Intro to Marine Science Exam #2 UPDATED
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
viscosity - CORRECT ANSWER- a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow that describes the
internal friction of a moving fluid
source - CORRECT ANSWER- the flux into a geochemical reservoir, such as the addition of
elements to seawater by rivers or by seafloor hydrothermal processes
sink - CORRECT ANSWER- the flux out of a geochemical reservoir, such as the removal of
salts from seawater by mineral precipitation
salinity - CORRECT ANSWER- the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water;
usually expressed in grams per kilogram or parts per thousand by weight
steady-state - CORRECT ANSWER- the case where a system or process does not change in
time; as used here, it refers to a situation where the oceans salt composition is unchanging
because inputs are balanced by outputs
conservative elements - CORRECT ANSWER- ions with high and uniform concentrations
that occur in constant proportion to each other in the ocean through time (Na+, Cl-, K+, Mg2+,
and SO4^2-)
nonconservative elements - CORRECT ANSWER- elements whose proportions in seawater
vary in space and time; usually because they are involved in biological or chemical processes
and have short residence times (NO3-, PO4^2-, Si, Fe, and Se)
Residence Time - CORRECT ANSWER- Amount of element in ocean/Rate at which it is
delivered (or removed)
,Chlorine (Cl-) - CORRECT ANSWER- single most abundant ion in the ocean
Principle of Constant Proportions - CORRECT ANSWER- states the proportions of major
conservative elements remain nearly constant with respect to each other even though total
salinity may change from place to place
salinometer - CORRECT ANSWER- an instrument designed to measure the salinity, or
dissolved salt content, of a solution; by measuring conductivity
temperature-salinity diagram - CORRECT ANSWER- graphical tool that plots salinity on
the x axis and temperature on the y axis
isopycnals - CORRECT ANSWER- a line connecting points of equal density and often used
analogously to contour lines in graphical representations of temperature and salinity data
stable - CORRECT ANSWER- refers to water column where density increases with water
depth
unstable - CORRECT ANSWER- a situation that occurs when denser water is introduced on
top of less dense water, which causes water to move vertically and result in mixing
overturning - CORRECT ANSWER- vertical movement that occurs when denser water sinks
and displaces the less dense water beneath, which in turn will rise to the surface
thermocline - CORRECT ANSWER- where temperature changes rapidly with depth
halocline - CORRECT ANSWER- a depth interval in the ocean where salinity changes
rapidly with depth
pycnocline - CORRECT ANSWER- layer where water density increases rapidly with depth
, mixed layer - CORRECT ANSWER- upper surface layer of the ocean in which temperature
and salinity are relatively constant with depth
deep layer - CORRECT ANSWER- portion of the ocean below the pycnocline where there is
little additional change of density with increasing depth
isothermal - CORRECT ANSWER- occurring at constant temperature; water column is
described as this in polar regions/latitudes
nutrients - CORRECT ANSWER- chemicals that are essential to life; provide nourishment
for growth or metabolism in primary producers
nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon - CORRECT ANSWER- major nutrients in the sea that
govern the distribution of life
limiting nutrients - CORRECT ANSWER- an element essential to a species but found in a
concentration low enough to be a ____________ factor on the population; its abundance or lack
thereof controls the maximum population of the species
primary producers - CORRECT ANSWER- organisms in an ecosystem that produce biomass
from inorganic compounds (autotrophs- use light or chemical energy)
photosynthesis - CORRECT ANSWER- the process by which a green plant turns water and
carbon dioxide into food when the plant is exposed to light
Redfield Ratio - CORRECT ANSWER- atomic ration of carbon to nitrogen to phosphorus
found in phytoplankton and throughout the deep oceans (106 C: 16 N: 1 P)
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
viscosity - CORRECT ANSWER- a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow that describes the
internal friction of a moving fluid
source - CORRECT ANSWER- the flux into a geochemical reservoir, such as the addition of
elements to seawater by rivers or by seafloor hydrothermal processes
sink - CORRECT ANSWER- the flux out of a geochemical reservoir, such as the removal of
salts from seawater by mineral precipitation
salinity - CORRECT ANSWER- the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water;
usually expressed in grams per kilogram or parts per thousand by weight
steady-state - CORRECT ANSWER- the case where a system or process does not change in
time; as used here, it refers to a situation where the oceans salt composition is unchanging
because inputs are balanced by outputs
conservative elements - CORRECT ANSWER- ions with high and uniform concentrations
that occur in constant proportion to each other in the ocean through time (Na+, Cl-, K+, Mg2+,
and SO4^2-)
nonconservative elements - CORRECT ANSWER- elements whose proportions in seawater
vary in space and time; usually because they are involved in biological or chemical processes
and have short residence times (NO3-, PO4^2-, Si, Fe, and Se)
Residence Time - CORRECT ANSWER- Amount of element in ocean/Rate at which it is
delivered (or removed)
,Chlorine (Cl-) - CORRECT ANSWER- single most abundant ion in the ocean
Principle of Constant Proportions - CORRECT ANSWER- states the proportions of major
conservative elements remain nearly constant with respect to each other even though total
salinity may change from place to place
salinometer - CORRECT ANSWER- an instrument designed to measure the salinity, or
dissolved salt content, of a solution; by measuring conductivity
temperature-salinity diagram - CORRECT ANSWER- graphical tool that plots salinity on
the x axis and temperature on the y axis
isopycnals - CORRECT ANSWER- a line connecting points of equal density and often used
analogously to contour lines in graphical representations of temperature and salinity data
stable - CORRECT ANSWER- refers to water column where density increases with water
depth
unstable - CORRECT ANSWER- a situation that occurs when denser water is introduced on
top of less dense water, which causes water to move vertically and result in mixing
overturning - CORRECT ANSWER- vertical movement that occurs when denser water sinks
and displaces the less dense water beneath, which in turn will rise to the surface
thermocline - CORRECT ANSWER- where temperature changes rapidly with depth
halocline - CORRECT ANSWER- a depth interval in the ocean where salinity changes
rapidly with depth
pycnocline - CORRECT ANSWER- layer where water density increases rapidly with depth
, mixed layer - CORRECT ANSWER- upper surface layer of the ocean in which temperature
and salinity are relatively constant with depth
deep layer - CORRECT ANSWER- portion of the ocean below the pycnocline where there is
little additional change of density with increasing depth
isothermal - CORRECT ANSWER- occurring at constant temperature; water column is
described as this in polar regions/latitudes
nutrients - CORRECT ANSWER- chemicals that are essential to life; provide nourishment
for growth or metabolism in primary producers
nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon - CORRECT ANSWER- major nutrients in the sea that
govern the distribution of life
limiting nutrients - CORRECT ANSWER- an element essential to a species but found in a
concentration low enough to be a ____________ factor on the population; its abundance or lack
thereof controls the maximum population of the species
primary producers - CORRECT ANSWER- organisms in an ecosystem that produce biomass
from inorganic compounds (autotrophs- use light or chemical energy)
photosynthesis - CORRECT ANSWER- the process by which a green plant turns water and
carbon dioxide into food when the plant is exposed to light
Redfield Ratio - CORRECT ANSWER- atomic ration of carbon to nitrogen to phosphorus
found in phytoplankton and throughout the deep oceans (106 C: 16 N: 1 P)
