Introduction to planet earth

Introduction to planet earth

Oceanography 115

Homework for Chapters 1-3

Due

Answer the essay questions for homeworkand to study for Exam 1.  The homework must be turned in on the day of Exam 1 to receive credit.  Turn it in one week prior to the exam if you want me to look over your answers

Chapter 1 –Intro to Planet Earth

How are gulfs and seas separated from the oceans?

Where did the water in the oceans come from?  When did liquid water form oceans on the Earth’s surface?  What is the evidence?  Are there other planets or moons with oceans?  Explain

Discuss the origin of the Solar System using the nebular hypothesis, and life on Earth that are based upon scientific evidence, not religion.

Explain why the presence of free oxygen in our atmosphere marks an important step in the evolution of life on Earth.

Chapter 2-Plate Tectonics and the ocean Floor

Be able to draw a picture of Earth’s interior inside a triangle (see your notes!), along with their compositions, and physical properties.  Label the drawing with some notes (just like in the class!).

Why is Earth’s interior still hot today, and list two lines of evidence that heat energy is transferring from the interior to the exterior of our planet

Continental drift hypothesis and plate tectonics theory are very similar in many respects, but continental drift hypothesis was ultimately rejected by scientists whereas plate tectonics theory is accepted by most earth scientist as an excellent explanation for how Earth works.   What is the main difference between these two ideas?

What is seafloor spreading; where is it happening today and what evidence can you cite to support this process?

How do geologists identify the edges of the plates, and what is the most reliable indicator of the location of a plate boundary?

Be able to make labeled sketches (cartoons) of divergent, transform, and convergent plate boundaries (with arrow direction), and give an example of each.

Chapter 3Marine Provinces

Know the differences between passive and active continental margins, and an example of each.

Explain how and why a continental shelf along a passive margin is different from a continental shelf along an active margin?  What is a continental rise, and how does a rise form?

Be able to make a simple, labeled side-view sketch of the California Continental Borderland, and briefly explain how it has formed.

Submarine canyons apparently form in two steps.   Explain each step, and list an example of a submarine canyon along southern California’s coast.

Along some continental margins, submarine fans comprise part of the continental rise.   List an example of a submarine fan, and explain how they form.

Explain how abyssal plains form, and why they are much more common in the Atlantic Ocean as opposed to the Pacific Ocean.

Describe the communities found near hydrothermal vents on the seafloor.  What makes these communities so special in comparison to most other communities in the ocean

Answer preview

How are gulfs and seas separated from the oceans? A sea is described as a water body that is partly enclosed by land while ocean is described as a large water body that connects one continent to another. A gulf can be described as deep inlet of the sea that is almost surrounded by land and has a narrow opening. It’s also good to note that seas are considered to more rich in nutrients since it borders the coastal area, so generally the seas have a larger diversity of flora and fauna. Seas and gulfs are also lesser saline as compared to the oceans.…………..