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The Earth’s Oceans A Dynamic System where many physical and chemical changes are taking place!

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Presentation on theme: "The Earth’s Oceans A Dynamic System where many physical and chemical changes are taking place!"— Presentation transcript:

1 The Earth’s Oceans A Dynamic System where many physical and chemical changes are taking place!

2 Ocean Bottom

3 The World’s Oceans 71% of the surface of the Earth is ocean 97% of all the Earth’s water is found in the oceans The Atlantic, Pacific, and the Indian oceans are the major oceans The Arctic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and the Caribbean Sea are part of the Atlantic Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and the deepest Followed by the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean is deeper

4 Mapping the Ocean Floor 1872 the Challenger sailed from England, it remained at sea for three and a half years. It used wire to measure ocean depths. The Challenger collected animals and water samples from the ocean floor. It used special thermometers to record temperatures on the ocean floor.

5 In 1920 the German ship Meteor used sonar for the first time to map the seafloor.

6 Today the satellite Topex/Poseidon orbits the Earth using side scan sonar to map the bottom of the ocean

7 Mapping the Ocean Mapping the bottom of the ocean can only be done by indirect methods, such as echo sounding, radar, sonar, and seismographic surveys

8 The Ocean Floor Continental margin consist of the continental shelf, continental slope, and the continental rise Continental shelf is the relatively flat area along the edge of every continent: it ranges from almost nothing to 1200 kilometers, the best fishing, large mineral deposits, and petroleum are found there

9 Continental slope is at the edge of the continental shelf where the sea floor may plunge steeply 4-5 kilometers Marks the boundary between the continental crust and the oceanic crust

10 Continental rise is the area between the continental slope and the ocean floor It is made of sediments that wash down from the continental shelf Turbidity current carry large amounts of these sediments in masses of moving water, it is like an underwater avalanche

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13 Submarine canyons are deep V shaped valleys cut through the continental shelf and slope

14 Features of the Ocean Floor

15 Abyssal Plain Large flat areas on the bottom of the ocean Atlantic and Indian oceans have largest abyssal plains because almost all the worlds major rivers flow into them producing a large amount of sediment deposits in the plains

16 Seamounts and Guyots Seamounts are underwater volcanic mountains They have steep sides and narrow summits and rise more than 1000 meters above the sea floor When seamounts rise above the surface of the ocean they become islands Guyots are seamounts that do not rise to a peak or have eroded tops

17 Midocean Ridges Largest mountain ranges on the Earth These are formed where the plates are pulling apart Rift valleys run along the middle of the midocean ridges

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19 Trenches The deepest part of the ocean found along edges of sea floor Long narrow crevices that can be 11,000 meters deep Deepest trench is the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean that is more than 11,000 meters deep

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21 Hydrothermal Vents Openings into the mantle of the Earth where sea water seeps down and returns to the ocean

22 Hydrothermal Vents

23 Reefs Reefs are large masses and ridges of limestone rocks produced by the shells of animals There are three types of coral reefs: fringing reefs touch the shoreline of a volcanic island

24 Coral Reefs (cont) Barrier reefs that are separated from the shore by an area of shallow water called a lagoon

25 Coral Reefs (cont) And an atoll that is a ring of coral reef that surrounded an island that has beenworn away or sunk

26 This is the easy part!!!!!

27 The Water Cycle The ocean is a source of fresh water for all living things

28 Temperature of Ocean Water The sun is the major source of heat for the ocean Surface zone -100-300 meters deep, temperature fairly constant, waves and surface winds mix the water and transfer the heat downward

29 Temperatures (cont) Thermocline- found directly under the surface zone, temperature drops rapidly, less dense warm water floats on top of the more dense cold water

30 Temperature (cont) Deep zone- has extremely cold water, extends from the thermocline to depths of 4000 meters or more, temperature decreases only slightly Temperature below 1500 meters is only 4°

31 Temperature The three ocean zones are not found in the Arctic or Antarctic The surface temperatures are always very cold

32 Important Feature! Upwelling When the cold currents get near the coast they force up nutrient rich water to the surface, this is called upwelling Upwelling is important because it produces rich fishing grounds and plentiful food for marine life

33 And you thought the ocean was just for fun!!!!!!!

34 Oceanography Two Temperature Zones, Waves, and Currents

35 Tides These are the regular rise and fall of ocean water caused by the gravitational pull between the moon and the Earth A bulge occurs in the ocean nearest the moon, this is the high tide and in the opposite is the low tide There are two high tides and two low tides a day Spring tides are high tides higher than other high tides and neap tides are low tides lower than other low tides

