Question.3750 - Oceanography : Homework # 3 Answer the below questions for homework # 3 Chapter 5 Water and Seawater Water is a polar molecule.?? What does that mean, and why are water molecules polar??? Be able to make a sketch of the water molecule. According to my understanding from reading Chapter 5, water is a polar molecule because of its uneven distribution of electrons; in addition, the oxygen atoms tend to have a stronger pull on the shared electrons than the hydrogen atoms, constructing partial charges, and oxygen becomes slightly negative, while hydrogen atoms are slightly positive; because oxygen demands two electrons to complete its outer shell, and it shares electrons with two hydrogen atoms through covalent bonds (Segar & Segar, 2024). The water molecule has a bent shape, with an angle of 105?, resulting in a positive charge near the hydrogen atoms and a negative charge near the oxygen; a certain possibility for this polarity enables hydrogen bonding between water molecules (Segar & Segar, 2024). Be able to explain "heat vs temperature; heat capacity, why does water have such a high heat capacity, and why its so important to Earth's environment? Heat is always subjected to energy transfer until it attains equilibrium, while temperature measures the kinetic energy of molecules. Waters high heat capacitydue to hydrogen bondsimplies it absorbs and stores large amounts of heat with minimal temperature change, this process aids earth regulating climate by buffering temperature fluctuations and stabilizing ecosystems, which can be seen across coastal areas, where ocean waters absorb and release heat slowly (Segar & Segar, 2024). Explain why water becomes less dense as its temperature decreases from 39 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit.?? Why is this phenomenon important? According to my understanding from reading Chapter 5, whenever temperature experiences a decrease below 39?F, hydrogen bonds form a crystalline structure, expanding the volume and reducing density, the irregularity renders ice to float, insulating bodies of water, which is crucial for aquatic life during freezing temperatures (Segar & Segar, 2024). When water evaporates, what is happening??? What does this do to the water that remains behind, and what does this do to the atmosphere above the ocean? According to my understanding from reading Chapter 5, Whenever water evaporates, molecules with the highest energy escape into vapor, and those remaining water experiences evaporative cooling due to the loss of heat energy while also releasing latent heat into the atmosphere, impacting weather systems and driving the water cycle by adding moisture and heat to the air (Segar & Segar, 2024). Be able to explain why the ocean is stratified.? According to my understanding from reading Chapter 5, it occurs due to differences in temperature (thermocline), salinity (halocline), and pressure; water with warmer and less denser tends to form the surface layer; on the other hand, colder and more denser water sinks that form distinct layers; this in turn impacts ocean circulation, nutrient mixing, and marine life habitats, influencing global climate and ecosystems (Segar & Segar, 2024). Review the worksheet diagram "Density Stratification of Ocean Water", and be able to draw the temperature, salinity, and density curves for the ocean.? According to my understanding from reading Chapter 5, it implies temperature decreasing with depth (thermocline), salinity increasing with depth (halocline), and density increasing with depth due to both temperature and salinity changes, wherein the curves reflect the layered structure of the ocean and its impact on circulation (Segar & Segar, 2024). Why is the world ocean becoming more acidic, and how is this impacting life in the ocean???Explain how the pH of seawater remains slightly alkaline AND relatively constant.? According to my understanding from reading Chapter 5, Firstly, due to increased CO2 absorption, forming carbonic acid, the water tends to become more acidic, which in turn impacts the organisms with calcium carbonate shells (Segar & Segar, 2024). Despite this, seawater remains slightly alkaline (pH ~8.1) due to buffering from dissolved salts, carbonates, and biological processes that maintain relatively stable pH levels (Segar & Segar, 2024). References Segar, D. A., & Segar, E. S. (2024). Introduction to Ocean Sciences (Fifth). Unknown. https://www.reefimages.com/oceans/SegarOcean5Chap05.pdf Chapter 6 Air circulation Describe the physical properties of the atmosphere, including its composition, density, water vapor content, pressure, and movement. According to the insights from Segar and Segar (2024), the atmosphere encompasses 78% of nitrogen, 21% of oxygen, and a few other gases, including water vapor; wherein the atmosphere experiences a decrease in density directly in proportion with altitude, particularly due to the gravitational pull and water vapor content tends to vary impacted by humidity and cloud formation. On the other hand, the atmospheric pressure also drops as altitude increases, while movement in the atmosphere is driven by the Earth's rotation and solar heating, causing wind patterns and circulation cells. These movements control weather and climate, influencing the transfer of heat and moisture around the globe (Segar & Segar, 2024). Compare and contrast the formation of high pressure and low pressure atmospheric systems on precipitation and temperature in the areas where they form. Higher pressure system experiences descending air which in turn suppresses cloud formation and directs to clear skies and cooler temperatures; on the other hand, lower pressure systems experiences rising air enabling condensation, cloud formation, and precipitation, often leading to warmer temperatures (Segar & Segar, 2024). High-pressure areas are associated with dry, stable weather, while low-pressure regions tend to have stormy, rainy conditions; the balance between these systems drives much of the Earth's weather patterns (Segar & Segar, 2024). What does the term "Coriolis effect" refer to, and how does it affect wind and ocean currents in the northern and southern hemispheres? Segar and Segar (2024) imply that the Coriolis effect is when the wind and ocean currents are deflected due to earth rotation, wherein the Northern Hemisphere experiences deflection towards the right, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it is to the left, despite the hemisphere - the Coriolis effect influences global wind patterns, such as trade winds and westerlies, and drives ocean currents like the Gulf Stream and also influences in forming large-scale weather systems and oceanic circulations. Understand how the combination of atmospheric convection and the Coriolis effect forms belts of prevailing winds which flow over Earths surface, and be able to draw and label these winds as we did in class (if given a figure to do sketch on). Considering the insights from Segar and Segar (2024), atmospheric convection caused by solar heating at the equator, integrated with the Coriolis effect that inturn establishes belts of prevailing winds, which includes the trade winds, westerlies, and polar easterlies. Rising warm air at the equator cools and descends at around 30? latitude, forming the Hadley cells (Segar & Segar, 2024). The Coriolis effect deflects this movement, creating wind patterns that circulate air across the Earth's surface which explain global weather dynamics and ocean current patterns. Why does southern California's coast experience an almost daily sea breeze? Is it a good thing for coastal residents? Considering the insights from Segar and Segar (2024) Southern California experiences a daily sea breeze due to differential heating between land and ocean, for instance, after assessing the weather pattern from google, the day time experiences land heating faster that inturn causing air to rise and creating a low-pressure area, while on the other hand, cooler, denser air from the ocean moves inland to replace the rising warm air, resulting in a sea breeze - this environmental balance tends to create a moderates coastal temperatures, making the climate more comfortable for residents and reducing heat extremes during the day. References Segar, D. A., & Segar, E. S. (2024).?Introduction to Ocean Sciences?(Fifth). Unknown.?https://www.reefimages.com/oceans/SegarOcean5Chap07.pdf
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