
I. Ocean Activities:
A. Beach Activities: ->
Beach Formation KEY CONCEPTS
1. Natural beaches go through a progression of development based on
the forces that act on land surfaces.
2. Land forms change based on the amount of solid material that breaks-down
over time.
Mapping the Beach Sand KEY CONCEPTS
1. Natural beaches go through a progression of development based on
the forces that act upon the land surfaces.
2. Land forms change over time based on the amount of breakdown of
the solid material.
3. Sand movement along a beach is carried by a force known as longshore
drift.
4. Longshore drift causes waves to break on the beach at an angle and
return straight.
B. Ocean Waves/Currents ->
Convection Currents KEY CONCEPTS
1. Warm air rises.
2. Air is warmed by longwave radiation (heat) emitted by the Earth.
This warm air rises. Cool air is drawn in beneath the rising air. This
cool air is eventually warmed and rises. The warm air that has risen will
eventually cool off, becoming more dense ( heavy) and sink back toward
the surface of the Earth. The process will repeat. This type of air circulation
is known as a current.
Coriolis Effect CONCEPTS
The Earth revolves on its axis once every 24 hours. The spin creates
the Coriolis Effect Currents and winds are shifted to the right in the
Northern Hemisphere and shifted to the lift in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Coriolis Effect plays a large role in the directional motion of winds
and currents on Earth.
Frictional Force KEY CONCEPTS
1. Close to the ground, wind is slowed by surface friction.
2. Friction will have less of an effect at higher elevations due to
less surface area.
3. Friction affects liquid movement in the same way that it affects
air movement.
Postcard in a Bottle KEY CONCEPTS
1. Ocean currents transverse the globe.
2. One way in which scientists map the path of currents is to drop
a buoy in the ocean and see where it floats to.
C. Water Properties ->
Hot and Cold Water Density KEY CONCEPTS
1. Ocean water is composed of relatively warm and cold regions of water.
The temperature profile is such that warmer water usually floats on top
of colder water.
2. Cold water is more dense than warm water, and is therefore heavier.
In some regions of the ocean, circulation is based upon the sinking
of cold water and the subsequent displacement of warm water.
Measurement of Salt in Water KEY CONCEPTS
1. Water makes up 97 % of the ocean's mass.
2. Chloride is the most abundant salt in ocean water.
3. A floating hydrometer is used to determine the chloride concentration
in sea water.
Ocean Color KEY CONCEPTS
1. The color of the ocean is dependent upon the degree of organic material
in it. The color ranges from green to blue.
2. Coastal waters are almost always greenish in color because they
contain more organic particles. These disperse light so that the wavelengths
refracted are green and yellow.
3. The deep blue color of the open ocean indicates an area that lacks
abundant life.
Oil and Water Density KEY CONCEPTS
1. Oil is less dense than water. Because of this, oil floats on top
of water.
2. Oil spills and oil seepage from natural wells can create oil slicks
on the ocean. This can lead to death of animals and the alteration of local
surface albedo.
3. Oil is used as buoyancy regulators in some marine animals. Sharks,
for example, have an oil rich liver. Because oil is lighter than water,
the oil rich liver aids the shark in maintaining its ability to float.
Ice and Human Effects ->
Ice Core Experiment Key Concepts
1. Ice from glaciers can be used to uncover clues to climate changes
of the past.
2. Cores from a glacier or ice flow contain clues to climatic changes
that affected that structure, as well as information about large scale
geological events.
Oil Clean-up KEY CONCEPTS
1. The majority of oil in the ocean today is a result of human error.
Oil does not mix with water.
2. Rather, it floats on the surface of the ocean.
Effect of Detergent on Salt Water KEY CONCEPTS:
1. Liquids with different densities do not readily mix.
2. Detergents will react differently in fresh and salt water.
3. By understanding how detergent affects fresh and salt water, we
can see how dumping chemicals into rivers and oceans might affect the environment.
