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Test 3
Marine Science
46
Science
Undergraduate 1
11/12/2011

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Term
Western Boundary Currents
Definition
hot, fast, deep
off east coasts of continents
move water towards poles
Gulf Stream is largest
Term
Eastern Boundary Currents
Definition
cold, shallow, slow
off west coasts of continents
move water towards equator
Term
Gyre:
Definition
closed circuit of flowing water; usually 4 currents combined
there are 6 of them
Term
Westerlies
Definition
flow from west-->east
Term
Trade Winds
Definition
flow from east-->west
near equator
Term
shallow water wave:
Definition
wave moving through water that is less than half its wavelength deep
Term
capillary wave
a. disturbing force:
b. restoring force:
c. wavelength
Definition
a. wind
b. cohesion of H20 molecules
c. up to 1.72 cm
Term
wind wave
a. disturbing force:
b. restoring force:
c. wavelength
Definition
a. wind over ocean
b. gravity
c. 60-150m
Term
seiche
a. disturbing force:
b. restoring force
c. wavelength
Definition
a. change in atmospheric pressure, storm surge, tsunami
b. gravity
c. large, variable (a function of ocean basin size)
Term
seismic sea wave (tsunami)
a. disturbing force:
b. restoring force
c: wavelength
Definition
a. faulting of seafloor, volcanic eruption, landslide
b. gravity
c. 200 km (125 mi)
Term
Tides
a. disturbing force:
b. restoring force
c: wavelength:
Definition
a. gravitational attraction, rotation of Earth
b. Gravity
c. Half Earth's circumference
Term
What is relationship between wavelength and speed?
Definition
the longer the wavelength, the faster the speed
C=L/T
Term
Which ocean wave moves fastest?
Definition
Tides (because they have longest wavelength)
Term
Wave Frequency:
Definition
# of waves passing point A each second
Term
Wave Period:
Definition
time required for wave crest at point A to reach point B
Term
World's largest ocean basin is:
Definition
the Pacific
Term
fetch:
Definition
uninterrupted distance wind blows over the ocean to generate a wind wave
Term
What is a tsunami like in open sea away from land?
Definition
ocean rises a few feet and falls a few feet, but you'd never sense it
Term
What is a spring tide?
Definition
-occur every other week when earth, moon and sun form a straight line
-characterized by high high tides and low low tides
Term
What is a neap tide?
Definition
-the time of smallest variation between high and low tides occurring when Earth, moon and sun align at right angles;
-alternate with spring tides, occurring at two week intervals
Term
What is a tidal bore?
Definition
a wave stimulated by a high tide being squeezed by a funnel-shaped river mouth into a breaking wave that runs up the river
Term
berm:
Definition
accumulation of sediment, runs parallel to shore, marks normal limit of sand deposition by wave action
Term
berm crest:
Definition
highest point on a beach, corresponds to shoreward limit of wave action during high tides
Term
longshore transport:
Definition
movement of sand, parallel to shore, driven by incomplete wave refraction
Term
Where did sand on Newport Beach come from?
Definition
Local mountains; may take 10,000 yrs for grain of eroding granite to travel down santa ana from big bear to newport beach
Term
life:
Definition
a system that can capture, store and transit energy
Term
What happens when sunlight hits a plant?
Definition
When sunlight hits a plant, the plant uses energy to bond 6 atoms of carbon (in CO2) into a 6-carbon sugar (glucose)
Term
When did life begin on earth?
Definition
- 4 billion yrs ago
- very soon after ocean's temperature fell below the boiling point
Term
What is DNA used for?
ATP?
water?
glucose?
Definition
DNA: genetic molecule
ATP: immediate energy source
water: solution matrix
glucose: intermediate energy source
Term
What does "commonality" mean when describing life on earth?
Definition
- common origin
- all life on earth has same biochemistry
Term
What was the earliest life on earth?
Definition
DNA able to self-replicate
Term
Were the first living things similar to living things today?
Definition
No. They had no cells, no organelles.
Term
animal:
Definition
multicellular organism that is unable to synthesize its own food and often capable of movement
Term
when did animals arise?
Definition
600-900 million years ago
Term
autotroph:
Definition
- an organism that makes its own food by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis
- primary producer
Term
mass extinction:
Definition
- catastrophic interruption of life on earth; has occurred at least six times in the last 450 million
- could be caused by asteroid or comet
Term
primary producer:
Definition
an organism capable of using energy from light or energy-rich chemicals in the environment to produce energy-rich organic compounds
Term
compensation depth:
Definition
break-even depth
glucose production = glucose consumption
Term
plankton:
Definition
drifting or weakly swimming organisms in water
Term
phytoplankton:
Definition
plant-like, single-celled plankton, producers
Term
zooplankton:
Definition
consumers, animal-like
Term
meroplankton:
Definition
spend only part of their life drifting
Term
holoplankton:
Definition
permanent members of the plankton communty
ex: diatoms and cocopods
Term
diatoms:
Definition
glass shell with perforations; modern/recently evolved; sophisticated and efficient biochemistry (55%)
Term
dinoflagellates:
Definition
cellulose shell; ancient; primitive biochemistry; cause red tides
Term
transverse currents:
Definition
east-west or west-east current linking eastern and western boundary currents
ex: North Equatorial current
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