Oceanography Survey

All papers and assignments must be in current APA format (6th ed.) and in a
WORD (.doc or .docx) format only, unless otherwise specified. • Discussion
Board assignments should have citations and references when appropriate.
-Presents new ideas, reflects critical thinking, and/or shows practical application.
-Provides proper cites, applies concepts from research to support discussion, uses
research as a tool not as a replacement for original thinking
-Readable, good structure, grammar, few spelling errors
-Meets all assignment criteria and clear evidence of original thought
Unit 1
—-Why has it not been possible to to prove Darwin’s Theory of Evolution?
Unit 2
—-Choose one of the critical-thinking questions from your text (page
73-74) to answer in a short-essay format.
—–Discuss at least 3 pieces of evidence for plate tectonics. What is
the vital difference between continental and oceanic crust material that
allows this to occur?
Unit 3
—-Post your answer to one of the questions below:
1) Relate the molecular properties of water to the chemical properties of
seawater.
2) Identify the sources and sinks of two substances (you pick them)
in the world ocean.
3) Explain the concept of residence time.
—-List at least 3 qualities that make water an unusual molecule, and
describe the properties of the molecule that endow it those special
properties.
Unit 4
—Post your answer to one of the questions below
1) Identify and describe the different forms of energy
2) Explain the relationship between temperature and heat
3) Explain the difference between physical and chemical properties of
water and provide an example of a physical property in the world ocean
—Select one of the following topics:
1) Can you hypothesize why human vision is in the color range we
observe? (Hint – although we have not discussed the Theory of
Evolution, use the concept of Natural Selection if you choose this topic.)
2) Discuss the properties of ocean water that lead to the formation of a
“sound channel” at appx. 1000m. depth.
3) Discuss the sources and sinks of gases and nutrients in the ocean
and their importance.
4). Why will it take a very long time after the beginning of remedial
actions for the “ozone problem” to be “solved? (To answer this question
properly you have to define the problem!)
Unit 5
—-Discuss any two of the following topics:
1) Why do hurricanes rotate counterclockwise in the northern
hemisphere?
2) Why are there 3 “idealized” atmospheric circulation cells in each
hemisphere?
3) More realistically, describe where atmospheric highs and lows are to
be found depending on the season.
4) Explain “atmospheric pressure” and how it varies depending on
altitude of a landmass.
5) Defne and discuss the “jet stream” and its migration over time.
—–Read the following article and then answer the following questions:
1) What are some of the concerns with hurricanes raised by the issue of climate
change?
2) What are some of the difficulties inherent in our study of climate change and
the atmosphere?
Unit 6
—–Read the following article.
You may find the scientific language dense at times, but try to glean
what you can about the research methodologies used to study ocean
currents.
You might also want to look at some of the animations and videos here.
Answer all of the following questions:
1) What are some things we know about the Florida Current?
2) How do we know them?
3) Why is this information important?
4) What do we still need to learn?
5) What techniques do oceanographers use to study the currents?
—-Select 2 topics from the following:
1) Describe and discuss the Saraggaso Sea.
2) Describe and explain “Western intensification” of ocean currents.
3) Explain why West Europe has generally a milder climate than the Eastern
United States.
4) Can eddies shed from flows such as the Loop Current influence the strength
of hurricanes?
5) Describe and discuss the ENSO phenomenon.
Unit 7
—Choose 2 of the following questions for discussion:
1) What are the principal sources of ocean waves and what is their relative
importance?
2) What are the differences between shallow water waves and deep water
waves?
3) Explain tsunami phenomena (source, propagation, damage).
4) Explain in detail why most of the time waves come in almost parallel to the
shore (“waves” here referring to wave crests).
5) Explain the mechanisms behind the formation of a “surfer’s tube”.
6) Explain why the “swell” that arrives at a shoreline from a distant storm is
relatively low frequency, and discuss how this frequency is expected to shift as
time goes on.
—-Choose one of the topics below and discuss.
1) Identify the space- and time-varying components of waves.
2) Explain wave interference.
Unit 8
–Select two of the topics below and discuss:
1) Explain the two major factors influencing tidal cycles across the globe.
2) Explain why some regions may have diurnal tides, while others are semi-diurnal, and others
still even more complicated.
3) Given data (in the Unit) of how much the Earth’s rate of rotation has changed over geological
time scales, estimate how long the Earth will continue to rotate (all other things kept constant.)
4) How will tides differ from those at present when the North Pole is farthest from the Sun during
Northern winter?
5) Explain declination and its effect on tidal patterns.
Respond to two other posts from your peers.
—Answer one of the following questions.
1) Explain spring and neap tides, what they are and what causes them, in terms
of sun-moon alignments.
2) Explain the differences between daily patterns of tides and monthly patterns
of tides.
Unit 9
—Choose 1 from below:
1. What main factors control water circulation and what are the 3 types if
circulation in estuaries?
2. Why do estuaries have low species diversity but high biological
productivity?
3. What are mangrove swamps, where do they occur, and what physical factors
control their character?
—Coastal Processes: Choose one from below to answer:
1) Discuss the characteristics of a sloping beach that make a surf break ideally
suited for surging.
2) Compare and contrast longshore and crossshore transport and their effects
on the beach face.
3) Explain the generation, propagation and impacts of a tsunami based on its
wave nature and the environments it encounters from production to shoalng on a
beach.
Unit 10
—-Choose one of the following topics.
1) Discuss the concept of Evolution as a product of Natural Selection.
2) Describe two examples of evolution in modern times.
3) Discuss the evidence for mass extinctions.
—-Choose 3 of the following:
1) Describe the relation between geological processes and evolution. Give an
example.
2) If a child asked you, “What is evolution?” what would you sayt?
3) Explain the role that genes have in evolution.
4) In what ways is the second law of thermodynamics satisfied by living
organisms?
5) Is it possible to pass on traits you have personally developed, such as big
muscles? Expain your answer.
6) Give some examples of how the biological activities of one species can lead
to the extinction of others.
7) Give 3 examples of symbiosis.
8) Discuss at least two instances of parallel evolution, i.e. similar structures in
otherwise different species.
Unit 11
–Choose one question from these.
1) What exactly is a marine community? Give 2 examples.
2) Discuss the possible consequences of eradicating a top predator
from a food web. Give one example of how this has occurred in the
past.
3) Discuss the harmful consequences of invasive species. Give a
concrete example.
—Select one of the following and answer.
1) What does the term “ecology” mean in a scientific context?
2) Explain the differences between food pyramids and food webs.
3) What are the roles of ATP and glucose in processing energy within
organisms?
4) Explain what is meant by the “10% rule” in moving through trophic levels.
Unit 12
—Select 2 topics to address:
1) List at least 3 ocean pollutants and discuss their impacts.
2) Discuss an example of biomagnification in detail.
3) Describer at least 3 instances of occurance of invasive species in lakes,
rivers, and oceans, and discuss why they are harmful.
4) Discuss at least 3 different problems afflicting the worldwide fisheries
industry.
5) Discuss at least 3 science concepts you learned that help you understand the
aftermath of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
—-Discuss one of the following topics.
1) Describe and discuss at least 3 separate threats to our environment.
2) Take any one example and discuss the efficacy of remedial action, i.e., the
threat, the proposed actions to solve the problem, the success in doing so.
3) Discuss your personal understanding of global warming/environmental
change research and its implications.