Research
writing ASSIGNMENT
#1
the Plate Tectonic THEORY, SEaflooR Physiology, Marine Sediments,
Seawater Properties, Atmospheric Winds, and Ocean currents
------ Textbook Chapters 3 through 9 ------
Due
date: sunDAY March 18th 2012 @ 11:55 pm
A. Introduction:
This assignment involves examining the plate tectonic theory (Chapter 3); seafloor physiology (Chapter 4); seafloor sediments (Chapter 5); seawater properties (Chapters 6 and 7); atmospheric circulation (Chapter 8) and shallow and deep ocean circulation (Chapter 9). The information that you will need to complete this assignment will be primarily found in your text. However, there is also a set of the professor’s lecture outlines and PowerPoint presentations, and referenced Internet links that are designed to help you supplement the information found in your textbook.
Chapter 3 in your text covers the Plate Tectonics Theory exclusively. The plate tectonics (PT) theory is “the” central organizing theory that pulls all the various aspects of Earth geology into a coherently understandable and predictable dynamic model of our ever-changing Earth. Give extra attention to the following key concepts in Chapter 3: 1) the pre-PT theory – the continental drift hypothesis, and how it fell short; 2) the general definition of the PT theory, including the lithospheric plates, the asthenosphere’s role, the three types of plate boundaries and their unique features and processes, and the proposed mechanisms that drive plate motion; and 3) the various key pieces of evidence that supports the theory.
Additional Internet Resources for General Development of Plate Tectonic Theory:
1) Good Overview: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/dynamic.html
2) Another Good Overview: http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/structure/dynamicearth/index.htm
3) Glossary:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/description_plate_tectonics.html
4) Plate Tectonic Animations: http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/animate/pltecan.html
Chapter 4 in your text covers the physical topography of seafloors, including both continental shelves, and the deep ocean floor. Features such as submarine canyons and mid-ocean ridge systems are examined. Bathymetry is the process of how the seafloors have been mapped, and is central to how oceanographers acquire their knowledge of the physical layout and features of the ocean basins – how the sea bottom gets mapped is covered in some detail.
Additional Internet Resource for satellite mapping and imaging of the seafloor:
1) Major
Features and Descriptions: http://geology.uprm.edu/Morelock/seafloor.htm
2) Outlined
Notes on Seafloor: http://www.berkeleycitycollege.edu/faculty/rhaberlin/ptpptnts.htm
http://jersey.uoregon.edu/~mstrick/RogueComCollege/RCC_Lectures/Seafloor.html
2) Satellite
Imaging: http://topex.ucsd.edu/WWW_html/mar_topo.html
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/bathymetry/predicted/explore.HTML
3)
Continental Margin Rift Models
http://csmres.jmu.edu/geollab/vageol/vahist/riftmodel.html
4)
http://www.muw.edu/classes/jamal/16_The_Ocean_Floor.pdf
Chapter 5 in your text focuses on marine sediments – the types of sediment, where they are found, and how they are derived. Sediments are broken up into four major types: terrigenous, biogenous, hydrogenous, and cosmogenous. Terrigenous can be further divided into shelf versus pelagic, whereas, biogenous sediments are primarily broken up into shelf carbonates, and pelagic calcareous and siliceous oozes.
Additional Internet Resource for marine sediments:
1) Basic
Classification & Description: http://www.guilford.edu/geology/marseds.html
2)
Outlined Notes on Seafloor Sediments:
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Ocean-Floor-Sediments.html
Chapter 6 in your text covers the general physical and chemical properties of the remarkable compound – water. Water’s chemical structure, thermal properties, and phase changes of water are examined. This chapter also looks at the density stratification of the ocean water column, and the nature of how light and sound travels through the ocean.
Additional Internet Resource for the physical properties of seawater:
1)
http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/index2.html
2) http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/applychem/waterchem.html
Chapters 7 in your text investigates the chemical nature of seawater – its powerful solvent properties, salinity, dissolved gases, and pH balance. Much of this chapter focuses on the dissolved solids in seawater that constitutes the ocean’s salinity. Salinity is defined, the various dissolved ions are examined – their amounts, sources, sinks, and behavior, and the means of measuring salinity are described and explained.
Additional Internet Resource for the
chemical properties of seawater:
1) http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/02ocean/swcomposition.htm
2) http://www.palomar.edu/oceanography/salty_ocean.htm
3) http://sam.ucsd.edu/sio210/lect_2/lecture_2.html
Chapter 8 in your text covers atmospheric circulation. The study of oceanography must include the study of surface winds because the interaction between the atmosphere and ocean surface is extremely crucial to how the ocean behaves, in terms of currents, waves, gas and heat exchange, and biological activity. The relationship between the amount of incoming solar energy in respect to latitude and season is central to driving both the atmospheric circulation and ocean circulation. Large-scale atmospheric surface wind patterns are described and explained, such as the Westerlies and Trade winds. Additionally, storm systems such as hurricanes and winter cyclones are examined.
