Lecture 8:
Focus Question: Why is Ocean Water Layered?
 

    A. What is the general profile of temperature in ocean water?
    B. What is the general profile of salinity in ocean water?
    C. What factors determine density of ocean water?
    D. At what point does a water mass take on these density determining conditions?
    E. Why do the layers of ocean water move?
    F.  What is meant by “density driven” or “thermohaline” circulation?
    G. How does the Temperature & Salinity diagram work?
    H. What happens to very dense water masses?
    I.  Where are the two densest water masses forming today?
    J.. What are the seven major ions dissolved in seawater?
    K.. What is the residence time of those ions relative to each other?
    L.  How do these ions get into and leave the ocean?
    M.  How has ocean water managed to maintain an average salinity of 35 parts per thousand?

Lecture 9
Focus Question:  How do sound, light, and dissolved gases behave in the ocean?

A. What portion of the electromagnetic spectrum penetrates ocean water?
B. Why do different colors of the visible light spectrum penetrate to different depths?
C. What colors penetrate the deepest?
D. Does sound travel faster in ocean water than in air?
E. How do marine mammals make use of sound in the ocean?
F.. How do oxygen, and  carbon dioxide behave with depth in ocean water?
G. How can oxygen be added to the ocean?
H. How can carbon dioxide  be added to the ocean?
I. What happens to the form of carbon dioxide with increasing pH?
J  How is the pH of ocean water maintained at about 8?

Lecture 10
Focus Question:  Why is the ocean like a river?

.  Why do the surface currents move in circular patterns (called gyres) ?
A. What is the Coriolis effect?
B  Why do the surface currents move in circular patterns (called gyres) ?
C. What direction do the gyres turn in the Northern Hemisphere? In the Southern Hemisphere?
D. Why does water pile up in the middle of the gyres?
E. How does the Ekman Spiral work?
F. What two factors maintain the pile of water in the middle of the gyre, a balance known as geostrophic flow?
G. Where are the Gulf Stream, Canary Current, Peru-Humboldt Current, and the West Wind Drift (Antarctic Current)?
H. What was the purpose of the Kon-Tiki voyage?
I. In what current did the Kon-Tiki voyage take place?
J. How did Shackleton escape from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island?
K. What current did Shackleton use in his escape plan?
L. What was Ben Franklin’s fastest way to deliver mail across the North Atlantic?

Lecture 11
Focus Question:  How do thermohaline circulation and surface circulation work together?

A. Why does water pile up in the middle of the gyres?
B. How does the Ekman Spiral work?
C. What two factors maintain the pile of water in the middle of the gyre, a balance known as geostrophic flow?
D. How does thermohaline circulation (density driven, vertical circulation) link to surface circulation (surface currents).
E. What is meant by the conveyor belt of ocean circulation?
F. What is the path of circulation in the world oceans?
G. Which oceans are most likely to have the most oxygen at depth?  The most carbon dioxide at depth?

Lecture 12
Focus Question:  Why do waves break?

A.  What kinds of forces form waves?
B.  What kinds of forces smooth and flatten out waves?
C.  How do waves transfer energy?
D.  When a wave approaches the shore, what happens to the wavelength?
E.  When a wave approaches the shore, what happens to the height of the wave?
F.  Under what circumstances do rogue waves or superwaves form?

Lecture 13
Focus Question:  Why does the Earth have tides?

A.  Why is the tide a shallow water wave?
B.  What is the tidal bulge?
C.  What is the link between "neap" and "spring" tides and the phases of the moon?
D.  Why do tidal patterns differ from place to place on the globe?
E.  Why do seiches form?
F.  Why do some places in ocean basins experience no tide at all?
G.  How does life in the ocean respond to the tides?

Lecture 14
Focus Question:  Why do tsunami waves travel so fast?

A.  What is a tsunami wave?
B.  How do tsunami waves form?
C.  Why are tsunami waves shallow water waves?
D.  What happens when the trough of the tsunami wave reaches a shoreline before the crest?
E.  How does the tsunami warning system work?