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13 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Important characteristics of water |
High heat capacity and high latent heat, which means it can absorb lots of heat without the temperature rising. Also, it helps regulate the Earth's temp. |
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What is the average salinity of the oceans? |
30-38 0/00 |
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What causes salinity to vary? |
At different latitudes, there is different sun exposure which means more or less evaporation. More evaporation leaves behind more salt. Something similar happens around freezing water. |
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Can you sketch a graph of ocean salinity at different latitudes |
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How do nutrient and dissolved gas profiles change with depth? |
Most Nutrients will be consumed in the photic zone at the surface. The concentration will increase as it drifts down out of the photic zone where there is less organic activity. |
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Thermocline |
A drastic change in temperature over a small change in distance. |
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Pycnocline |
A drastic Change in density over a small change in distance. |
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Halocline |
A drastic change in salinity over a small change in time. |
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At thermoclines, haloclines, and pycnoclines, what happens? |
If all of them are big, then the water column is stable, but if they are small or nonexistent, the water column is unstable, so there can be upwelling. |
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Average depth of Ocean floor |
3688 meters |
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El Nino |
Less Intense Winds, thermocline sinks, stability increases. More stable means less nutrients which means less production. |
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La Nina |
More Intense winds, so much upwelling, thermocline disappears. Lots of nutrients. |
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Change in density at depths across latitudes. |
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