GS 108 Oceanography Lecture Exam 2 Study Objectives
Be sure to read the assigned text, review your notes, and spend
QUALITY time preparing for the exam
CHAPTER 6: Air-Sea Interactions
- Describe what causes seasons. How are the Tropics (Cancer and Capricorn) related to the solstice’s
- Explain why, although we have uneven solar heating due to latitude differences and seasonal variations, the earth as a whole is in thermal equilibrium (the equator is not boiling, and the poles are not frozen solid).
- Know the basic percentages of gases that make up the atmosphere
- What influences the density of air (is warm air less dense than cool air? Where is pressure greatest~ closer or further from the earth’s surface?)
- How does atmospheric circulation occur? Convection currents? Warm air rises, expands, becomes less dense…
- What is the Coriolis Effect? Explain why a Coriolis effect produces an apparent curvature in the trajectory (path) of a body moving relative to earth? (why did the ball “curve” when thrown on a merry-go-round?)
- How does the Corioliseffect, the rotation of the earth, and convection affect our wind patterns~ understand Figure 6.12~ be able to label (and explain) Hadley cells, Ferrel cells, polar cells, etc. What are ITCZ (doldrums)horse latitudes, trade winds, prevailingwesterlies, and polar easterilies and where are they found?
- Describe the differences between weather and climate?
- What are land and sea breezes?
- Describe the general pattern of warm and cold fronts and these large air masses can cause storms
- What are tropical cyclones~ know generalcharacteristics of how they are formed.
CHAPTER 7: Ocean Circulation
- Describe the difference between surface currents and deep currents.
- What is the energy source(s) of surface currents? How does our good old Coriolis Effect come into play with surface currents?
- How wind-driven currents cause movement of water~ friction between layers (Ekman Transport)
- Explain the flow within a gyre (surface currents, Coriolis Effect, Ekman Transport, pressure)
- What are the 5 major geostrophic gyres (current circuits) of the world oceans?
- What kinds of things can slow, change, or redirect a current?
- What are western and eastern boundary currents? How are they different from each other?
- What is upwelling and downwelling and what is their significance?
- Briefly describe the “selected circulation patterns” discussed in class (ACC, Gulf Stream, Monsoons, Pacific Gyres-garbage patch)
- What drives thermohaline circulation? Be able to describe the “great ocean conveyor belt”
CHAPTER 8: Waves
- Explain why are waves movers of energy, not water?
- Be able to label a diagram of the anatomy of a wave
- Be able to calculate wave celerity of deep and shallow water waves.
- Know the difference between capillary waves and gravity waves (generating force, restoring force)
- Describe the three factors that influence wind-wave development (wind strength, wind duration, and fetch)
- Describe how wave trains can meet (types of interference)
- Describe what happens when a deep-water wave approaches shore?
- Describe the difference between wave refraction and wave reflection.
- Describe the conditions needed to create a standing wave
- Be able to describe tsunami formation, give reasons why tsunami waves can be so destructive.
CHAPTER 9: Tides
- How does Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation relate to tides?
- Why does the moon affect tides more than the sun?
- How long is a lunar day? A solar day?
- Know the phases of the moon.
- Describe how the Earth’s rotation can lead to 2 high tides and 2 low tides in one solar day.
- Explain spring and neap tides
- Explain diurnal, semidiurnal, and mixed semidiurnal tides
- Describe how tidal datum is calculated (MLW, MLLW)
- Be able to read and explain a tide chart
- What is tidal range?
- Define the following terms: flood current, ebb current, slack water
- Briefly describe the various tidal phenomena discussed in class (tidal bore, extreme tides, tidal currents,
whirlpools, grunion)
- Describe how the energy of tides is being harvested by certain companies/countries
CHAPTER 10: Coasts
- Know the difference between shore and coast.
- The anatomy of a beach (berm, berm crest, beach scarp, backshore, foreshore)
- Describe longshore current and longshore drift, and how these effect sand movement along a beach.
- Know the difference between erosional and depositional coasts. Briefly describe characteristics of each.
- How are sea cliffs, sea caves, blowholes, and wave-cut bench formed?
- How are sand spits, tombolos, deltas, and barrier islandsformed.
- Describe the 3 types of coral reefs
- Describe the types of estuaries discussed in class (salt wedge, well mixed, partially mixed, and fjord)