1. Ocean–atmosphere interactions

How physical processes link Earth’s atmospheric and ocean systems

  • Name the 5 oceans?
    • List them by size
  • —Is there more evaporation or water input into the oceans?
  • Who owns the ocean?
    • Who decides?
    • How can this create conflict?
    • Can you name some of those conflicts?
    • Who solves conflicts?
  • How do oceans affect our lives?
    • What is the importance of oceans on climate change
    • How will climate change affect coastal areas?
  • How can we value oceans?
    • What types of resources are found in the oceans?

Homework: Read N&C p. 51 to 64

About oceans:

Salinity

•Sea water is about a 3.49% salt solution, the rest is freshwater.

•The more saline, the denser the seawater.

•As the range of salt concentration in the ocean varies from about 3.2 to 3.8%, oceanographers refer to salt content as 'salinity', express salt concentration as parts per thousand; 34.9 ppt is the average salinity.

•As seawater evaporates the salt remains behind, only the freshwater is transferred from the ocean to the atmosphere.

•A region of excess evaporation, such as the subtropics tends to become salty, while the areas of excess rainfall become fresher.

•Sea ice formation also removes freshwater from the ocean, leaving behind a more saline solution.

•Along the shores of Antarctica this process produces dense water.

•Salinity reflects the workings of the hydrological cycle: the movement of freshwater through the earth/ocean/atmosphere system.

Sea Surface Temperature (SST)

  • —Clear seasonal variation
  • —Tropical areas can be over 25 degrees C
  • —Mid Latitudes (40 to 50 N and S) vary between 10 and 17 degrees C
  • —Arctic regions : 0 to 5 degrees C
    • Why won't ocean water freeze at 0 degrees C?

The coriolis effect diverts any moving object (including water and air) to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern Hemisphere.

Knowing this, does the Coriolis force affect the direction of spiraling water in a toilet?

The operation of ocean currents, including their distribution, nutrient and energy transfers and the importance of oceanic conveyor belts

  • —Warm surface currents carry warm water away from the equator
  • —Cold currents move water away from the cold poles towards the equator

Upwelling: (nutrient transfer)

Winds blowing across the ocean surface push water away. Water then rises up from beneath the surface to replace the water that was pushed away. This process is known as “upwelling.”

Water that rises to the surface as a result of upwelling is typically colder and is rich in nutrients. These nutrients “fertilize” surface waters, meaning that these surface waters often have high biological productivity. Therefore, good fishing grounds typically are found where upwelling is common.

source

  • Surface = less nutrients and more oxygen
  • 50% of the earth's oxygen is crated by phytoplankton through photosynthsis, in the top 200 m of the ocean (photic zone)
  • Below that, nutrients sink and are stored
  • Upwelling brings nutrients back up for phytoplankton to consume
  • Zooplankton eat phytoplankton
  • Fish eat zooplankton
  • Fish die and drop to the lower layers of the ocean
  • And the cycle repeats itself

source

Currents (heat/energy transfer)

Discuss how will this impact:

  • The atmosphere
  • Climate
  • Hurricanes?
  • Marine life
  • Fishing patterns
  • Energy transfer
  • Global climate change

The Oceanic Conveyor Belt

Exercise

Write a a paragraph entitled the importance of the oceanic conveyor belt. Your paragraph must include a color, hand-drawn sketch map and as many of the following terms as possible:

    • Thermohaline circulation
    • Oceanic conveyor belts
    • Water density
    • Climate
    • North Atlantic Deep Water NADW
    • Antarctic bottom water AABW
    • Upwelling
    • Nutrients
    • Arctic Ocean
    • Indian Ocean
    • Pacific Ocean
    • Atlantic Ocean
    • Southern Ocean
    • Salinity
    • Atmospheric circulation

Post your paragraph and diagram here

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and La Niña

(get the pronouns right!)

