Exam II General Topics, along with those that carry over from the first part of class!

Sea level change: local vs. eustatic

Chemical and physical nature of seawater

structure of the water molecule; water's heat capacity

Major dissolved constituents of seawater

Chemical and physical structure of seawater - how temp, salinity, density, dissolved gases vary with depth

significance of pycnocline, halocline, thermocline in ocean currents

Sediments of the ocean margins and basins

Biogenic and authogenic sediments - oozes, radiolaria and formanifera (dissolution with depth), distribution

Atmospheric Circulation - solar energy distribution, trade winds, westerlies, doldrums, horse latitudes, coriolis effect

Ocean currents - surface vs. deep ocean (geostrophic vs. thermohaline)

El Nino

Coastal processes and hurricanes

Some Practice questions for Exam II:

1. What are the factors involved in the preservation of siliceous and calcareous biogenic sediments (oozes)?

2. How do salinity, temperature and density of seawater correlate with depth in the oceans? Why are these changes significant?

3. Explain the role of water's heat capacity in keeping the ocean temperatures from fluctuating much beyond a 30°C temperature range.

4. What is the structure of the water molecule? How does the structure of the molecule result in its ability to link with other water molecules?

5. Atmospheric circulation is one player in balancing the heat distribution on the planet. Describe the model of circulation on a non-rotating Earth. How does rotation affect the circulation?

6.How does the continent isostatically adjust to the removal or addition of weight?

7. What factors have effected sea-level changes in the past?