1

Oceanography Notes- Ocean Water Properties/ Currents Name ______________

Date ____________

Vocabulary

On a separate sheet of paper define each term in a complete sentence and number. Those terms

that are * please illustrate Overturn Thermohaline Circulation* Convergence

Tropical convergence North Atlantic deep water* Antarctic bottom water*

South Atlantic surface water* Divergence Ekman spiral

Gyre Eddy* Downwelling*

Upwelling* Calories Heat capacity

Density* Conduction* Convection*

Radiation* Refraction* Sonar*

Sofar Channel Salinity* Trace element

Nutrient Desalinization Reverse osmosis

PH* Ekman Transport

Ocean Water Properties

A. The Water Molecule

1. Made up of three atoms: two __________and one __________, arranged at a ____________ angle

2. Each hydrogen atom has a ___________ while oxygen has a _____________ which attracts with other

water molecules and creates a weak bond

B. Changes of State

1. Water when subjected to low enough temperatures solidifies to become ice, when exposed to high

enough temperatures water will vaporize into ________________

2. A calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius

a. The larger the amount of water the more calories are required to raise all of the water’s temperature

___________________

b. The ______________ is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1

degree Celsius, the high heat capacity of water allows it to gain and lose heat without changing

_______________________

c. Salt water has changes the temperature of freezing water to ____________ and boiling water to

above 100 Celsius

C. Density

1. Defines as ______________________, measured in ___________________________

2. Temperature and Salinity affect water density

a. Temperature- as water temperature lowers to 4 degrees Celsius, its density _______________, once

below 4 degrees Celsius its density begins to _______ until it becomes ice at 0 degrees Celsius

1) Molecules of water are placed closer together with decrease in temperature until

__________________ then the molecules are starting to arrange themselves into a solid and are

more spread out

b. Salinity- density of water increases when salt is added because salt has a greater density than water,

so __________________ at approximately –1 degree Celsius is the densest

D. Transmission of Heat

1. Heat energy is transferred through water in 3 ways

a. _____________- heat is applied in one location and passes to other water molecules, water is a poor

conductor, metals are excellent conductors

b. ________________- heat is applied from below and by density circulates to the top while cooler,

more dense water falls to the bottom to be heated

c. _____________- heat is directly applied from its source such as the Sun’s energy warms ocean

water

2

E. Transmission of Light

1. 80% of sunlight is absorbed within the first 10 meters of seawater, no sunlight passes

_____________________

2. The color of oceans is affected by the amount of ________________________ in the seawater, the open

ocean appears clear and _________ because there is no suspended matter while coastal water appear

_______________________ due to silt from rivers and microscopic organisms

F. Transmission of Sound

1. The speed of sound in water is _____________ than in air (water- 1500 meters per second vs. air- 334

m/s), temperature, pressure and salinity when increased, ______________the speed of sound in seawater

2. Echo sounders send sound waves to the sea bottom to determine depth and even sea floor structure is

temperature, pressure and salinity are known

3. Sonar (sound navigation and ranging) can determine echoes in water and distinguish between

_______________________________________________

G. Dissolving Ability of Water

1. The ability of water molecules to separate compounds into their ions makes water an excellent

__________, when sodium chloride is placed in water its bonds break and ions form which attach to

water molecules

H. Salts in Seawater

1. Salinity is measured in g/kg or ____________________, 86% of salt ions are _________ and

______________, other ions are magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sulfate

2. Trace elements in seawater area less than 1 part per million

I. Determining Salinity

1. The first way is by adding ______________ to a sample which reacts with the most salt ions (this

method is sometimes called Chlorinity)

2. The second method is easier by using a __________________ which measures the electrical

conductivity of seawater, the more conductive the water, the greater the salinity

J. Ocean Salinities

1. Ocean salinity is usually ______________________, evaporation increases ocean salinity while

precipitation decreases salinity

2. Depending on _________________ salinity varies based on the climates of rainy belts or desert belts

3. Where rivers empty into the ocean can lower salinity to 25 ppt, in landlocked salty water such as the

______________ salinity can be as high as 42 ppt

K. The Salt Balance

1. Salt comes from a variety of sources: river discharge (from erosion of sediments), volcanoes and mid-

ocean ridges

2. Researchers believe that salt composition has not changed in ________________, so there is a balance

of removal of salinity by being absorbed by organisms or ___________________

L. Nutrients and Organics

1. Nitrate, phosphate and silicate are three nutrients presented in low concentrations that are considered

fertilizers of the ocean for _______________________

M. The Gases in Seawater

1. ______________________________________ are the most abundant gases in seawater, interaction