Atmosphere–oceanic interactions associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and La Niña cycles and their climatic, environmental and economic effects

1.El Nino La Nina.ppt

Let's Kahoot it up!

Detailed examples of the geographic impacts of El Niño and La Niña

Answer the following questions using graphs and short paragraphs:

1. What is El Niño? Draw a labeled diagram of the oceanic and atmospheric conditions of El Niño.

2. What is La Niña? Draw a labeled diagram of the oceanic and atmospheric conditions of La Niña. (differentiate it from normal conditions)

3. How does the Pacific Ocean thermocline change during an El Niño event?

4. As group, create a document including:

      • 3 specific examples of the climactic impacts of El Niño and La Niña
      • 3 Specific environmental impacts of El Niño and La Niña
        • For each one, explain an economic consequence on the region
          • Have statistics where possible (loss of life, economic cost, insurance cost etc)

The formation, distribution and physical impacts of hurricanes on coastal margins, including storm surges

Hurricanes

Wait! According to this, shouldn’t Hurricanes spin clockwise in the Northern hemisphere and counter clockwise in the souther?

  • When will a hurricane be classified as a disaster?
  • Is there a correlation between storm strength and damage
  • Can we predict hurricanes?

Impact Of Hazards

It is generally felt that that the less developed a country (LIC) is the more damage, both economically and in terms of loss of life the hazard causes.

1. Population: LICs have denser populations.

2. Finance: LICs do not have the financial clout to demand strict building legislation codes, unlike places such as USA.

3. Education: People in HICs such as Japan and the US are educated as to what to do in the event of a hazard, and where they can go, thus reducing the vulnerability of the population.

4. Insurance: Closely linked to finance. Homes in HICs can be insured against damage from hazards Offsetting the cost of rebuilding.

5. Economy: Many LICs are dependent on a cash crop economy. If a hazard wipes out their entire crop, then their whole economy will suffer.

6. Infra-structure: HICs are highly organised regards emergency services, and communications to ensure the population in need of help receives this as quickly as they possibly can reducing the spread of disease and death.

Of course, all of this is a broad generalization, and differences are much more subtle between regions:

  • Some LICs have learned from past events and are now well adapted to cope with hurricanes
  • Low income sections of HICs are highly vulnerable

Case study of one hurricane and its impacts on coastal places and people

Typhoon Haiyan (N&C p. 61)

  • Date: Nov 3 - 11 2013
  • Category 5 on SS scale (Super Typhoon)
  • Economic impact: US$ 4.5 billion
  • Fatalities 6400 +
  • Location: Phillipines, Vietnam, HK, Taiwan, Guam, China, Palau, Micronesia

As you watch the video complete a 4P case study on the impacts on coastal places and people

The changing role of oceans as a store and source of carbon dioxide (CO2) and the impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs

2.carbon.cycle.pptx

Impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs

Homework: Read chapters 4 and 5 of Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction - See also

Discuss:

  • The changing role of oceans as a store and source of carbon dioxide (CO2) and the impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs
  • Management of coral reefs, including different stakeholder perspectives on their use and value
    • Detailed examples of the ecosystem and its issues

Exercise:

  1. Draw a labeled diagram explaining the carbon cycle
  2. Describe the chemical process of ocean acidification
  3. Explain the effect of ocean acidification on crustaceans
  4. Explain the effect of ocean acidification on humans

In class, open book essay

  1. Write a 25 minute, 10 point, essay on one of the following IB style Question:

Examine the role of oceans as a store and source of CO2

or

Examine the impact of ocean acidification on coral reefs

Make sure to

  • include a thesis statement, three arguments and a clear conclusion.
  • You may use the TEEL format for your paragraphs
  • Consider the 4Ps and apply them when/if necessary

Also, include all of the following vocabulary terms:

  • Carbon sink
  • Solubility
  • Carbon cycle
  • Oceanic conveyor belt
  • Carbon transfer
  • Acidification

Markscheme