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38 Moving Ocean Water Waves are pulses of energy that move through the ocean They carry energy, not matter They begin as wind stirred ripples on the surface of the water The greater the wind, the greater the wave

39 Wave Formation The height of the wave depends on wind speed, the length of time the wind blows, and the distance the wind blows Increasing any of these can increase the size of the wave

40 Wave Trivia The highest wave every noted was 34 meters high in 1933 during a wind storm in the Pacific

41 Wave Characteristics The crest is the highest part of the wave The trough is the lowest part to the wave Wavelength is measured from crest to crest or trough to trough

42 Waves (cont) Waves are more destructive in the winter Tsunamis is a giant wave caused by earthquakes

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44 Currents Currents can be described as “rivers” in the ocean Two factors cause currents: wind patterns and water density differences

45 Surface Currents Currents caused by winds are surface currents found at a depth of several hundred meters There are warm and cold water currents, depending on where they come from These are called long-distance currents These currents form a continuous world wide pattern of water circulation

46 Deep Currents Deep water currents are caused by the differences in water density Cold water and saltier water is more dense Deep currents usually flow in the opposite direction of surface currents The densest water in the world is found in Antarctic, this current flows northward toward the equator at the same time warm current flow toward Antarctic

47 Deep Currents (cont) When the cold currents get near the coast they force up nutrient rich water to the surface, this is called upwelling Upwelling is important because it produces rich fishing grounds and plentiful food for marine life

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49 Properties of Ocean Water Ocean water is a mixture of gases and solids dissolved in pure water Oceanographers believe that ocean water contains all of the natural elements found on Earth All but 5 have been found

50 Salts in Ocean Water Salinity is the amount of dissolved salts in ocean water Sodium Chloride is the most common salt Average salinity of the ocean is 35 o/oo Salt comes from volcanic activity, erosion of the land, and wave erosion of beaches Sea salts Parts per Thousand chloride19.3 o/oo sodium10.7 o/oo sulfate2.7 o/oo magnesium1.3 o/oo calcium0.4 o/oo potassium0.4 o/oo bicarbonate0.15 o/oo bromide0.07 o/oo other0.06 o/oo Total Salinity 35.08 o/oo

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52 Salinity Salinity can be greater or less than the average of 35 o/oo Lower salinity where freshwater rivers enter the ocean Salinity is higher where there is greater evaporation and in polar regions where only fresh water freezes Animals using certain salts to build their shells can lower salinity

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54 Gases in Ocean Water Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen are the most abundant gasses found in ocean water Oxygen and carbon dioxide are essential for plant growth There is more gas found at the surface of the water where plant growth occurs

55 Deep Cold Water Cold water holds more gas than warm water When the colder denser water sinks to the bottom it carries oxygen rich water that aids in the survival of deep water species

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57 Ocean Life Zones Plant and animal life in the ocean is affect by three factors: amount of sunlight, temperature, and pressure Plants and animals can be classified into three major groups according to their habitats of the water in which they live

58 Plankton Largest group of animals and plants that float at or near the surface These get the most sunlight Found at depths of 1 to 200 meters deep Very small organisms (plankton that whales eat)

59 Nekton Contains all forms of organisms that swim around They can actively search for food, prey or predators These are found in all areas of the ocean

60 Benthos Organisms that live on the ocean floor Benthic plants live in shallow water so they can get the necessary sunlight Oysters, crabs, starfish are all benthic Some even live in the deepest parts of the ocean

61 Plankton, Nekton, and Benthos

62 Ocean Environments (Zones) The classification of the ocean into life zones is based on the conditions of the ocean- conditions that vary widely

63 Intertidal Zone The region that lies between low and high tide Organisms must be able to live without water some of the time They must find someway to attach so they are not washed out when tide goes out Includes anemones, crabs, mussels, and plants

64 Neritic Zone Extends from the low tide line to the edge of the continental shelf Depth of about 200 meters Receives plenty of sunshine Pressure is low and temperature is constant Plankton, nekton, and benthos plants and animals are found here Riches part of the sea: contains fish, clams, snails, some smaller whales, and lobsters Much of the seafood we eat is found here!

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66 Open-Ocean Zones Bathyal zone begins at the continental slope and ends about 2000 meters Sunlight cannot penetrate to the bottom Squid, octopus, and large whales are found here Abyssal zone extends to over 6000 meters No sunlight can penetrate, high pressure and low temperatures Most animals are small and strange!

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69 Had enough for today?

70 This is Truly Amazing!!!!!!!! What is left? Review Review!!!!!


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