, which destroy the natural functioning of the estuary.

32. List how much estuary area has been lost because of various reasons.

33. Create an outline of the history of human use of an example estuary area, and how the natural features of the estuary influenced this history.

34. Explain how estuary quality and tourism are interrelated.

35. Describe why pollution of both fresh water and oceans will affect the estuary.

36. List sources of pollution that affect estuary areas.

37. Describe how to protect estuaries from upland and shore area pollution.

38. List what has been done to protect and restore estuaries.

39. Tell what estuary is most directly affected by runoff from your neighborhood.

40. Identify where to get more information about estuaries.

41. Write a narrative description about Arctic Ocean currents and environmental issues relating to the Arctic Ocean.

1. Describe how ocean water is a solution of many different substances that dissolved into the oceans from runoff from the land, volcanic gasses under water, from the atmosphere, and from the sea floor.
2. Define salinity as the total amount of dissolved solids in solution.
3. Explain how increased salinity and decreased temperature makes ocean water denser.
4. Diagram how surface ocean currents are caused primarily by wind.
4.1 Explain how upwellings are caused by prevailing winds blowing water away from land.
4.2 Describe how nutrients in upwellings supply the microrganisms at the base of the aquatic food web, and so lead to rich fishing grounds.
4.3 Describe what happens during an El Nino event, and how it changes worldwide weather.
4.4 Describe what happens during a La Nina event, and how it changes worldwide weather.
4.5 Identify cold and warm currents based on the direction of flow.
5. Demonstrate or describe how subsurface currents are caused by differences in density.
6. Explain how currents distribute heat and nutrients throughout the planet.
7. Describe how changes in density and temperature due to atmospheric changes could lead to changes in ocean currents.
8. Use analogy to explain how waves are a mostly vertical movement of water that transfers energy across the surface of the water.
9. Explain that most ocean and lake waves are caused by wind, but earthquakes also cause waves.
10. Diagram how breaking waves occur where the water is shallower than one half the wavelength, resulting in friction that causes the wave to get higher as the wavelength decreases.
11. Explain why the energy of the wave is transferred to the shore when the wave hits, causing erosion of the shore.
12. Describe how tides are a semidiurnal (4 times a day) rise and fall of sea level caused by the gravitational pull of the moon against the ocean water and the Earth as the planet rotates.
13. Explain how spring tides are very high and low tides that occur twice each month when the sun, Earth and moon are aligned.
14. Describe how most coastal destruction occurs when a storm surge comes ashore during a high spring tide.
15. Explain how waves and currents change the shape of shorelines by eroding away material, moving sediments to new locations and depositing sediments.
16. Diagram how abrasion and removal by waves and currents creates shore features such as caves, stacks, and marine terraces.
17. Diagram and explain how waves that reach shore at an angle create longshore currents and rip currents.
18. Explain how longshore currents move and deposit sediments to form beaches, sand bars, and barrier islands.
19. Describe how, when people build structures along beaches, they may change the movement and deposition of sand that created the beach.
20. Diagram how rip currents occur where water from longshore currents returns out to sea, and explain why, if caught in one, a swimmer should swim parallel to shore until out of the current, not against the current.
21. Diagram the bottom of the ocean including the continental shelf, continental slope, abyssal plain, mid ocean ridge/rift system, trenches, volcanic plume islands and seamounts.
22. Explain why less is known about the floor of the ocean than about the surface of the moon, and how new technologies are mapping the ocean floor better.
23. Describe the deposits of the sea floor including ooze and minerals crystallized from seawater, and the refuse of billions of people.
24. Explain how estuaries are the tidal waters where rivers reach the sea.
25. Describe how estuaries are the most diverse and productive zones for life because of the energy and nutrients from the combination of fresh water flows, tides, seawater flows, and marine and fresh water deposition.
26. Compare the production of organic matter in an estuary to other ecosystems.
27. Describe the basic food web of an estuary, and how this is based on the physical functioning of the estuary.
28. List some living organisms that rely on estuary habitat and why.
29. Explain how estuaries support commercial fishing
30. Describe what tidal wetlands and mud flats are, and their function in relation to pollution and coastal protection from storm waves.
31. Explain why because of their location, estuaries are prime areas for development for homes, marinas, industrial sites and shipping facilities, which destroy the natural functioning of the estuary.
32. List how much estuary area has been lost because of various reasons.
33. Create an outline of the history of human use of an example estuary area, and how the natural features of the estuary influenced this history.
34. Explain how estuary quality and tourism are interrelated.
35. Describe why pollution of both fresh water and oceans will affect the estuary.
36. List sources of pollution that affect estuary areas.
37. Describe how to protect estuaries from upland and shore area pollution.
38. List what has been done to protect and restore estuaries.
39. Tell what estuary is most directly affected by runoff from your neighborhood.
40. Identify where to get more information about estuaries.
41. Write a narrative description about Arctic Ocean currents and environmental issues relating to the Arctic Ocean.