Additional Internet Resource for
Atmospheric Circulation
1) http://www.uwsp.edu/geO/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/circulation/global_scale_circulation.html
2) http://www.atmosphere.mpg.de/enid/5057ce0c8397e666f5a77ee2a0017790,55a304092d09/18z.html
3) http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/earth/coriolis.html
Chapter 9 in your text covers the circulating currents of the ocean, including the wind-driven surface currents, and the deep density currents. First, the surface currents are described and explained – how surface winds drive and sustain the surface currents, how the Coriolis effect - creating the Ekman spiral and transport – helps form the round-and-round ocean surface current circuits called gyres, and the sub-currents that make up a single gyre. Second, ocean surface currents, including upwelling and downwellling, are shown to affect weather and climate, such as El Nino’s. Finally, the deep ocean currents, termed the thermohaline circulation, are described and explained. These deep ocean density currents, which involve roughly 80% of the ocean column, are extremely important in keeping the ocean mixed, and in help maintaining Earth’s surface thermal equilibrium.
Additional Internet Resource for Ocean
Circulation:
Ocean
Currents: 1) http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Mi-Oc/Ocean-Currents.html
Geostrophic
Gyres: 1) http://sparce.evac.ou.edu/q_and_a/ocean_circulations.htm
2) http://earth.usc.edu/~stott/Catalina/Oceans.html
3) http://oceanmotion.org/html/background/geostrophic-flow.htm
Boundary
Currents: 1)
2) http://earth.usc.edu/~stott/Catalina/Oceans.html
3) http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/additional/science-focus/locus/tutorials/module2.shtml
2) http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/545.html
3) http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/Science/Conveyor.asp
This assignment has Six written components
(topics) that you must complete:
1) Description, Explanation and Support of the
Plate Tectonic Theory
2) Major Physiological Features of an Ocean
Basin, including their Origin
3) Type, Distribution, and Origin of Marine
Sediments
4) Key Physical and Chemical Properties of
Seawater including Its Salinity
5) Origin
and Characteristics of Major Global-Scale Surface Winds and the Coriolis Effect
6) Origin
and Characteristics of Ocean’s Surface Gyre Currents and Deep Thermohaline
Circulation
B. Ten-Point
Instructions:
1) Review the six assignment #1 topics, including the set of questions (a-e) listed
for each topic. Keep these questions in mind when you begin your assigned
study for this theme.
2) Carefully read and study Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 in your textbook. Also study the professor’s lecture notes and PowerPoint presentations (found on his website) that corresponds to chapters 3 through 9. Finally check the listed internet links for additional information. Use all these sources to help you gather and organize the necessary information asked for in the assignment topic list.
3) When you have finished your study, begin composing a statement of your thoughts concerning the list of questions a) though e) for each of the six topics (a detailed explanation of the topics is found in Part C below).
4) Make sure to organize your paper into the SIX SEPARATE TOPIC responses – each topic divided into each lettered subsection, e.g. Topic #1: parts a), b), c), d) and e). - Please include the stated questions as listed below at the beginning of each response. For an excellent example of a properly formatted and completed assignment, go to the professor’s website at
http://www.oceansci.com/miramar_online_assign_example.htm
5) MAKE SURE to
include references to ALL your responses for each topic,
including specific headings, page numbers, illustrations, and diagrams in the
text. At the end of your set of a)
through e) topic responses, list the references that you used to gather your
included information. Here are some
examples: 1) if you used the textbook,
then list your reference as “Course textbook, pages xx-xxx”; 2) if you used information from the
professor’s website material, then an example listing would be “www.seascisurfcom,
Plate Tectonics Lecture Outline”; 3) if you used information that I
directly gave you via email or a fieldtrip then reference that as “Rector,
personal communication”; and 4) Finally, if you use information from an
Internet site, then list the URL, such as: “http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/dynamic.html”
6) I am looking for well-written, thoughtful, thorough, yet concise
responses that adequately address each noted topic. Your written response
should be roughly 6 to 10 pages in length (1 ½ spacing; roughly
1800-2800 words) for the entire assignment - including
my topic titles and posed questions.
