Earth Science > Ocean and coasts > Flashcards

Ocean and coasts Flashcards

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1
Q

Ocean mother

A

regulate climate
Atmosphere cycle
Hydrosphere
Lithosphere
Biosphere

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2
Q

Why ocean exsist

A

lithosphere (topmost layer)
Ocean basins are deep in mantle And continuously grow because seafloor spreading creates more and more lithosphere / oceanic layers with cooled magma

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3
Q

Ocean lithosphere layers

A

water
Sediment
Pillow basalt
Dikes
Gabbro

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4
Q

Tectonic plates

A

most cont crust (landmass/ humans) is in northern hemisphere
Most ocean crust in southern hemisphere

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5
Q

bathymetry

A

underwater depth measurement
Seafloor= varied
Influenced by tectonics
Cont shelf-

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6
Q

Cont shelf sea floor

A

Thinning sialic crust underneath

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7
Q

slope and rise sea floor

A

transitions between crust types

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8
Q

abyssal plain sea floor

A

mafic oceanic crust underneath

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9
Q

passive continental margin

A

FAR from tectonic boundary
Wide shelf of sediment with sialic crust underneath

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10
Q

active continental margin

A

right next to a tectonic boundary
Thin continental shelf

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11
Q

Underwater canyons

A

cut across continetal shelves
Large rivers
Erosion carves when land was above water
Carry sediments to deeper water (abyssal plain)

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12
Q

MOR sea floor transitions between

A

mark divergent boundaries

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13
Q

Oceanic transform faults

A

trace strike-slip boundaries

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14
Q

deep ocean trenches

A

signify convergent boundaries

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15
Q

Abyssal plains

A

over wiiiide areas
Formed by …
Sediment fallen away from MOR (splitting)
Old and thickening pelagic sediment over basalt
- plankton, silt and clay

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16
Q

Mantle plume hot-spot seamounts

A

Volcano over hot spot-> extinct-> erodes to sea level -> submerges and warps downwards and top flattens (flat-topped seamounts/ guyots)

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17
Q

Guyots (flat-topped seamounts

A

Hawaiian islands
Galápagos Islands
Volcano submerges and warps downwards and top flattens

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18
Q

ocean water composition - salt

A

dissolved ions = marine saltiness
3.5%
Chemical weathering= dissolved ions
Magnesium, calcium, potassium

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19
Q

Salt withstands

A

freezing and evaporation

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20
Q

extracting salt

A

desiccation evaporating
Halite
Gypsum
Sylvite

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21
Q

surface salt

A

highest when evaporated and when sea ice forms
Lowest from rainfall, glacial melt, rivers
Deeper in= more unified form of salt

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22
Q

water temperature

A

moderates climate by shifting temp widely
Deeper in= unified form of cold temperature
Bottom water= freezing under 4 Celsius

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23
Q

oceanic currents

A

move in 3 dimensions
Surface= wind
Spiral= coriolis deflection into large gyres

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24
Q

Coriolis effect

A

Rotation / spiraling of water creates circles and a radius
Forces farther from circle are fastest (equator)
Winds deflect ..
northern hemisphere- when wind blows down, dont go straight down, but curve left (west)
Southern hemisphere- winds blowing down, curve rigth (east)
Together, winds blowing up and down from both poles create spiral pattern in currents