4. Pollution of water is a major environmental problem that must be
controlled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday,Apr.12, 2002 (Homework: Finish whatever you did not complete
in school.)Go to: http://geosun1.sjsu.edu/~dreed/130/lab10/1.html
[ San Jose State University,
California] and answer these questions: (N.B. Questions
follow in order from page to page)
1)Where is the sun's radiation most intense along the surface of the
earth? EQUATOR
2)Where would you expect to find the highest temperature waters in the ocean? EQUATOR
3)Do you know the source of heat in the ocean? SUN
Properties of Seawater:
4) What is the temperature of 75% of the world's oceans? 0-5 degrees
Celcius.
5) Why doesn't light penetrate far into the ocean?
Because most of the light is absorbed at the surface.
5b) Why is the vast majority of the ocean dark and cold?
- Most of the solar radiation is absorbed at the surface.
-Water has a high heat capacity.
-The vast majority of the ocean is deep, consisting of basins
between 4000 and 5500 meters in depth.
d) All of the above.
6) What is the name for the area of decreasing temperature in the ocean? the thermocline.
7) Density of Sea Water: a) What 3 things does the seawater density
depend on?
Temperature, Salinity, and Pressure, which increases with
water depth.
7b) Which of the following parameters affects sea water density?
a) Temperature. b) Salinity. c) Pressure. d) Water depth. [All of the
above]
8)What are the two types of ocean currents? Thermohaline and Surface.
[Thermocline = region of decreasing temperature]
9) In what direction will warm air move by convection?
Warm air rises and cold air sinks, because of the influence of temperature
on density (remember that an increase in temperature results in an increase
in volume, thereby reducing the density).
10) What happens to the atmospheric pressure below masses of warm,
rising air?
The air below is decompressed, producing low pressure.
11)How does atmosphere pressure affect the direction of the wind?
Wind blows away from high pressure systems and towards low pressure
systems.
12)In what direction does the wind blow, in regards to systems of pressure?
Away from low pressure systems, and Towards low pressure
systems. [ Both b and d]
13) How can we trace the direction of ocean currents?
With current meters, With floats, With sea surface temperature
[ All of the above ]
May the Force of God be with you always! SMD
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Under the Sea Survey: (Homework for Mon. Apr.8,"02)
http://www.angelfire.com/sd2/siselectric2/survey.htm
1. Does water help birds fly?
2. What kind of soil is best (optimal) for digging a well (and why)?
3. Is wet soil better than dry soil? Why or why not?
4. Can we live (on the Moon, for instance) WITHOUT water?
5. Should we add WATER to a LUNAR BASE? (Why or why not?)
6. Which would you rather live on: DUNE (a barren, desert planet) or
WATERWORLD? 9... and why?)
[How will you survive on WATERWORLD or a DESERT World like Dune?
(WW-Ex. underwater habitats)... (DW- Ex. Our Moon) How would you provide
for clean :
a) Air b) Freshwater c) Food d) Shelter e) Transportation f) Waste
Disposal ]
7. Soil Profiles: How much water is in the SOIL under your feet? [..
and do you have any water under your feet? Please describe your soil in
terms of moisture and possibly permeability...]
8. What does water do to WOOD? [Will wet wood hold as much weight as
DRY WOOD? Why or why not?]
9. Do bacteria help IRON to RUST faster? in water?
10. What question about water do YOU have? (...and how would you respond
to your own question? )
~~~~~~~~~
Helpful Oceanography Links
Ocean Shore Glossary: http://www.geosurv.gov.nf.ca/education/gloss.html
Iowa State Univ. Geology Glossary: http://www.ge-at.iastate.edu/courses/Geol_100/gloss.html
Arctic Geology and other links: http://www.unols.org/outreach.html#nshore
Shore Processes: http://www.pitt.edu/~harbert/courses/GEO0040/4E_COAST.html
Compare and Contrast the Ocean floor and Land:(from Vancouver Island,
British Columbia, CANADA)
http://www.sd68.bc.ca/plvl/highway/GR7_31.HTM
Field Trip to Assateague and Chincoteague Islands (Towson Univ.)
http://www.towson.edu/~physics/geosciences/ft-enviro99.html
~~~