Note that I am more concerned with a too-short of paper than I am of a
paper that is over-length – if it’s longer than the above listed max – don’t
worry about it. It’s probably
best to draft your response in your word processing program (saving it frequently). That way,
you can check the spelling and grammar, and make sure that you express yourself
clearly. Please take note: I will take off points for sloppy,
inadequately researched, and poorly written assignments, including spelling and
grammar.
7) Once you've written and edited your research assignment, then you can save it as ASSIGN_1_YOUR NAME. Note that it helps me greatly in grading your response if you include your name in the title of your assignment document file.
I prefer that you save it as a WORD .doc file, but, WordPerfect (.wps) or rich text (.rtf ) files are “OK” too if you do not use MS WORD. Also note that using symbols such as “/”, “#” or “\” in your file name will cause uploading problems. Thank you!
8) Upload your completed research assignment as
an ATTACHMENT with the above file name.
To submit your assignment, go to Assignment Center and clink on the “Assignment #1”
link. Once on that page, scroll down to beneath
the “Submission:” text box. There you
will see a button labeled
"Add Attachments".
Click on that button and wait for an upload window to appear, titled
“Get Files”. Then click on the icon
with the name “My Computer”. There you
will be able to access your computer folders and files for your assignment file. Find the file, click the “Open” button, and
your assignment file will automatically upload onto Blackboard. You will know if the upload was successful
because you will see your file name link appended above the “Add Attachments”
button. DO NOT submit your file by
pasting your assignment as a block of text into the “Submissions:” text box
found directly above the “Add Attachments” button – pasted-in assignments will
not be accepted. As a final note, please make sure to include
your name in the title of your assignment word-doc file.
9) This is an independent research assignment. You must do your own work – NO plagiarism will be tolerated, either from the textbook or online sources, nor sharing work with classmates. It is OK to point your fellow student in the right direction on where to get information, but is NOT OK to share your actual response information. My plagiarism policy is found in the Class Start Info folder - read and understand it very carefully. Note that I use plagiarism detection software like “Turnitin.com” and “Eve2” on the assignments that you turn in to me. Any evidence that you plagiarized will result in a big, fat ZERO on your assignment. I will state it once again here: you MUST write your research assignments in YOUR OWN WORDS. First, DO NOT copy or paraphrase, word-for-word, out of the textbook or off a web site. DO NOT use massive quoting of information from other sources; and DO NOT use word-for-word information shared with your fellow students. Any one of the above instances will get you zero earned points for your effort, or lack of.
10) This assignment is worth 120 points (10 points for each topic). Below are the SIX topics and the mandatory information that you must include for full credit:
C. The Six Topics You Must
Write Responses To:
Topic
#1 – Description,
Explanation and Support of the Plate Tectonic Theory
(20
points total)
a) Provide a brief yet concise discussion of the Continental Drift Hypothesis
ü Who was the major author?
ü What is Pangaea and when did it start to breakup?
ü What layer of Earth is drifting and on what other layer is it drifting over?
ü List the four major lines of evidence that Wegener collected and used.
ü Briefly explain Wegener’s proposed mechanism (forces) that was suppose to cause the breakup up and subsequent drifting apart of the continents and the reason why it the CDH was soundly rejected.
b) Provide a concise definition of the Plate Tectonic Theory (80 to 90 words or so).
ü
The tectonic plates – What part(s) of the solid
Earth do they comprise? How many plate are there?
ü
What do they float/move over? How fast do they move?
ü
What are the principle processes that occur in
plate tectonics?
ü
What is the driving energy source inside the
earth that powers plate tectonics?
ü
What are some of the geologic consequences of
plate motion and principally where do these activities occur in relation to the
plates?
c) List and describe
the three major types of plate boundaries and their subtypes.
ü
The two subtypes of divergent boundaries;
ü
The three subtypes of convergent plate
boundaries;
ü
The two subtypes of transform boundaries.
d) Describe and explain BOTH: 1) seafloor spreading and 2) subduction.
ü Process associated with which type of plate boundary?
ü Relative motion and stresses of the adjoining plates at the plate boundary?
ü What seafloor features are formed at the site of each of these two processes?
ü Name and briefly explain the specific melting mechanism in the mantle that causes magma to form beneath a spreading center AND in a subduction zone. Note that each one has a different melting mechanism.
ü Name the most common magma formed at both of these sites.
e) List and describe the major
types of collected physical evidence used to
support the the Plate Tectonic
Theory
ü
List at least four types of real, physical
evidence (data) that comes from the sea bottom.
ü
Describe the type of evidence and explain how
the evidence collected?
ü
Explain how each line of evidence supports the
PTT?
ü
Which line of evidence appears to be the most
compelling in support of the PPT?
Note: Seafloor spreading and
subduction ARE NOT lines of evidence - they are theorized tectonic processes
(part of the theory itself).
