Ocean currents are either wind-driven or density-driven. Moving air masses—particularly the major wind belts of the world—set wind-driven currents in motion. Wind-driven currents move water horizontally and occur primarily in the ocean’s surface waters, so these currents are called surface currents. Density-driven circulation, on the other hand, moves water vertically and accounts for the thorough […]
Chapter Overview Atmosphere and Oceans Earth’s Seasons At the vernal equinox (vernus = spring; equi = equal, noct = night), which occurs on or about March 21, the Sun is directly overhead along the equator. During this time, all places in the world experience equal lengths of night and day (hence the name equinox). In
Chapter Overview Water on Earth Atomic Structure Molecules – Two or more atoms held together by shared electrons– Smallest form of a substance Water molecule Hydrogen Bonding Water as Solvent Water’s Thermal Properties Water exists on Earth as a solid, a liquid, and a gas and has the ability to store and release great amounts
Chapter Overview Marine Sediments Classification of Marine Sediments CLASSIFICATION OF MARINE SEDIMENTS Type Composition Sources/Origin Distribution/Main locations where sediment currently forms Lithogenous Continental margin Rock fragments Quartz sand Quartz silt Clay Rivers; coastal erosion; landslides Continental shelf Glaciers Continental shelf in high latitudes Turbidity currents Continental slope and rise; ocean basin margins
Chapter Overview Bathymetry Measuring Bathymetry Modern Bathymetry Measuring GLORIA Side Scanning Sonar Sea Floor Mapping from Space Seismic Reflection Profiles Hypsographic Curve Ocean Provinces Continental Margins Active Continental Margins Continental Margin Features Continental Shelf Continental Slope Submarine Canyons Turbidity Currents Continental Rise Abyssal Plains Abyssal Plain Volcanic Peaks Ocean Trenches and Volcanic Arcs Island and
Chapter Overview Plate Tectonics Evidence for Continental Drift Objections to Early Continental Drift Model Evidence for Plate Tectonics Earth’s Magnetic Pole Magnetic Polarity Reversals Paleomagnetism and the Ocean Floor Sea Floor Spreading Plate Tectonic Processes Sea Floor Spreading Sea Floor Spreading Evidence Age of Ocean Floor Heat Flow Earthquakes as Evidence Global Plate Boundaries Plate
Overview The world ocean is the most prominent feature on Earth.Oceans cover 70.8% of Earth’s surface.The origin and development of life on Earth are connected to the ocean.The oceans have a long history on Earth. Earth’s Oceans Earth has one ocean. It is divided into four principle oceans and one other. Ocean Size and Depth
Distribution of Wind and Pressure over the surface of the earth In subtropical region, the northeast trade winds and southeast trade winds prevail in the northern and southern hemisphere respectively. They are separated near the equator by a zone of prevailing calms known as ‘doldrums’. However, the doldrums are frequently absent in one part or
General Circulation of the atmosphere The simplest observed global characteristic of the atmosphere is that the tropics are much warmer than the poles. As discussed earlier, this is a straightforward consequence of the geometry of the earth. The annually averaged incoming solar radiation per unit area of the earth’s surface is much greater at the
Circulation of the Atmosphere for GSI, CSIR NET, and GATE GG Exam Read More »
Controls of Climate Climatic controls are the factors affecting the climate of a particular place. The most fundamental control of both weather and climate is the unequal heating and cooling of the atmosphere in different parts of the earth. While the earth as a whole loses as much heat to space as it gains from