Transcript Ocean

The Hydrosphere
 KEY POINTS:
 The planet consists of 4 spheres: the atmosphere, the
biosphere, the hydrosphere, and the geosphere
 The earth is the only known planet in our solar system
with liquid water
 The earth consists of approx. 71% water and 29% land
 The earth’s water is 97% salt water / 3% freshwater
 Of that 3%, 2 percent is frozen – not accessible
 Therefore, only 1% of all the water on earth is usable
water (it’s actually less than 1% because most of that
1% is groundwater, but I’m rounding for now)
Earth’s Oceans
Ocean Floor
 Continental shelf – starts at the shore and slopes into
the ocean
 Continental slope – where the slope starts to get
deeper
 Abyssal plain – huge, dark flat region that
encompasses most of the ocean floor / covered with
mud and remains of marine life
 Mid-ocean ridge – underwater mountain range
 Ocean trench – large, V-shaped valley
Where does the salt come
from?
 Main reason – surface water washes over rock
containing salts such as sodium chloride (common
table salt)
 Also: Volcanoes
Upwelling
 Water that rises to the surface as a result of upwelling is
typically colder and is rich in nutrients. These nutrients
“fertilize” surface waters, meaning that these surface
waters often have high biological productivity. Therefore,
good fishing grounds typically are found where upwelling
is common.
Measuring Water Depth
Today's oceanographers use sonar
instruments to generate a sound signal
that is bounced or "echoed" off the sea
floor and then recorded on board the
ship. The speed of sound in water is
1,500 m per second, four times faster
than the speed of sound in air. By
carefully measuring the round-trip time of
the sound waves and taking into account
the variables of temperature and salinity,
the depth of the water and the distance to
another object can be measured
accurately.
Producers
 Main producers – algae, phytoplankton
 Live in upper region
 Perform photosynthesis
 Some are microscopic
 Use nutrients from upwellings to increase population
Consumers
 Zooplankton (microscopic organisms that feed on
producers)
 Majority of marine life: fish, sharks, lobster, etc.
3 Major Marine Ecosystems
 Shore – ocean meets land
 Open ocean – away from shore, but not deep ocean
 Deep ocean – deepest parts (abysmal plain)
Put up diagram on elmo to copy in notes
Shore ecosystem
 Ocean meets land
 Lots of light / shallow water
 Waves and tides – few plants
 Snails, crabs, mussels, clams, marine worms
 Tide pools fill with algae, sea urchins, etc.
 Shore birds join ecosystem
The Open Ocean
 Away from shore / not deep
 Vast / variety of organisms
 Sunlight can reach about 200 meters = producers
 Many types of fish will life in the upper region with the
producers
 Jellyfish, fish, and squid can live below the sunlight
level. They eat what drifts down
 * some large consumers, like whales, live in the upper
region, but dive down to feed on the animals in the
deeper ocean
The Deep Ocean
 Thousands of meters below the surface
 Abyssal plain / No light – no photosynthesis
 Water is cold / pressure is great
 Thermal vents (openings in the ocean floor) release
heat, creating areas of warmth
 Autotrophs live around these vents and use
chemosynthesis to survive
 Chemosynthesis – use energy stored in chemical
bonds to make food
Some Hydrosphere Vocabulary
 Hydrosphere – all of the water found on, above, and
under the earth’s surface
 Freshwater – water that is not salty
 Groundwater – water located below the earth’s
surface
 Aquifer – a rock layer that stores and collects water
 Watershed – an area of land that drains into a stream,
lake, river, or other body of water
 Estuary – a place where freshwater from a river meets
and mixes with saltwater from an ocean
 Ocean Basin – A part of the Earth’s surface that is
covered by ocean water
 Salinity – the saltiness of a body of water
 Pollution – the release of an unwanted substance into
the environment
 Marine – found in or relating to the ocean
 Upwelling – the movement of cold, nutrient-rich water
from deep layers of the ocean up to the surface
 Chemosynthesis – the process by which some
organisms use the energy stored in chemical bonds to
make their own food
 Stewardship – the following of practices
that protect Earth’s resources
 Pollutant – a harmful material released
into the environment
 Point-source pollution – pollution that
comes from a single, identifiable site
 Non-point-source pollution – pollution
that comes from many places or an
unidentified source
 Algal Bloom – an extremely rapid
growth of algae caused by too many
nutrients in the water
 pH – a measure of how acidic or how
basic a liquid is
 Turbidity – a measure of how clear
water is
 Bioindicator – an organism used to
monitor the health of an ecosystem
Monday, Jan. 7, 2013
BRAINTEASER
 What is the most abundant
source of freshwater in North
Carolina?
