Earth Science Example Questions – Flashcards
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Approximately how much of Earth's surface is covered by land?
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71%
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Approximately when did the ocean become an important area of study?
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200 years ago
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Bathymetry
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Measurement of ocean depths and charting the shape or topography of ocean floor
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4 major oceans on earth
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pacific, atlantic, indian, arctic
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largest and deepest ocean
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pacific
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what is continental rise
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Area where steep continental slope merges into a more gradual incline. Steepness of slope drops to about 6 m/ km.
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submarine canyons
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Deep, steep sided valleys that cut into the continental slope
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seamonts
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Submerged volcanic peaks that dot the ocean floor
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what are the three methods we use to gather information from the ocean
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Sonar measures depth Satellites measure the shape of ocean using differences in ocean-surface height not seen by human eye Submersibles are small underwater craft used for deep-sea research
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describe the ocean floor
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Deep-ocean trenches are trenches form at sites of plate convergence where one moving plate descends beneath another and plunges back into the mantle Abyssal Plains are deep, extremely flat feature on planet Seamounts and Guyots: Seamonts: submerged volcanic peaks, form at volcanic hot spots Great # in Pacific
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What does terrigenous sediment consist of?
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Products from weathering on land
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Calcareous ooze
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biogenous sediment from calcium carbonate shells
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Siliceous ooze
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biogenous sediment from shells of diatoms and radiolarians that have shells made out of silica
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How is hydrogenous sediment formed?
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Water evaporates and minerals precipitate out of solution.
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What are the two main energy products being obtained from the ocean floor?
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oil and natural gas
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What are gas hydrates? How are they formed?
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they are compact chemical structures made of water and natural gas they form when bacteria break down organic matter trapped in ocean floor sediments
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Disadvantage of using gas hydrates?
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they break down at surface temps and pressures
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Describe other resources derived from the ocean.
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manganese nodules, evaporative salts, sand and gravel
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Describe three main tidal patterns seen worldwide.
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Diurnal has high and low tides Semidiurnal has 2 high and low tides Mixed is the same as semidiurnal only its not in even time intervals
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what causes tides?
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the moon
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where do ocean waves get their energy?
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storms and winds
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Describe three factors affect the characteristics of a wave.
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Wind speed, length of time wind has blown, and distance that the wind has traveled across open water (fetch)
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Terrigenous sediment
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from the land
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Biogenous sediment
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from once living things
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Hydrogenous sediment
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minerals that crystallize from ocean water through various chem reactions
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spring tides
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A tide that occurs when the difference between high and low tide is greatest. Spring tides come twice a month, approximately at the full and new moon
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neap tides
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A tide that occurs when the difference between high and low tide is least. Neap tide comes twice a month, in the first and third quarters of the moon.
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What are features in the mid-ocean ridges
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Is an underwater mountain range, formed by plate tectonics. This uplifting of the ocean floor occurs when convection currents rise in the mantle beneath the oceanic crust and create magma where two tectonic plates meet at a divergent boundary.
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What are features in the ocean basin floor
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The mountainous ocean ridges, deep-sea trenches, and jagged, linear fracture zones. Other significant features of the ocean floor include aseismic ridges, abyssal hills, and seamounts and guyots.
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Submersibles
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small underwater craft used for deep-sea research