with the atmosphere is how most of the gas is found in the oceans but biologic activity influences CO2

and oxygen levels

N. Carbon Dioxide as a Buffer

1. CO2 acts as a buffer to seawater changing its pH, (_______________________), from an acid or basic

solution, average ocean pH is about ________

O. Salt and Water

1. By evaporation of isolated seawater, ________ of the world’s salt is extracted

2. Desalination is a process to obtain freshwater from seawater, the drawback is the

____________________ needed to abstract freshwater

3

Currents

A. Density Driven Circulation

1. To increase density of water, there must be a _____________________ or an increase in salinity

2. Warm tropical seawater is the least dense while ____________________ tends to be the densest

B. Thermohaline Circulation

1. The vertical circulation by surface changes in temperature and salinity is called

_________________________

a. ____________- water with a high salinity or low temperature (both are more dense) tends to fall to

the bottom of the ocean and rise up in another location at a different latitude

b. ________________-If a surface process forms more dense water on top, water table becomes

unstable and denser water sinks

c. __________- less dense water rises

d. _______________________ controls thermohaline circulation, changes in temperature are more

important than changes in salinity= climate is getting warmer!!!

C. The Layered Oceans

1. The Atlantic Ocean has a dramatic source of deep water coming from Antarctica and the North Atlantic

that circulates to the equator, seawater is assigned names based on their point of origin which usually

has a certain ________________________

2. The Pacific and Indian Oceans deep seawater circulation is sluggish due to topography (very little Arctic

waters in the Pacific and none for Indian) and location

For D, E, and F refer to pages 186-191 of Chapter 7,

D. Winds on a Non-Rotating Earth

1. As water circulates in the ocean due to _____________ so does air in the atmosphere

2. Wind is produced by the _____________________of air due to density differences

3. Warm air (like warm water) rises at the ______________ and moves towards the poles in a large

_____________________ (see figure 7.15, page 187)

4. Winds are named for the direction from which they blow

E. The Effects of Rotation

1. Due to the ______________ of the Earth air moving in the convection cell mentioned above is deflected

2. The deflection of the moving air in relation to the moving surface due to rotation is called the

_______________________

a. All objects above the Earth’s surface are deflected due to this effect, if a plane leaves near the

Equator and travels directly north then it will gradually be __________________

b. A plane flies directly ______________ then it will be deflected west

F. The Wind Bands

1. Due to the Coriolis effect the air that rises at the equator and moves north (shifted east) and south

(shifted west), the air then sinks or rises depending on density (affected by temperature and water

vapor), causing a _______________________ (page 191)

a. ____________- surface winds between 30 degrees North or South from west

b. _____________- between 30-60 degrees N,S surface winds blow from west

c. The ______________, at the equator, and the horse latitudes at 30 degrees N, S are areas that are

known to not have wind

G. Wind-Driven Water Motion

1. Wind driven currents are deflected to a _____________ from the direction of the wind due to the

Coriolis effect, creating a large scale circulation in the open oceans

2. Below the surface the deeper water down to 150 meters is deflected in the

____________________ection of the wind, called the _______________ after Swedish physicist

Walfrid Ekman in 1902

H. Current Flow and Gyres

1. In the Northern Hemisphere, circular currents called ________ travel in a clockwise pattern around the

ocean, in the Southern Hemisphere the gyres travels in a _________________________

4

a. Gyres are created due to ________________s of water at 30 degrees North and South causing a rise

in elevation of about a meter, water flows down the convergence and is then deflected by the

Coriolis effect causing circulation

b. On the western side of a northern ocean, the flow of water tends to ______________________, this

is caused by an increase in the Coriolis effect and stronger winds the further north

I. Ocean Surface Currents

1. Analyzing Currents

a. ________________- current that on western area of Atlantic that brings warm water to New Jersey

in the summers

b. _____________________- Gulf Stream water flows toward Europe in the N. Atlantic

c. _________________- brings cold water to Europe on the eastern side of the Atlantic

d. How would you describe the water in California?

e. How would the water off the coast of Peru be different in the southern hemisphere?