 List 3 things people do in their
homes that damage our local
water supply.
Watersheds
What are they?
and
Why Should I Care?
A
Divide separates two watersheds
What is a Watershed?

Water in a Watershed
 Within a watershed,
precipitation collects and drains
into a river, lake, stream, or the
ocean
 GROUNDWATER and
SURFACE WATER both
contribute to the water in a
watershed
Watersheds collect
RunOff
Factors Affecting Runoff - Space
1. The amount of space between particles
of dirt, soil & rock.
(Pavement doesn’t allow runoff
to soak into the ground.)
Factors affecting RunOff - Buffers
Factors affecting Runoff – Amount
(A large amount of rainfall over a short amount of time)
Factors affecting RunOff – Gravity
Water moves from
Higher elevations to Lower elevations
 What is the difference between a watershed and a river basin?
 Both terms describe land that drains into a
river, stream or lake
Watershed vs River Basin
 Both terms describe land that drains
into a river, stream or lake, but…
River Basin: drains into a large
river
Watershed: drains into a smaller
river or stream
From Watershed to
River Basin
 Larger river basins are made up of many
interconnected watersheds
 Example: Cape Fear and Neuse River
Basins are made of many small
watersheds
 The water in a watershed runs to the
lowest point—a river, stream, lake, or the
ocean
Tributaries: Smaller streams and rivers
that feed a main river.
 A river and its tributaries make up a
river system.
STOP Point
 Split up into groups / Go over directions for making
your watersheds / Divide up the jobs and set up your
game plan
 Throughout the week, we will work on our watersheds
after discussing pertinent information
Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013
• What is a watershed, and why
are they necessary?
Why is it important to monitor
the health of your local
watershed?
Wed., Jan. 9, 2013
BRAINTEASER
 What do Wetlands do that helps our
ecosystem? (3 main things)
 Can water from a stream on a
mountain affect an estuary hundreds of
kilometers away? EXPLAIN!
POLLUTION
 Pollutants
 Point-Source Pollution
 Non-Point-Source Pollution
Pollution in our Watershed
•Point Source
pollution
• Point source pollution comes
from a definite source:
– Factories
– Refineries
– Municipal Facility
• Sewage Treatment Plant
Pollution in our Watershed
• Non-Point Source
Pollutionthat
Pollution
does not
come from a
single point
or location.
Pollution in our Watershed
• Point Source Pollution
•35%
• Non- Point Source Pollution
•65%
STEWARDSHIP
 Now that you know most pollution
doesn’t come from big business,
but from everywhere and
everyone, what can we do to help
fix this serious problem?
STEWARDSHIP – Following
practices that protect Earth’s
resources
REMEMBER!
A CLEANER
ENVIRONMENT
STARTS WITH
YOU!
STOP POINT!
 WORK ON WATERSHEDS
Thurs., Jan. 10, 2013
 How does the weather affect
water quality?
 We are using a sponge to
represent the wetland, what do
you suppose a wetland does?
Other water sources
 Groundwater
 Aquifer
 Wetland
 Estuary
DO YOU REMEMBER:
Where else does the water go?
 What is groundwater?
 The water found in cracks and pores
in sand, gravel and rocks below the
earth’s surface
 What is an aquifer?
 A porous rock layer underground
that is a reservoir for water
Aquifers
 The freshwater we drink often
comes from aquifers
 People drill wells into aquifers
 Some are near the surface;
others are as much as 1000
meters below the surface
Other areas of Surface Water
What is a wetland?
An area where the water table
is at, near or above the land
surface long enough during
the year to support adapted
plant growth
What are the types of
wetlands?
 Swamps, bogs, and marshes
Swamp: a wetland dominated by
trees
Bogs: a wetland dominated by
peat moss
Marshes: a wetland dominated
by grasses
Why are Wetlands Important?
 They trap sediment:
 The trapped sediment cannot enter into lakes
and streams. This keeps streams and lakes clear.
 They use a lot of excess nutrients:
 Wetlands near lakes and streams use these
nutrients for their plant growth. Decreasing
eutrophication.
 Wetlands provide habitats for both water and
land animals.
