5. B. The major oceans of the world are the Pacific (51.6% of ocean water); the Atlantic (23.6 %) and the Indian Ocean (21.2%). Therefore other oceans and seas only account for 3.6% of water on Earth.
6.
7.
8. 2. The most abundant salt is sodium chloride , NaCl. A liter of seawater will contain about 2.5 teaspoons of this common salt. 3. The second most abundant salt is magnesium chloride .
9. 4. Other elements found in ocean water include sulfur, calcium, potassium, bromine, carbon, strontium, silicon, fluorine, aluminum, phosphorous, and iodine.
10.
11. 1. Depth- the greater supply of gases at the ocean’s surface is due to the penetration of sunlight . This allows photosynthesis to take place which ensures a large supply of oxygen .
12. 2. Temperature of ocean water- warm water holds less dissolved gas than cold water. This means that denser cold water sinks, carrying oxygen to deep areas of the oceans while allowing animals to live there.
13. a. The warmest layer of the ocean is the surface zone where water is mixed by waves and currents.
14. b. The thermocline is the zone below the surface where rapid temperature change occurs .
15. c. The coldest layer is the deep zone with temperatures of around 5 degrees Celsius.
16.
17. B. Most waves are formed by winds blowing over the surface of the ocean. This transmits energy to the water, forcing it to ripple.
23. 3. Wavelength- the horizontal distance between the crests or troughs of two consecutive waves 4. Wave height- a vertical distance between a wave’s crest and the next trough
25. E. Ocean waves caused by earthquakes are called tsunamis .
26. F. Water below the surface moves in streams called currents . These currents are caused by two factors: wind patterns and water density .
27. 1. Surface currents are caused by wind patterns and usually have a depth of several hundred meters. These currents affect climate and weather patterns by warming or cooling the air above the water
29. a. The Gulf Stream is known as a long-distance surface current that carries warm water from the southern tip of Florida along the eastern coast of the US.
30.
31. b. Currents in the Northern Hemisphere move clockwise (currents correspond to the wind circulation in each hemisphere), while currents in the Southern Hemisphere move counterclockwise
32.
33.
34. i. The Coriolis effect (the apparent shift in fluids or objects due to the rotation of the Earth) explains ocean current patterns curving in each hemisphere.
35. ii. Ex. You are sitting on a carousel tossing a ball to someone on the edge of the carousel. After tossing the ball, the target person has moved on and the ball passes behind them. From the target person’s perspective, the ball appears to have curved away. This explains the Coriolis effect .
36. c. Surface currents that travel over short distances are called short-distance currents . These currents are usually found at shorelines.
37. i. Currents moving parallel to the shore are called longshore currents. As these currents move they carry large amounts of sand creating sand bars .
38.
39. ii. A rip current occurs when a current cuts an opening in a sand bar and the currents return to the ocean in a powerful, narrow flow (a type of undertow).
46. b. Deep currents usually flow in opposite directions from surface currents.
47.
48. c. The movement of deep ocean currents to the surface is called upwelling . This occurs when deep cold currents are forced upward by the ocean floor bringing nutrient rich foodstuffs to the surface. This produces rich fishing grounds in areas where upwelling occurs. (Ex. Peru, Chile)
49.
50. d. El Niño (Spanish for "the Christ Child") refers to a warm ocean current that typically appears around Christmas-time and lasts for several months, but may persist into May or June. The warm current influences storm patterns around the globe.
52. i. Upwelling ceases to occur when winds die down. Without the nutrient rich waters, many fish and sea creatures die, devastating the fishing industry. ii. Without upwelling, the water becomes much warmer changing weather patterns globally .
55. 2. Explain how the Coriolis effect influences surface currents. Currents in the Northern Hemisphere turn clockwise. Currents in the Southern Hemisphere turn counter clockwise.
56. 3. Why is upwelling important to aquatic life? Because colder water holds more dissolved gases and nutrients. When the cold water comes up, the fish come with it.
68. 4. Sand Bars- an underwater ridge of sand created by longshore currents
69.
70.
71. b. The foreshore is the area that is exposed at low tide . It may have a beach scarp (vertical slope produced by wave erosion) and a low tide terrace (broad flat area exposed at low tide).
72. c. The offshore region extends from the low tide mark seaward beyond the wave breaking zone. It has a shoreface (slope below the low tide mark) and a longshore trough (a depression parallel to the beach between the low tide mark and wave breaking zone).
73. 6. Barrier Islands- (nature’s way of straightening out the shore) elongated bodies of sand bounded on either end by inlets allowing salt and fresh water to flow into and out of the estuary behind the island. (Ex. Outer Banks )
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75.
76. 2. What natural process must occur in order to create our beaches? Wind, waves and currents
77. 3. Hypothesize how you think North Carolina’s barrier islands (Outer Banks) were created over time. Surface currents
78.
79. a. A straight coast forms during lower sea levels. b. Rising sea levels flood valleys on land and creates a sinuous coast. c. Sand eroded from preexisting ridges forms spits ( sandbar connected to a curving shoreline ) d. The spits are breached by storms, separating the islands from the mainland.
80.
81. 2. A large supply of sand - 15,000 years ago the sea level was much lower, waves and winds formed beach ridges (dunes) on the coast of North Carolina. Sea levels rose and broke through the dune forming a lagoon , and the dune is now isolated as an island.
82. 3. A gently sloping coastal plain - North Carolina’s coast slopes at .2 feet per mile. The underlying geology of North Carolina consists of sediments dating of Quaternary age (1.8 million years ago to present) with older sediments buried underneath. The deposition of these sediments created a gentle slope conducive to forming barrier islands.
84. B. After barrier islands form, the islands then begin to migrate landward in response to rising sea levels (currently 1 foot per century).
85.
86. 1. Humans are increasing the rate of barrier island migration through erosion by building structures to prevent property damage. One example is seawalls . Seawalls steepen the slope of the beach, which increases wave size. This eventually leads to the loss of beaches. (Four states, including North Carolina in 1985, now prohibit shoreline armoring )
92. 2. Pollution- Improper waste disposal , closing of fishing grounds due to pollution, and drinking water contamination after storms are just a few of the problems in coastal North Carolina.
96. C. Shoreline erosion does not create problems for the beach, it simply changes its position . D. Human activities such as building seawalls, dune construction, building construction, channel dredging, reduce the beaches’ sand supply. This increases the rate of shoreline retreat.
97.
98. E. Shoreline engineering protects the interests of few people , who are causing the erosion to begin with, and is a high cost to state and federal governments.
99. F. “You can have buildings, or you can have beaches; in the long run you cannot have both”. The ultimate truth is to avoid the hazards and evaluate the level of risk if choosing to build on a barrier island or coastline.
100. Review Questions 1. Explain the four factors that create barrier islands. -rising sea level -large supply of sand -gently sloping coastal plain -sufficient wave energy to move sand
101. 2. How are humans increasing the rate of barrier island migration? -building sea walls -dune construction -building construction -channel dredging
102. 3. How would you advise a business executive that wants to develop a large chain of hotels on the coastline of the Outer Banks? Do not build on the Outer Banks!
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