Earth’s Structure
1. Describe the origin of Earth.
2. Know the different layers of Earth’s interior and their properties – crust, mantle, outer core, inner core.
3. Know differences between oceanic versus continental crust – composition, density, what is basalt, what
is granite.
4. What are the 2 types of seismic waves? Describe each.
5. Describe how p-waves and s-waves help determine the property of Earth’s interior.
6. What is the lithosphere composed of?
7. What is the importance of a partially-molten asthenosphere in which the lithospheric plates sit on top of?
8. Know the composition of earth’s interior layers
Plate Tectonics
1.
2.
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5.
List 4 lines of evidence that supports continental drift. Explain each.
Why was the Continental Drift Model not accepted?
Why was Continental Drift reexamined in the 1960’s?
What are the supporting evidence of Seafloor Spreading?
Briefly describe the idea behind Seafloor Spreading. Make a sketch show how sea floor spreading
works.
6. Describe how earthquakes, volcanoes, age of seafloor, paleomagnetism help support the idea of plate
boundaries.
7. What was the mechanism that provided the driving force to move lithospheric plates?
8. Who introduced the Theory of Plate Tectonics?
9. What are the Principles of Plate Tectonics?
10. Describe the three types of plate boundaries and give an example of each
11. Describe the three types of convergent boundaries and give examples of each.
Ocean Sediments
1. What are the 4 types of ocean sediments?
2. How do terrigenous sediments form and how are they transported to the deep ocean?
3. What type of sediment is found in the deepest oceans?
4. What is a biogenous ooze?
5. What 2 compositions make up biogenous oozes?
6. Give a “phytoplankton” and “zooplankton” example for both calcareous and siliceous oozes.
7. What is the Carbonate Compensation Depth (CCD)?
8. Be able to describe why calcareous oozes (CaCO3) are not found in the deep ocean bottom.
9. At what depths is CaCO3 found in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans?
10. Siliceous oozes are found in areas of upwelling. Where does upwelling occur on a global scale?
11. Where are radiolarians found? Diatoms?
12. How do hydrogenous sediments form?
13. Be able to describe the formation of the cosmogenous sediments – microtektites – form.
Seawater Chemistry
1. What is salinity? What is the average salinity in our ocean?
2. What does it mean when we say 350\00
3. What are the 2 most abundant elements found in the ocean?
4. List the major constituents of seawater.
5. Why is the ocean salty?
6. What are the 2 sources of salts? The anions? And the Cations
7. Is the ocean getting saltier? Why or why not?
8. In what ways does salt leave the ocean?
9. What does the Principle of Constant Proportions state? How does this help us determine the amount
of salt present?
10. What are 2 ways of determining salinity?
11. Be able to calculate salinity and chlorinity using formula.
12. What factors affect salinity?
13. What does Residence Time mean?
14. Why are chlorine and sodium the most abundant elements in the ocean? In other words why do they
long residence times.
15. What are some of the effects of salinity?
16. List 3 ways to get fresh H2O from salt H2O. Be able to explain each.
17. What are the major gases in seawater?
18. Why is Oxygen (O2) abundant at the surface of the ocean?
19. Between 200 m – 1,000 m depth, O2 is decreasing and CO2 is increasing. Give 2 reasons?
20. At depths greater than 1,000 m O2 increases slightly. Explain how this happens.
21. How does CO2 control acidity?
22. What contributes to the increase of CO2 with depth?
23. Explain how CO2 acts a carbonate buffering system.
24.
Dissolved Gases
25. What are some of the effects of salinity?
26. List 3 ways to get fresh H2O from salt H2O. Be able to explain each.
27. What are the major gases in seawater?
28. Why is Oxygen (O2) abundant at the surface of the ocean?
29. Between 200 m – 1,000 m depth, O2 is decreasing and CO2 is increasing. Give 2 reasons?
30. At depths greater than 1,000 m O2 increases slightly. Explain how this happens.
31. How does CO2 control acidity?
32. What contributes to the increase of CO2 with depth?
33. Explain how CO2 acts a carbonate buffering system.
34. Describe the gas cycle.
35. What are the major nutrients found in ocean water?
Heat and Oceans
Since 1860, what has happened to global temperatures?
How do present day carbon dioxide level s compare to those of the past 600,000 years?
How do you explain the high levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere?
How do we know the carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere during the last 600,000 years if humans we not
around to measure them?
Could climate change have helped humans flourish? Why?
What is the relationship between carbon dioxide levels and human populations and how do you explain it?
How does fossil fuel burning and land use change contribute to high carbon dioxide levels?
How does the greenhouse effect work?
T/F Most of the heat that comes from the sun is absorbed by the continents?
Why do the oceans absorb so much heat? Explain in terms of heat capacity.
What would happen to the temperatures of our planet if it absorbed more heat than it radiated back to space?
What is happening to sea ice in the polar regions? Greenland?
What is causing some glaciers to move faster even though they are melting?
Tell me why this statement is wrong: “All of the sea level rise of the ocean is caused by the melting of the ice
sheets.
Which contributes more to sea level rise, the melting of the Antarctica ice sheet or the melting of the North Pole
ice? Why?
Explain the thermohaline circulation.
What is happening to California temperatures since 1950?
How much of this warming is due to land use change and how much to Greenhouse gas warming?
How do you explain the rise in temperatures of the L.A. area?
How does California increasing population and land use change contribute to rising temperatures.
T/F Los Angeles area sea levels are rising
What does rising sea level mean about flooding of the coast and threat to buildings and cities?
T/F Water supplies in the Colorado River are increasing.
What are the consequences of changing amounts of water in the Colorado River?
What are the consequences of changing amounts of snow accumulation in the US?
T/F El Nino conditions usually mean more water for southern California?
T/F Positive PDO phase usually means more water for California
Waves
1. What the 4 types of waves discussed in class and how are they generated?
2. Know all parts of a wave – crest, trough, height, etc.
3. Be able to define period (T). Frequency (f)
4. How are deep water waves classified? Shallow water waves?
5. Be able to describe deep water motion.
6. Where does water motion stop? If I give you a wavelength (L) and the depth of the ocean, be able to tell
me if water motion is dragging on the seafloor or not.
7. Know Velocity (V) = Wavelength (L)/Period (T). If I give you 2 factors, be able to calculate the 3rd. For
example, if I give you the Velocity (V) of a wave and its Wavelength (L), be able to calculate Period (T).
8. Where are waves generated?
9. What is dispersion?
10. What is a wave train?
11. Do individual waves travel faster or slower? By how much?
12. What is Constructive Interference? Destructive Interference?
13. At what H/L ratio do waves break? If I give you the height (H) and wavelength (L), be able to tell me if a
wave will break or not.
14. What are the 3 types of waves and what are their differences?
15. What is refraction? Diffraction?
16. What is a tsunami and what are their possible causes?
17. Know tsunami characteristics.