physics exam 3 > part 1 > Flashcards

part 1 Flashcards

(86 cards)

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1
Q

Oceanography

A

study of earth’s hydrosphere

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2
Q

Hydrosphere

A

sum of all of earth’s water

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3
Q

Oceanographers

A

someone who studies oceanography

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4
Q

Bathymetry

A

measure of depth of earth’s features below sea level

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5
Q

Hypsometry

A

measure of elevation of earth’s features above sea level

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6
Q

Sounding

A

technique of measuring ocean depth by sinking a weighted object and counting rope length

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7
Q

Fathom

A

6 feet or 2 yards of ocean depth

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8
Q

Echo sounding

A

technique using sound waves to measure ocean depth

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9
Q

SONAR (SOund Navigation And Ranging)

A

advanced method of measuring ocean depth using multiple sound emissions

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10
Q

Maximum ocean depth

A

11 km, Marianas Trench

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11
Q

Maximum continental elevation

A

8.85 km, Mount Everest

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12
Q

Average ocean depth

A

3.7 km

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13
Q

Average continental elevation

A

840 m

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14
Q

Continental Shelf

A

shallow area extending from the continent

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15
Q

Continental Slope

A

steeper area that leads to deeper ocean

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16
Q

Continental Rise

A

area formed by sediment deposits at the base of the continental slope

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17
Q

Ocean Basin

A

large, flat region of the ocean floor

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18
Q

Abyssal Hills

A

small, rolling hills on the ocean floor near continental margins

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19
Q

Tablemounts (guyots)

A

flat-topped seamounts formed by erosion

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20
Q

Seamounts

A

underwater mountains formed by volcanic activity

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21
Q

Biogenic Sedimentary Rock

A

rock formed from accumulated organic material, like fish fecal pellets

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22
Q

Oceanic Ridge

A

underwater mountain system formed by tectonic activity

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23
Q

Oceanic Trenches

A

deep depressions formed at subduction zones

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24
Q

Active Continental Margin

A

area with significant geological activity

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25
Passive Continental Margin
area with little geological activity
26
Submarine Canyons
steep, underwater valleys carved by turbidity currents
27
Turbidity Currents
underwater landslides moving sediment down continental slopes
28
Deep-Sea Fan
accumulated sediment deposits at the base of submarine canyons
29
Water (H2O)
molecule essential for life, structured as a tetrahedron with dipolar properties
30
Cohesion
attraction between water molecules
31
Surface Tension
tendency of liquid surfaces to minimize area, allowing objects to float on water
32
Adhesion
attraction of water molecules to other substances
33
Capillary Action
ability of water to flow in narrow spaces without external forces
34
Solvent
liquid, like water, that dissolves solutes to form a solution
35
Marine Effect
temperature moderation effect of oceans on coastal climates
36
Continental Effect
greater temperature fluctuations in areas farther from the ocean
37
Salinity
measure of salt concentration in water
38
Average Ocean Salinity
3.5% or 35 parts per thousand (‰)
39
Hypersaline Water
water with higher salt concentration than seawater
40
Brackish Water
water with salinity higher than freshwater but lower than seawater
41
Limnological Water
water with very low salinity, close to 0
42
Salinometer
device used to measure the salinity of a solution
43
Electric Conductivity
in salinity measurements, higher conductivity indicates higher salinity
44
Halocline
layer in the ocean where salinity changes rapidly with depth
45
Thermocline
layer in the ocean where temperature changes rapidly with depth
46
Isothermal
region of constant temperature with depth
47
Pycnocline
layer in the ocean where density increases rapidly with depth
48
Isopcynal
region of constant density with depth
49
Euphotic Zone
ocean layer with sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis(MIDDLE SUNLIGHT)
50
Disphotic Zone
ocean layer with limited light, also known as the twilight zone(LEAST SUNLIGHT)
51
Aphotic Zone
deepest, lightless layer of the ocean
52
Plankton
drifters in the ocean, including phytoplankton and zooplankton
53
Phytoplankton
microscopic organisms in the ocean that photosynthesize
54
Zooplankton
microscopic animals in the ocean, feeding on phytoplankton
55
Nekton
swimming organisms in the ocean, such as fish and whales
56
Benthos
bottom-dwelling organisms like lobsters and crabs
57
Bioproductivity
rate of biomass production in an ecosystem, often dependent on sunlight and nutrients
58
Surface Currents
horizontal circulating bodies of water on the ocean surface
59
Subtropical Gyres
large, circular ocean currents that rotate clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
60
Gulf Stream
warm ocean current on the U.S. east coast
61
California Current
cold ocean current that flows southward along the U.S. west coast
62
Equatorial Countercurrents
ocean currents that flow west to east, countering the main equatorial currents
63
El Niño
warm phase of the ENSO cycle, causing wetter, cooler winters in some regions
64
La Niña
cool phase of the ENSO cycle, leading to drier, warmer conditions
65
Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)
recurring pattern of warm and cool surface water in the Pacific Ocean
66
Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO)
climate pattern similar to PDO, occurring in the Atlantic Ocean
67
Deep Currents
vertical ocean currents caused by density differences, dependent on temperature
68
Antarctic Bottom Water
coldest, densest water in the ocean, found near Antarctica
69
Arctic Deep Water
second coldest, flows above Antarctic Bottom Water
70
Ocean Waves
propagating disturbances, often driven by wind
71
Transverse Wave
wave where the disturbance direction is perpendicular to the propagation direction
72
Longitudinal Wave
wave where the disturbance direction is parallel to the propagation direction
73
Surface Wave
wave with circular motion, typical on water surfaces
74
Wavelength
distance between two crests or troughs of a wave
75
Frequency
number of wave cycles per second, measured in hertz (Hz)
76
Amplitude
energy of a wave; distance from the center to the crest or trough
77
Constructive Interference
when two waves meet and combine, increasing amplitude
78
Destructive Interference
when two waves meet and cancel each other, reducing amplitude
79
Mixed Interference
combination of constructive and destructive interference between waves
80
Dispersive Waves
waves where energy travels at different speeds, causing wave packets to spread
81
Non-Dispersive Waves
waves where energy and wave crests travel at the same speed, maintaining shape
82
Diffraction
bending of waves around obstacles
83
Wind Fetch
distance over which wind blows to generate waves
84
Whitecaps
waves with breaking crests that form foam due to wind
85
Monster Waves (Rogue Waves)
sudden, large waves caused by constructive interference of multiple wave systems
86
Shoaling
process of wave transformation as they move from deep to shallow water
physics exam 3
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