Topic #2 – List, Describe, and Explain the Major Physiological Features of an Ocean Basin, including their Origin. (20 points total)
a) List, describe,
and explain the MAJOR types of physiological features making up a continental
margin portion of an ocean basin (6 points total)
ü List a minimum of four major seafloor features of a continental margin (between the coast and continental rise).
ü Describe the geographic position and seafloor characteristics of each feature
ü Note the average water depth of each feature (depth below sea level).
ü Briefly explain how each feature forms, in terms of tectonic or sedimentary origin.
ü Make sure to include submarine canyons and explain how they originate along continental margins.
ü Make references to the diagrams and illustrations of each seafloor feature found in several figures in Chapter 4 of your textbook.
b) List, describe,
and explain the MAJOR types of physiological features making up a deep ocean
portion of an ocean basin (6 points total)
ü List a minimum of five major seafloor features of the deep ocean (between the continental rise).
ü Describe the geographic position and seafloor characteristics of each feature
ü Note the average water depth of each feature (depth below sea level).
ü Briefly explain how each feature forms, in terms of tectonic or sedimentary origin.
ü Make sure to include mid-ocean ridges and trenches and explain how they originate along continental margins.
ü Make references to the diagrams and illustrations of each seafloor feature found in several figures in Chapter 4 of your textbook.
c) List and briefly
describe the unique geologic features and processes that are found at an active hydrothermal vent systems on the deep seafloor.
(4 points total)
ü Include such things as black and white smokers, and the tectonic/geographic setting of where these vents are found in a deep sea ocean basin.
ü Description and explanation of the deep sea hydrothermal processes in terms of where the water and dissolved minerals comes from, how it gets heated, and what happens to it when it hits the cold sea water.
ü List and describe the types of marine life at a deep sea hydrothermal vent.
ü How can life thrive there without any need for sunlight?
d) Define the key
differences between “Active” and “Passive” continental margins (4 points
total)
ü Give a simple definition for each margin type.
ü List the key features/phenomena that are either present or missing for each of the two margin types that make them different.
ü Include such things as 1) size of the margin, 2) the frequency of earthquakes and volcanism, and 3) the relative distance of margin from a plate boundary, etc.
ü Provide and briefly describe one geographically SPECIFIC example of each type of margin found on Earth from any of the various ocean basins- specific examples from the Pacific and/or Atlantic basins are good.
Topic #3 - List, Describe and Analyze the Type, Distribution, and Origin of Marine Sediments (20 points total)
a) List and briefly
describe each of the four major types of marine sediments covered in your
textbook.
ü List the four types.
ü Describe each type’s material composition and grain size.
ü Explain the basic origin of each sediment type
b) Describe and
explain the similarities and differences of the three types of types of pelagic
sediments (the two types of oozes and the red clay) in terms of composition and
origin.
ü Chemical composition.
ü Grain size
ü Origin of where the ooze (red clay) sediment originally comes from.
ü How it gets to sea bottom where it deposits.
c) Note the specific global geographic
distribution patterns on the seafloor where each of the two types of oozes and
the pelagic red clay are abundant and exposed on the seafloor.
ü Principle regions on seafloor where you find calcareous ooze?
ü Principle regions on seafloor where you find siliceous ooze?
ü Principle regions on seafloor where you find pelagic red clay?
ü What are the reasons for this global distribution pattern of the three types?
d) Briefly explain
what the Calcium Compensation Depth is and how that affects the deposition of
calcareous oozes.
ü Definition
ü General water depth where it lies?
ü Different chemical conditions on calcareous ooze above and below the CCD?
e) Describe and
explain deep sea manganese nodules.
ü Mineral/chemical composition, size, and shape?
ü What sort of sediments are they classified as?
ü How do they form? How fast??
ü Where are they found on the deep seafloor?
ü Commercial resource value?
Topic #4 - Describe and Discuss the Key Physical and Chemical Properties of Seawater including Its Salinity (20 points total)
a) Provide a brief yet concise definition of what water is – as a chemical compound - including a description of the geometry and type of bonding between the three atoms in the water molecule.
ü Chemical formula
ü Types of bonding between which elements
ü Geometric arrangement of the participating atoms
ü Indicate how the bonding relationship makes water a polar molecule.
b)
Provide a brief yet concise definition of hydrogen bonding, and briefly
describe and explain the amazing thermal properties of water attributed to
these bonds. Be sure to touch on the
following items.
ü Indicate how the polar nature of the water molecule causes this type of bonding.
