Coastal Upwelling Case Study
1) What is a gyre? How many currents exist within each gyre? Name the five subtropical gyres, and identify the primary surface currents that comprise each gyre?
A gyre is large system of rotating ocean currents, which dominates the surfaces of the ocean. Five subtropical gyres are the following:
• North Pacific
• South Pacific
• North Atlantic
• South Atlantic
• Indian Ocean
2) Describe the process of coastal upwelling. Why is an abundance of marine life associated with these areas?
The process known as coastal upwelling occurs when winds blow toward the equator and parallel to the coast. Because of the Coriolis Effect, the surface water moves away from the shore area and is replaced by cold water from below. An example of coastal upwelling is the colder ocean …show more content…
4) Relate the damming of rivers to the shrinking of beaches at some locations along the west coast of the United States.
Along the West Coast, much of the sand found on beaches originates as clastic sediment in streams and rivers that discharge into the sea. Damming these streams traps the sand behind the dam and reduces the input of new sand to the beach system. With reduced input, not enough of the sand lost to offshore areas is being replaced; thus the beach is starved and narrowed by erosion. Narrowed beaches allow storm waves to directly impact a sea cliff with minimal loss of energy, thus accelerating its erosional retreat.
Reservoirs trap the sand that would otherwise nourish the beach environment.
5) Describe the processes that affect seawater salinity. For each process, indicate whether water is added or removed and if it decreases or increases salinity. What physical conditions create high-salinity water in the Red Sea and low-salinity in the Baltic
A gyre is large system of rotating ocean currents, which dominates the surfaces of the ocean. Five subtropical gyres are the following:
• North Pacific
• South Pacific
• North Atlantic
• South Atlantic
• Indian Ocean
2) Describe the process of coastal upwelling. Why is an abundance of marine life associated with these areas?
The process known as coastal upwelling occurs when winds blow toward the equator and parallel to the coast. Because of the Coriolis Effect, the surface water moves away from the shore area and is replaced by cold water from below. An example of coastal upwelling is the colder ocean …show more content…
4) Relate the damming of rivers to the shrinking of beaches at some locations along the west coast of the United States.
Along the West Coast, much of the sand found on beaches originates as clastic sediment in streams and rivers that discharge into the sea. Damming these streams traps the sand behind the dam and reduces the input of new sand to the beach system. With reduced input, not enough of the sand lost to offshore areas is being replaced; thus the beach is starved and narrowed by erosion. Narrowed beaches allow storm waves to directly impact a sea cliff with minimal loss of energy, thus accelerating its erosional retreat.
Reservoirs trap the sand that would otherwise nourish the beach environment.
5) Describe the processes that affect seawater salinity. For each process, indicate whether water is added or removed and if it decreases or increases salinity. What physical conditions create high-salinity water in the Red Sea and low-salinity in the Baltic