GEO 101 Final Exam Study Guide for NEW information cumulative study guide was given out in class it is not available on Blackboard THIS IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE especially if you don t fill it out fully 1 You are expected to know basic terminology in order to answer the questions 2 What are the major features of the ocean floor Continental sheets o Part of a continental plate o Continental crust underwater Continental slope o Slope where continental crust makes it way down to oceanic crust Abyssal plain Sea mounts Canyons o Flat plain in the ocean o Random volcanoes in the abyssal plain o Rivers cutting into sediment 3 What are the salinity patterns in the ocean Salinity dependent on location and temperature Temperature is dependent on latitude and depth At surface the more evaporation the more salt Deep parts of ocean much saltier than surface Where there is little evaporation there is less salt 4 What are the types and underlying causes of ocean currents Current flowing water in a defined area river in the ocean 2 types o surface o deep driven by wind and the coriolis effect Coriolis effect winds blow in the same pattern all the time down welling up welling caused by water goes down into ocean deep water moves up to surface Coriolis effect Density thermohaline circulation Thermohaline circulation combination of temperature thermo and salinity salt 5 How does the moon create the tides Tidal bulge Large tidal bulge is on the side closer to the moon D C A B A Moon B Large tidal bulge C Earth D Small tidal bulge A pulls B away from C C away from D but D stays still Moon pulls large tidal bulge away from earth earth away from small tidal bulge 6 Know the different types of waves and wave actions that we covered small tidal bulge stays still Open Ocean Waves o Energy moves forward water stays put o These waves are why if at the beach in ocean you stay relatively in the same location these waves just bob objects up and down Breaker o Friction between wave and ocean floor o Push forward Wave Refraction Longshore Current o Waves come in parallel to the shore o Moving along shoreline o These waves are responsible for you drifting away from location in the ocean If you put your things down and go to water for a while and look back at beach you will be further to the right or left of your belongings 7 What are the different kinds of coastlines and why do they form where they do Beach o Nearshore zone Underwater o Intertidal zone Sometimes wet sometimes dry Depends on tides o Backshore o Dune Dry most of the time Where stairs are built on beaches Natural barriers for hurricanes o Some beaches grow some beaches erode Barrier Islands o At beaches o Thin strip of sand away from coastlines o Sand islands o Always changing o All are temporary o Dauphine Island Tidal Flat Rocky Coast o High tide covered by water o Low tide exposed o Embayment Bay o Head land High point of land with sheer drop o Always changing Fjords o Glacial valley o Flood after glaciers melt Coastal wetland o Shallow water o No wave action o Temperate climate salt marsh o Subtropical climate mangrove swamp Coral Reef Estuaries o Shallow warm areas o Grow until conditions change o Erode into coral sand o Ocean rises into river valley o Mix of fresh and salt water this is known as brackish water Determined by o Tectonic setting o Sea level o Sediment supply o Climate 8 What do humans do to try and stabilize the coastline To deal with beach erosion Barrier built to keep sand from eroding o Groin o Jetty Protect harbor entrances o Break Water Protect anchorages from weathering and longshore drift by decreasing wave energy o Riprap Decreases wave energy o Beach nourishment Bringing in new sand 9 What hazards are associated with living near the ocean Sea level rising o Only a matter of time o Could submerge DC Philadelphia and New York Pollution and Destruction human effects o Biggest effect on wetlands and coral reefs o Water chemistry changes o Sediment amounts o Construction Natural destruction o Large and small storms cause damage in several ways Wind Waves Storm surge Waves and surge Flooding Removal of dunes wetlands and beaches Big wave Affected by tide wind and air pressure 10 What are the characteristics of a good aquifer Aquifer allows water to flow High porosity and high permeability o Porosity percentage of pore space how much pore space available o Permeability Ease of flow between pores Size number shape of pores all affect permeability o Water will not flow without high combination of both 11 How does groundwater move and how is that movement affected by different sediments and rocks Water moves largely because of pressure Gravity moves water to water table when at watertable pressure moves groundwater o Water table place where all pores are filled with water goes up and down dependent on conditions follows land surface o perched water table no water flowing so it can will run out Travels in arcs All groundwater moves slowly but at different rates o Darcy s law more permeable sleep slope faster movement 12 How do humans access groundwater Wells o Ordinary o Seasonal Available at all times o Works like a water tower Artesian Well Spring Hot Spring Only works during certain times of the year o A place where groundwater naturally flows to the surface o Hot water comes to the surface in two main ways Very deep groundwater forced up by pressure or pathway Geothermal regions Magma near earth s surface 13 What are the components of a geyser 14 How can groundwater resources be depleted Water supply Heat source Plumbing system Lowering water table Saline intrusion Reversing flow Land subsidence 15 What factors influence groundwater quality Most groundwater is safe to drink o soft water lots of salt o hard water lots of calcium magnesium can precipitate to pipes over time o hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs o iron rich causes stains Contamination o The more people the more likely contamination is to occur Septic tank farm mine runoff storage tanks industrial large or 16 What geologic features are created by groundwater small scale landfills Caves Speleothems o Limestone in acidic groundwater water table lowers cave collapses o Calcium filled water evaporating and depositing calcite o Grow 1 2 mm each year Soda Straw Stalactite o Young stalactite o Hollow o Not hollow o Water drips off end o Grows like icicle Stalagmites o Mound on floor in cave o Becomes column Flowstone Sinkholes o Collapsed cave o Sheets of water down