ü List and define/describe the specific characteristics of water in terms of:
1) heat capacity
2) latent heat of fusion
3) latent heat of vaporization
4) Freezing and melting temperatures
5) Indicate if the values are relative high or low compared to similar
compounds.
ü Give a brief explanation as to why the ocean’s water plays a central role in maintaining long-term moderate climate conditions on Earth.
c) Define and discuss
the various aspects of salinity
ü Definition of salinity
ü What units is salinity measured in?
ü List the six most abundant dissolved ion constituents including their % of total salinity
ü What are most common ways that salinity is measured in the ocean?
ü What is the common range of salinity values measured in the ocean?
d) List and briefly
discuss the various sources (input)
and sinks (output --- from where and how the dissolved sea salts get into the
ocean and where and how they leave the ocean.
Cite at least two distinct sources
and sinks.
ü Ways and means of how salts get in the ocean? Cite at least two
ü Ways and means of how salts leave the ocean? Cite at least two
e) Provide a brief
yet concise definition of the Principle of Constant Proportion, in terms of the
composition and concentration of the major dissolved ions in seawater.
ü Compare variation in salinity worldwide versus the percentage values of the major dissolved ions within a given seawater sample or amongst many different samples.
ü Differentiate between conservative versus nonconservative constituents
ü Define in terms of the steady-state nature of salinity – what’s coming versus what’s going out at what given constant rate.
Topic #5 – Describe and
Explain the Origin and Characteristics of Major Global-Scale Surface Winds and
the Coriolis Effect (20 points
total)
a) What generates the
global surface winds and their associated circulation cells in the atmosphere?
ü Consider sun’s energy input, earth’s shape (think latitude), rotational axis orientation to the sun over time (think seasons), and rotational and orbital movements.
b) List and describe
the three major surface wind belts
found in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
ü Name the three wind belts
ü Note each one’s current direction (direction that the wind blows from)
ü Note the latitudinal extent of each wind belt over the globe (the range of latitude from where they originate to where they end).
ü Also note that the wind belts are part of the more extensive atmospheric circulation cells (like the Hadley cell).
c) List and briefly describe the atmospheric conditions along regions
where the major surface wind belts meet:
1) at the equator
2) at 30 degrees N and S Latitude
3) at 60 degrees N and S Latitude
4) at both poles
Be sure to note the following at each of the above four wind boundaries
1) Relative pressure (High or Low) and
2) Rising or falling air?
3) Typical type of weather at these convergent or divergent zones (Mild
or Stormy?, Wet or Dry?).
d) Briefly describe and explain the Coriolis Effect
ü Its general effect on surface winds and the formation of storm systems?
ü What causes this effect?
ü How is it different in terms of deflection and rotation, comparing the Northern
versus the Southern Hemisphere?
e) Give a simple
compare and contrast review of tropical cyclones (hurricanes) versus extra-tropical
cyclones (winter storms)
ü What are the key features of each
ü What are the key differences between the two.
Topic #6 – Describe and
Explain the Origin and Characteristics of Ocean’s Surface Gyre Currents and
Deep Thermohaline Circulation (20 points total)
a) Briefly describe
an ocean gyre – include breaking it down into its four surface current
components.
ü General shape and movement
ü Name the four sub-currents found in each gyre
ü List the names of the specific ocean basin gyres found around the globe – Note: there are five of them.
b) List, describe,
and explain the primarily factors (forces and processes) that create and
sustain an ocean gyre.
ü You should have a list of five factors.
ü Briefly explain how the primarily factors that drive an ocean gyre work together to sustain the gyre current.
ü Refer to your textbook for the illustration of a gyre and its “hill” of water.
c) List and describe
the characteristics for each of the two types of boundary currents within each
of the ocean gyres.
ü Each type of boundary current in relation to its position in an ocean gyre.
ü Characterizing features such as temperature, flow rate, current width and depth for each of the two types.
ü List the name of the specific boundary currents found around the globe – categorize them as either western or eastern boundary.
ü
Describe the boundary current we have off our
coastline here in
d) Briefly describe
the circulation and water masses of the deep ocean, including the forces that
drive them.
ü What drives the deep ocean currents? Hint: There are two major factors associated with the properties of seawater itself that affect its density
ü Name and describe the conditions and processes at the ocean surface that get these deep currents started. Hint: There is at least two processes
ü List the names of the major deep ocean water masses that make up the bulk movement of the deep currents. Note: There are four of them.
e) Briefly describe
the
ü Briefly explain the global-scale shape and movement pattern of the Great Ocean Conveyor
ü How is the GOC important to the earth’s ability to moderate temperature differences between the equator and its poles?
ü Briefly explain how might changes in the Earth’s climate affect the Great Ocean Conveyor and vice versa?