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OCN 201 Oceanography Fourth Quiz Topics

The quiz consists of a) 15 short answer and b) one written question. The quiz topics for the 15 short answer questions are listed below. Of these 15 questions, in general, the first seven questions are from the lecture notes, questions 8-11 are from the first readings discussion of this quiz period, and questions 12-15 are from the second readings discussion. The questions from the lecture notes will have one or two of the math problems covered in lecture.

The potential written questions are listed below.

Quiz Topics for the Short Answer

Eight quiz questions will come from the readings discussion questions: four from the first readings discussion and four from the second readings discussion.

Readings Discussions:

Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions
Ocean Circulation I

Seven quiz questions will come from the lecture notes, including at least one math problem.

Seawater

Seawater Salinity

Which percentage of seawater is water?
List the four categories of dissolved constituents
Which category of dissolved constituents has the highest concentrations?
Give the average salinity of seawater.

Major Constituents

List the major constituents, the first two in order of abundance.
Which of the major constituents are ions?
Which percentage of salinity is from the major constituents?
Does seawater salinity vary?
Give the range of salinity variations for most to the ocean.
Define Marcet's principle (principle of constant proportions).
Explain why salinity varies.
Where do most variations in salinity occur?
Explain how salinity can vary, yet the relative proportions of the major constituents remain constant.
How many of the major constituents must be measured to determine salinity.
How are the amounts of the other major constituents determined?
Is salinity a conservative property of seawater?
Give the requirements for a conservative property of seawater.
Explain why seawater salinity is relatively uniform.
Give the mixing pattern of the ocean.
Give the mixing time of the ocean.
Give the residence times of the major constituents.

Minor Constituents and Trace Elements

Which units are used to give the concentrations of minor constituents?
Which units are used to give the concentrations of trace elements?
Does Marcet's principle generally apply to all of these constituents?
Do these constituents tend to be conservative or nonconservative?
Compare to the major constituents, do the residence times of these tend to be longer or shorter?
List the major biolimiting nutrients in the ocean

Gases

List the three major gases in seawater.
Which of the three major gases are conservative?
Explain why nitrogen gas is conservative.
Which of the three major gases are nonconservative?
Explain why carbon dioxide gas and oxygen gas is nonconservative.

Variations In Seawater Chemistry

Major Constituents

Are large variations in the concentrations of the major constituents observed in seawater?
Which categories of seawater constituents can vary significantly?
List the two types of variation.

Vertical Variations

Where do the largest vertical variations in the concentrations of the minor constituents, trace elements, and gases occur?
Give the primary pattern of vertical variations of seawater chemistry.
Which processes are responsible for most constituents being depleted in surface waters and enriched in deep waters?
Which chemical constituents are consumed by photosynthesis and which are released?
Which chemical constituents are consumed by respiration and which are released?
Which biological process dominates in surface waters?
Why does photosynthesis dominate in surface waters?
Explain why the concentrations of N, P, and CO2 are lower in surface waters.
What happens to the organic matter created by photosynthesis in surface waters?
Which biological process dominates in deep waters?
Explain why the concentrations of N, P, and CO2 are higher in deep waters.
Explain why the concentration of O2 is higher in surface waters.
Explain why the concentration of O2 is lower in deep waters.

Horizontal Variations

Explain why significant horizontal variations are not observed in the concentrations of the major constituents.
Give the primary pattern of horizontal variation in the concentrations of most of the minor constituents, trace elements, and gases in the deep ocean.
Give the dominant biological process in the deep ocean.
Give the general pattern of circulation in the deep ocean.
Explain why the concentrations of N, P, and CO2 are lower in deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean, higher in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean, and highest in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Explain why the concentration of O2 is highest in deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean, lower in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean, and lowest in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The math problems for the quiz are on the Examples of Math Problems page. One or two questions will be a math problem.

Potential Written Quiz Questions

The written question will come from lecture topics

Seawater

Seawater Salinity

Discuss the major constituents.
Discuss Marcet's principle.
Explain why seawater salinity is relative uniform.
Discuss the characteristics of the minor constituents, trace elements, and gases.

Variations in Seawater Chemistry

Discuss the vertical variations in seawater chemistry.
Discuss the horizontal variations in seawater chemistry.

The list of exam topics and potential written questions for the fourth quiz are complete

 

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