J. K. Convergence and Divergence

1. ________________________- surface water moves horizontally into a region where sinking occurs,

referred to as an area of downwelling

2. ____________- an area of rising water that has been displaced by sinking converging water, referred to

as an area of upwelling

3. seawater near the equator does not converge as deep as seawater _______________

4. Horizontal movement of seawater is much more rapid than ___________________of seawater

K. Coastal Upwelling and Downwelling

1. _______________- Ekman transport drives surface water toward or away from coast, bringing deep

nutrient rich water to the surface stimulating growth of marine plants

2. _______________- change in wind direction allowing colder water to sink to the bottom

L. __________________

1. Packets of warm water moving in a circular motion- Gulf Stream in the N. Atlantic

M. Measuring the Currents

1. Ways to measure currents:

a. Following a parcel of moving water

b. Measuring the speed and direction of water using buoys or dye

c. Satellite databases

Endless Voyage 111: Going With The Flow Name ________________________

1. What is El Nino? Describe the conditions that El Nino creates, in both the eastern and

western Pacific Ocean.

2. Describe where the term El Nino originates.

3. Describe the forces that create the ocean currents.

4. What is a gyre? Are they geostrophically balanced? What does that last sentence

mean?

5. Where are the strongest ocean currents typically located?

6. What is a countercurrent? Give an example.

7. What is an undercurrent? Give an example.

8. Describe some of the methods utilized to measure ocean currents.

9. Describe how the Topex Poseidon and Jason I are being utilized in conjunction with

each other.

10. What are some of the problems with predicting an El Nino?

Endless Voyage 112: Deep Connections Name ______________________

1. Compare and contrast the influences of Deep and Surface Ocean Currents.

2. How long does it take for the oceans to circulate at depth?

3. What is thermohaline circulation? Describe it primary mechanisms for moving the

water.

4. How is thermohaline circulation related to climate change?

5. Compare and contrast water masses with air masses.

6. Why do Oceanographers study water masses?

7. What is a tracer? Give examples of how they are used?

8. How are CFCs used as a tracer in ocean study?

9. What is a transient tracer? Give an example. How do they get there?

10. How are Corals and Foramonifera used to study ocean chemistry?

11. Describe the time frame of deep ocean current movement.

12. Describe the new study by Reiser (from the University of Washington). What is he

planning?

13. Describe the use of a HRP device. What kind of data is being generated by this

device?

The Floating Egg

Name ____________________ Date _______________ Block _______

Introduction:

Density is defined as mass per unit volume. This means that in the kind of container (volume), the more dense substance

would have more chemical parts (mass) crowded in that another less dense substance. You can understand density better

if you look at the following diagram.

Bucket „A‟ has more (chemical parts) than Bucket „B‟. The liquid in bucket „A‟ is denser than the liquid in Bucket „B‟.

When we study a body of water such as the Delaware Bay, we find that there are areas where fresh water and salt water

meet. These would be areas where rivers like the Delaware enter the ocean. These areas are special places called

estuarine systems where many juvenile animals and plants begin their lives.

In an estuarine system fresh water of one density meets salt water of another density. We can better understand what

happens when salt and fresh water meet by doing this lab. But first, let‟s look at Buckets „A‟ and „B‟ again using their

chemical symbols.

Fresh water has 2 Hydrogen‟s (H) and 1 Oxygen (O) and is represented like this:

Salt water has both the 2 Hydrogen‟s (H) and 1 Oxygen (O) plus Sodium (Na) and Chlorine (Cl) and is represented like

this:

It isn‟t important now to know all the chemical parts (remember your major constituents) but it is important to see which

bucket has the most mass per unit volume.

Bucket „A‟ contains salt water and Bucket „B‟ contains fresh water. Which is denser? __________ Why?

Objective:

Salt water is denser than fresh water. How dense do have to make the salt water (how salty) to float an uncooked egg?

Materials:

Large Beakers Spoon Plastic Cup

Fresh Water (from sinks) Marker Uncooked egg

Table Salt

Procedure:

1. Fill your beaker ½ full of fresh water. Do not over fill your beaker - you will be adding more to it.

2. Carefully put your egg into the beaker of water. What happens to the egg?

3. Start adding salt one SMALL teaspoon at a time. How many spoonfuls of salt does it take until the egg

BEGINS to rise? ______________

- Make sure that part of the egg is sticking all the way out of the water (floating high)

- Why is the egg floating now when it sat on the bottom before?????

4. Make the water level on the beaker wish an “S” for Salt water.

5. Carefully pour some fresh water from your plastic cup into the beaker with the egg in it. Try and not make

any splashes or to disturb the floating egg. What happens to the egg?

6. Mark the new water level on the beaker an “F” for fresh water.

7. Why is the egg floating at a new level?

8. Draw a picture of the beaker and the egg at both the “S” and “F” positions.

9. Now CAREFULLY mix the water in the beaker careful not to disturb the egg.

10. Where does the egg float now?

11. Why has the egg changed its floating level?

Conclusion.