 ONE PERSON from each group go
and get your watershed
 We are going to send one person
around with the pollutants for your
watershed. Sprinkle a little bit in the
correct areas.
 Chocolate = manure / eroded soil
 Orange = agriculture chemicals
(pesticides and fertilizers)
 Green = lawn care chemicals
LET IT RAIN!
 Today, the forecast calls for RAIN!
 WHEN I TELL YOU TO: Use the spray bottle to rain in
the mountains.
 The colors will mix with the water to show how pollution
can wash through a watershed (RUNOFF)
 Let’s compare the projects with buffers and the projects
without buffers…
Follow up
 Answer follow up questions based on your
observations and what you learned this week.
Other areas of surface water Estuaries
What is an Estuary?
 A body of water in which freshwater from a river meets
and mixes with salt water from the ocean
 The NEUSE RIVER flows into the PAMLICO SOUND
(an estuary)
 The CAPE FEAR RIVER flows directly into the
ATLANTIC OCEAN
ESTUARY INFO:
 Nursery Habitats – rich in nutrients and plant life
(food and places to hide)
 Feeding Grounds
 A lot of biodiversity
 Most of our seafood comes from them (fish, shrimp,
clams, crab, etc.)
 Water is BRACKISH
 Other names: inlets, bays, harbors, lagoons, and
sounds
Salinity
 is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of
a body of water or in soil.
 Salinity levels vary in different parts of the
ocean
 Typically 3.5%
 Challenge Question: Who can explain the
logic behind this statement???
 Salinity is lower where precipitation is
Monday, Jan. 14, 2013
 Name at least 2 examples of Point source pollution and
2 examples of Non-point-source pollution.
 Many people enjoy spending time on sailboats and
motorboats. How can these people avoid contributing
to water pollution?
Water Quality
 Scientists test water quality with thermometers and
water meters
 They also collect water samples to check for
substances dissolved in the water, temperature of the
water, and kinds of organisms that live there
Factors that affect water
quality
 Seasonal changes in temperature affect oxygen levels
 Weather affects quality due to erosion during heavy
rain storms
 Depth of the water and speed of the currents affect the
quality
 Human activity (adding chemicals)
Dissolved Oxygen and
Temperature
 Colder water holds more oxygen than warmer water
 As the temperature increases – The dissolved oxygen
decreases
 Healthy water has med. to cold water and heavily dissolved
oxygen levels
 If the water gets to hot, fish kills can occur (an event where a
large number of fish die)
Physical Indicators
PH
 A measure of how acidic or basic a liquid is
 A ph scale is numbered 0-14 / 7 is nuetral
 Below seven is acidic / above seven is basic
 Sea water is around 8.0 or 9.0 – slightly basic
 Acid rain makes water too acidic (low ph)
 Too much algae makes water too basic (high ph)
Physical Indicators
Turbidity
 A measure of how clean water is
 High turbidity (cloudy water) is Unhealthy
 Soil from runoff can cause high turbidity – not always
permanent
 Rapid growth of algae = high turbidity
 Marine life need clear water so that they can get
sunlight
Chemical Indicators of
unhealthy water
 High levels of nitrates and phosphates
(found in fertilizers) = algal blooms
 Algal bloom – extremely rapid growth of
algae
 They block sunlight can cause high
turbidity
 Example: Pfiesteria (found in NC) is
poisonous
Dead Zones
 When algae and other aquatic plants grow in large
numbers, they use up all of their resources and die off.
As decomposers break down their remains, they use
up a lot of oxygen. As oxygen levels get low, other
marine life die. This is called a low oxygen DEAD
ZONE. The dead algae sinks to the bottom of the
ocean, where the oxygen can’t be replaced easily due
to lack of sunlight.
Biological Indicators
 Bioindicators – organisms used to monitor the health of
an ecosystem
 EX: fish require a lot of oxygen – a lot of trout would
mean healthy water
 A lot of diversity = healthy water
 A lot of Insect Larvae = clean water
 BUT Blackfly larvae = polluted water because they can
handle the polluted water
Stop Point – TEST WATER
SAMPLES
 Draw chart from the board on your paper
 After testing answer the following questions:
 Is your water acidic or basic? Explain.
 The Environmental Protection Agency
recommends that the pH of drinking water
be between 6.5 and 8.5. Does the pH of
your water fall in this range?
What’s wrong with this picture