Sea Water – Properties, Waves, Currents, Tides – Test Outline

  1. Properties of water – know terms hydrogen bond, polar and non polar bonds relative to solubility; cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, capillary action, hydrophilic, hydrophobic; specific heat capacity, heat of vaporization, heat of fusion
  2. Why does the ocean never get colder than 4oC? Explain.
  3. Be able to explain what salinity is; % of ocean salinity; brackish water (< 17 0/00)
  4. Review Seawater Properties Exploration worksheet; know zones – euphotic, dysphotic, aphotic
  5. Salinity WebQuest – know factors that increase and decrease salinity; examples of how organisms use silica and calcium from sea water. (#15 – 17)
  6. Density – know what the thermocline and pycnocline layers are and what affects them; know the relationships of salinity, temperature and density with depth. (see ppt of graphs)
  7. Review Understanding the Concepts of Seawater Properties sheet
  8. Current worksheet – know relationships of currents relative to the equator, temperature and west/east side.
  9. Know characteristics of cold/warm currents; gyres; Coriolis Effect; what effects a current – temperature, wind, land masses; thermohaline circulation
  10. Be able to identify the following currents as either cold or warm, and where they are located – Alaskan; South Equatorial Current; California; North Equatorial Current; Kuroshio; Peru; West Wind Drift; Gulf Stream; Canary; Labrador; North Atlantic Drift
  11. Illustrate the parts of a wave: frequency, trough, crest, height, wavelength; know the meaning of high or low frequency; what the wave equation is
  12. Ocean waves are classified by the disturbing force that forms them, the restoring force that flattens them, and their wavelength. Give examples of and describe disturbing forces; how are restoring forces caused?
  13. The size of a wind wave is affected by three factors: fetch, intensity and duration. Explain these.
  14. All waves eventually reach shore, and can break in various ways. Describe what happens as a deep water wave reaches shore, and what causes it to “break”. Include ratios of wavelength to water height/depth in your response.
  15. What is the difference between surf, plunging waves, spilling waves and surging waves? Storm surges?
  16. Tsunamis - Describe the characteristics of a tsunami – when it is traveling across the ocean, and how it changes as it approaches land. Include factors such as its period, crest, and number of possible waves. What are Rogue waves? Explain.
  17. What are tides, and how are they basically formed? Include diagrams if you wish.
  18. What are semidiurnal tides? Tidal bores? Spring and neap tides? Why do we have extremely high tides in the Bay of Fundy?