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25
Vertical ocean currents
Transport water vertically because of wind perpendicular (cutting across) shores From shallow to deep Downwelling-waters go deep Upwelling- deep waters go up
26
Shore vertical currents
onshore water along coast causes downwelling Offshore water moves away and upwelling fills it in
27
Global conveyor belt
Warm surface water replaces sinking polar water Tropics -> north
28
Tides
rises and falls twice a day High= max tidal flooding Low= max tidal withdrawal Tidal reach= between high and low Intertidal zone= between tides
29
Tide causes
moon and sun Centrifugal forces from rotations of planets
30
sublunar bulge
follows moon orbit Smaller bulge on opposite side of earth Creates high tides and low tides between bulges
31
spring tides
sun and moon aligning positively (totally aligning parallel across forming line) = larger tides
32
neap tides
sun and moon aligning negative/ dis aligned= dampened tides (heightened equally all around globe)
33
size and timing of tides
sun and moon placements Moon orbit Basin geometry Axial tilt Air pressure
34
waves + gales
friction of wind on water= waves Giant winds= gales
35
Wind height, length, period + fetch
wind speed, duration, and travel distance (fetch)
36
wave definitions
crest- top Trough- low / curve between crests Wavelength - distance between these
37
Depth of influence
wave base= half wavelength Above wave base= circular motion Below- unaffected
38
Wave base at shore
hits bottom of shore Friction slows it Waves fast at surface
39
Breakers
waves that crash onto beach Turbulence = soft frothy energy depleted water in surf zone
40
Wave refraction
Irregular shoreline Bend at bottom where they’re dragged Straightens shore out Attacks headlands
41
longshore currents
Sediment transported along shore Sloped waves push it sideways Gravity pulls it straight downslope Zig-zag pattern oushes sediment in one direction
42
rip currents
wave attack straight on Piles on beach, then goes back to sea Perpendicular to beach (cutting through)
43
coastal landforms
Beaches Wetlands River valleys Cliffs
44
Gravel beaches
Energetic surf and rock supply No mud
45
turbulent surf
removes finer sediments Muds transported to lower-energy environments
46
Beach sediment
quartz Tropics- carbonates Resistant minerals
47
beach profiles
Cross sectional Change seasonally with energy Sumer- broad, sandy Winger- narrow, gravel
48
beaches zones
foreshore, intertidal - between high and low tide Beach face- steep, curve zone between waves wash Backshore- upper part of beach
49
Beach drift
long shore currents moving sediment along beaches Builds sandbars and sand spits
50
barrier islands + lagoons
elongated linear sandbars Formed where there is too much sand Create lagoons (protected backwater area )
51
Tidal flats
Form in intertidal zones Behind barrier islands Thinly laminated sand and mud
52
Rocky coasts
bedrock rises out of sea Powerful wave action Erodes rock
53
Wave-cut notches (rocky coatss)
Wave erodes underneath tall rocks , collapses Wave-cut bench= eroded remande of former cliffs Exposed at low tide
54
Organic coasts (wetlands)
protected from waves and currents At shore regions Temperate climate= trees, grasses, mosses Tropical= mangrove dominated
55
Rocky headlands
refracted waes focus energy on sides of a headland Both sides eroded= sea arch Sea arch collapses= sea stack left behind
56
reefs
cemented skeletons
57
Coral reefs
modify sediment accumulation Change wave and current energy
58
Coral atolls
reefs formed on subsiding volcano Extinct -> erodes and subsides Keeps pace with subsidence Reef continues long after volcano is below sea level
59
estuaries
river valley flooded by marine water Mixes fresh and salt water Reflect glaciación River cuts canyon during low sea level which rises and floods the canyons
60
fjords
u- shaped valleys carved by glaciers bedrock bounded troughs
61
passive margin coastline
wide, low coastal plain Typical
62
active margin coastline
uplifted, rocky coasts
63
ecstatic sea level changes
MORE volume inflation / deflation Glaciation releases or traps water
64
Emergent coasts
Uplifted by tectonic plates Ecstatic sea level drops Stairway steps from former sea levels
65
Hurricanes
warm tropical areas off west Africa Air pulled inward in low pressure cyclone Releases heat which creates lower pressure air buoys and pulls in more air Move north and west
66
Typhoons
western Pacific Ocean Hurricane like storm outside Atlantic
67
cyclones
northern Indian Ocean
68
Eye of storm
winds converge, rise, and spill out Cold dry air pulled into center Surrounded by high velocity winds
69
Safari-Simpson scale
cat 1 to 5
70
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