1. What does density mean?

2. Draw a picture to show what fresh water and salt water look like.

3. What is more dense… fresh or salt water?

4. What happens when fresh water is gently poured over salt water?

5. Describe an estuarine system.

6. Why are estuarine systems important?

Name ____________________________

Properties of Water

Introduction:

Water's chemical description is H2O. As the diagram to the left shows, that is one atom of oxygen

bound to two atoms of hydrogen. The hydrogen atoms are "attached" to one side of the oxygen

atom, resulting in a water molecule having a positive charge on the side where the hydrogen atoms

are and a negative charge on the other side, where the oxygen atom is. This uneven distribution of

charge is called polarity. Since opposite electrical charges attract, water molecules tend to attract

each other, making water kind of "sticky." As the right-side diagram shows, the side with the

hydrogen atoms (positive charge) attracts the oxygen side (negative charge) of a different water molecule. (If

the water molecule here looks familiar, remember that everyone's favorite mouse is mostly water, too). This

property of water is known as cohesion.

All these water molecules attracting each other mean they tend to clump together. This is why water drops are,

in fact, drops! If it wasn't for some of Earth's forces, such as gravity, a drop of water would be ball

shaped -- a perfect sphere. Even if it doesn't form a perfect sphere on Earth, we should be happy

water is sticky. Water is called the "universal solvent" because it dissolves more substances than

any other liquid. This means that wherever water goes, either through the ground or through our

bodies, it takes along valuable chemicals, minerals, and nutrients.

Water, the liquid commonly used for cleaning, has a property called surface tension. In the body of the water,

each molecule is surrounded and attracted by other water molecules. However, at the surface, those molecules

are surrounded by other water molecules only on the water side. A tension is created as the water molecules at

the surface are pulled into the body of the water. This tension causes water to bead up on surfaces (glass,

fabric), which slows wetting of the surface and inhibits the cleaning process. You can see surface tension at

work by placing a drop of water onto a counter top. The drop will hold its shape and will not spread.

In the cleaning process, surface tension must be reduced so water can spread and wet surfaces. Chemicals that

are able to do this effectively are called surface active agents, or surfactants. They are

said to make water "wetter." Surfactants perform other important functions in cleaning,

such as loosening, emulsifying (dispersing in water) and holding soil in suspension until

it can be rinsed away. Surfactants can also provide alkalinity, which is useful in

removing acidic soils.

Materials:

Pipet Liquid Soap

Beaker Plastic Cup

Paper Clips Stirring Rod

Part I

Start with a cup of water and some paperclips. Do you think a paperclip will float in the water? Drop one in

the cup to find out. Since the paperclip is denser than the water, it will sink to the bottom of the cup. Now find

out if you can use surface tension to float the paperclip. Instead of dropping the paperclip into the cup, gently

lay it flat on the surface of the water. (This is tricky — it may help to place a piece of paper towel slightly

bigger than the paperclip in the water. Then lay the paperclip on top of it. In a minute or so, the paper towel

will sink, leaving the paperclip floating on top of the water.) Even though the paperclip is still denser than the

water, the strong attraction between the water molecules on the surface surface forms a type of "skin" that

supports the clip.

Part II Cohesiveness of Water:

1. Estimate how many paper clips will fit into a completely full cup of water. Record this number in data

table below.

2. Fill a plastic cup with tap water.

3. Pour tap water from your cup into your beaker

4. Continue to add water by pipet until the top surface appears rounded.

5. Slowly add paper clips one at a time to the beaker keeping count of all paper clips that you add.

6. Stop adding paper clips to the beaker whenever water spills from the top.

7. Record your paper clip count. Compare the actual number of paper clips to the estimated number.

Table 1

Cohesiveness of Tapwater

Estimated Number of Paper

Clips Actual Number of paper Clips Difference

Part III Procedure (Part B) Soap's effect on Surface Tension:

1. Again estimate how many paper clips will fit into a completely full beaker of soapy water. Record this

number in data table

2. Fill a plastic cup with tap water.

3. Add 5-6 drops of liquid soap & use a stirring rod to mix.

4. Pour soapy water from your cup into your beaker.

5. Continue to add soapy water by pipet until the top surface appears rounded.

6. Slowly add paper clips one at a time to the beaker keeping count of all paper clips that you add.

7. Stop adding paper clips to the beaker whenever water spills from the top.

8. Record your paper clip count. Compare the actual number of paper clips to the estimated number.

Table 2

Cohesiveness of Soapy water

Estimated Number of

Paper Clips

Actual Number of paper

Clips Difference

Questions:

1. How did your estimated number compare to your actual number?

2. What happened to the surface of the water as more clips were added?

3. What property of water was shown in Part A?

4. How is this property of water used in nature?

5. Explain why water shows surface tension.

6. Explain why water is a polar molecule and include a diagram of several water

molecules in a drop of water.

