Oceanography Lab Study Guide for Exam 2 (Final Exam)

Answer the following questions briefly

1. Which electromagnetic wave is emitted by the Earth, visible light or infrared?

Can you see this light with your eyes? Can you feel it? How?

2. If there were no greenhouse effect what would happen to the global climate.
Explain why.

3. Will global warming

a. make saltier or fresher the subtropical waters? What about the polar waters?
b. cause global sea level to rise or fall?
c. increase or decrease the number and intensity of hurricanes?

4. What is the difference between standing waves and progressive waves? Which one is
most common in the world ocean?

5. Is the speed of waves determined by wavelength or wave height? Why?

6. Compare and contrast:

a. Surface waves versus internal waves
b. Deep water versus shallow water waves

7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of sea walls?

8. What happens to the wavelength, speed and height of tsunami as it moves from the
open ocean to coastal ocean?

9. Is tsunami more common in the Pacific or the Atlantic? Why?

10. List two differences between surface ocean waves and tsunami.

11. Describe one of the methods used to measure ocean currents.

12. Is an eastern boundary current (e.g. California Current) warm or cold? Why?

13. What is the effect of a western boundary current on the climate of the coastal areas?

14. Explain the differences between western and eastern boundary currents with respect
to their speed, temperature, volume of transport and presence of upwelling.

15. Ocean currents make tropical areas warmer or cooler? Why?

16. Ocean currents make polar areas warmer or cooler? Why?

17. Explain two differences between upwelling and downwelling.
18. During normal conditions, which part of the tropical Pacific Ocean, eastern
(American side) or the western (Asian side) is warmer? Why?

19. When El-Nino occurs on the tropical Pacific Ocean

a. The western coast (Indonesia) gets warmer or colder? Why?
More or less rain? Why?
More or fewer hurricanes? Why

b. The eastern coast (South America), upwelling will increase or shut down? Why?
The climate will be colder or warmer? Why?More or less rain? Why?

20. Based on the temperature distribution, deep water is formed near India or Antarctica?
Why?

21. There is more dissolved oxygen in the deep water near India or Antarctica? Why?

22. What causes tides? Which one is more influential in generating tides, the Sun or the
Moon? Why?

23. Do tides get a bit earlier or later each day? Why?

24. Explain the main differences between

a. spring and neap tides b. diurnal and semidiurnal tides

25. When is the best time

a. for a ship to leave out of a harbor with narrow entrance, near high or low tide? Why?
b. to go tide pooling, high or low tide? Spring or neap tide?

26. What are coral seas? Why are they so productive?

27. What are some of the environmental problems faced by Coral reefs?

28. Why do many pelagic organisms such as the Grey Whale migrate to the Arctic Ocean
during summer?

29. Describe the importance of the following adaptations of marine organisms

a. Schooling
b. body forms and fin shape
c. shells in intertidal organisms

30. Compare and contrast the coastal ocean with the open ocean with respect to
a. variability of temperature and salinity
b. availability of light
c. availability of nutrients
d. biological productivity
e. levels of pollution