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Our Changing Oceans
Temperature
vs. depth for
NE Pacific
ocean. The
range of
temperatures
reflects
different
locations
along the
seal’s journey.
• The depth of the ocean (surface to floor) varies from zero meters (along
the coast) to a maximum of nearly 11 km (7 miles) along the Mariana
trench.
• Mt. Everest would sit in the trench with over 2,000 meters to spare!
(More than 1500 people have stood atop Everest – only 2 have visited
the deepest region of the ocean floor).
• Average land elevation is less than 1 km, but average ocean depth is
3.8 km (2.3 miles).
• Volume of water in the oceans is nearly 10 times the volume of dry land
that lies above sea level.
• If erosion leveled the continents, all the eroded material would fit in the
ocean basins with room to spare!
The Good Earth/Chapter 13: Oceans and Coastlines
Depth of the Ocean Floor
• The elevation of the ocean surface varies
because the elevation of the ocean floor varies
• Bathymetry = the measurement of the depth to
the ocean floor, and the mapping of its features
− Data from ships and submarines are combined with
satellite data to reveal the topography of the ocean
floor
− Ocean floor has mountains, valleys, and plains
similar to those on land
Q: What variables
might influence
what parts of the
ocean (locations
around the globe)
are saltier than
others?
Why?
Temperatures are
highest where solar
energy is highest.
Rapid
decrease
in temps
with depth
in upper
500
meters
Circular patterns (gyres) of ocean currents. The Good Earth/Chapter 13: Oceans and Coastlines
Oceanic Circulation: Currents
A. A-G-B-F-E-A
B. A-E-C-G-A
C. A-G-C-E-A
D. A-E-F-B-G-A
El Niño Year
Western trade winds diminish
La Niña Year
Warm water remains in Pacific
Cold conditions dominate
Heavy rains occur in SA
Droughts in SA, western US
Surface salinity decreases, reducing
upwelling Severe weather in western
Pacific
Droughts in western Pacific The Good Earth/Chapter 13: Oceans and Coastlines
Phases of the Moon
Spring tide: Sun and moon exerting pull on Neap tide: Sun and moon exerting pull on
the Earth in same direction. Occur during the Earth in different directions.
New Moon. The Good Earth/Chapter 13: Oceans and Coastlines
Tides Checkpoint 13.13
What would happen to spring tides if the
moon were farther away from Earth?
a)Tides would be higher
b)Tides would be lower
c) No change to spring tides
(Equal, but opposite, tidal bulges on the side of Earth away from Moon
– due to a balance of forces associated with gravitational attraction of
moon, rotation of earth-moon system about a common center of mass
called a barycenter, and rotation of Earth on its axis)
a) semidiurnal
b) mixed
c) diurnal
Draw diagrams showing the locations of the moons relative to the Earth and
the sun and illustrating how each scenario would change a typical
semidiurnal pattern recorded on a tide gauge.
• Irregularities in the
shoreline or
changes in seafloor
can change shape
and direction of the
waves
• Can cause bending
of the waves toward
the shore
(refraction)
Erosion rates of
the coastlines
along the
Atlantic shore
and Gulf coast
are 3.3 ft per
year on average
Erosion is worst
on loose,
unconsolidated
sediments, and
can be
accelerated by
surges caused
by storms
The Good Earth/Chapter 13: Oceans and Coastlines
Shoreline Features
Shorelines can also be experiencing deposition
• Shoreline grows in width with deposition of sediment
• Head-on currents carry sediment onto and off the beach, and may
deposit sand in sand bars off shore during storms
• Longshore currents transport sediment parallel to the beach in the
surf zone
Seawall - Rock
wall built to try
and slow
erosion of a cliff
north of
Monterey, CA.
Unprotected parts
of the shoreline
often erode more
quickly.