7. In order to clean a surface, what must happen to surface tension?

8. What is the job of a surfactant?

9. Name a surfactant used in Part B?

10. Using your data from Part B, explain what proof you gathered in Part B to support

your answer to question 9.

Name _____________________________

NOAA Learning Objects

Please listen to the interactive presentations and answer the questions below, the questions are

in the order of the presentation

Ocean Currents

1. What are the small currents that flow off the Gulf Stream called? ______________

2. How long do these shorter currents last compared to the Gulf Stream?

_____________________

3. What are the three primary factors that create currents?

__________________________________________________

4. What is the dominate surface pattern of ocean circulation called? __________________

5. ______________ is the most important cause of surface currents.

6. What causes the surface currents to flow at an angle from the wind direction?

______________________________

7. What directions to gyres travel in the northern hemisphere? ___________________,

southern hemisphere? _________________________

8. What current in the north Atlantic gyre is strongest and deepest? ___________________

9. How long does it take for this gyre to fully circulate? __________________

10. What current is responsible for bringing icebergs south causing the Titanic to sink?

_______________________

11. What currents bring cold water to the surface along with nutrients for fish populations?

______________________

12. How long does the global conveyor belt take to circulate all of the oceans? ___________

13. Where does the conveyor belt begin? _____________________________

Global Impact

1. What are two ways that humans are dependent on ocean currents?

_____________________________________________________________________

2. What is found at upwelling zones that is the base of the food chain? ________________

_____________________________________

3. What types of currents circulate heat from the tropics to the poles?

______________________________

4. What could shut down the global conveyor belt? _____________________________

5. What would happen if the global conveyor belt does shut down?

____________________________________________________________________

6. How long could catastrophe take? ____________________________

Hurricanes

1. What do hurricanes circulate around? _____________________________________

2. What are hurricanes called in other areas of the world? _______________________

3. What are the two ingredients that cause a hurricane to form?

___________________________________________________________________

4. What are the minimum wind requirements for a hurricane? __________________

5. What winds blow from the west that bring hurricanes to the Carribbean, North and

Central America? ______________________

6. What are two items that weaken hurricanes? _____________________________

7. What is the most destructive force of a hurricane? __________________________

8. What is the bulge of water called that destroys coastal areas? __________________

Global Impact

1. What the hurricane that killed over 8,000 people in 1900 called? ____________________

2. With warming ocean waters, what pattern has occurred?

_______________________________________________________________________

3. How many people live on or near the coast in the U.S.? _______________________

Oceanominoes –Water Properties Chapter 5, 6, 8,and 9

Cut ONLY on the solid black lines. Match terms with definitions. Practice before gluing down. Must end with "END-YEAH!" or you made a mistake

Overturn

Due to heat at the bottom, causing cooler water to sink and warm water rises

Calorie Acts as a buffer to seawater increasing in pH

Downwelling Gulf Stream water flows toward Europe

ABW

Nitrates, phosphates and silicates considered fertilizers of the ocean

Radiation Heat raises the temp. 1g water 1C

Conduction Area where less dense water rises to sea surface

PH Dissolved solids in water

Gyre Very dense water that sinks to the bottom and rises at a different latitude

Canary Distinguishes between marine organisms and underwater vessels

Eddy

All objects above the Earth’s surface are deflected due to this effect

Thermohaline Densest water in the oceans

Westerlies Concentration of Hydrogen ions in a solution

Density

Vertical circulation by surface changes in temperature and salinity

Nutrients END-Yeah! Upwelling Pockets of water found at the edge of the Gulf Stream

Refraction

Heat is passed at one spot and transferred by molecules- i.e. metals

Heat Capacity Currents that travel in a circular pattern

Salinity Area where dense water tends to sink

Sonar Allows water to gain and lose heat/no change in temp.

Convection Heat is directly applied such as the Sun's energy

Start Here When light passes fron air into water it is bent

CO2 Area between 30-60 degrees N,S surface winds

Coriolis Brings cold water to Europe on the eastern side of the Atlantic

North Atlantic

Measured in grams per cubic cm