Terms to know:
evaporation
heat capacity
latent heat of melting
latenet heat of evaporation
salinity
parts per thousand
dissolved gasses
Pressure
surface circulation
Coriolis effect
latitude
longitude
North and South Tradewinds North
and South Westerlies North and South Polar Easterlies
Doldrums
Horse Latitudes
Eckman Spirals
Oceanic Surface Current Gyres North Equatorial Current
Gulf Stream
Kuroshio Current
California Current
Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Wavelength
Wave Height
crest
Trough
Swells
Seas
Breakers
Curlers
Spillers
Wave re-enforcement
Wave cancellation
Tides
High tide
Low Tide
Spring tide
Neap Tide
Semidiurnal tide
Diurnal tide
Mixed Semidiurnal tide
Tsunamis
Episodic Wave
Thermocline
Permanent thermocline
Seasonal Thermocline
Surface layer
Intermediate Layer
Deep layer
water column
Oceanic conveyor system
Concepts to understand:
1. How salinity, temperature and the physical and chemical nature of water contribute to it's characteristics. How these factors influence water density, layering and movement.
2. How global Coriolis effect, patterns of heating and air convection generate the major, constant global winds. Know whre they are adn their names. Know how winds are named. Know what the Eckman sprial means for water movement relative to wind direction.
3. Know how the major global winds influence surface current movement in ocean basins. Know how this coupled with the Coriolis effect generate the major ocean surface current gyres.Know why these are important and how they may affect climate.
4. Understand pressure and water column depth relationships as well as how light penetrates water to differing depths as a result of water clarity and light wavelength and color.
5. Know how waves are generated and the factors influencing wind and wave interactions. Know how wave energy varies with wave length, wave height, wind fetch. Know how waves re-enforce and cancel one another. Know why Tsunamis occur and why they are so powerful. Also, Know what Rogue, or episodic waves are and why they are so powerful.
6. know how the sun and moon generate adn influence tides. Know differences between Spring and Neap tides as when they occur due to lunar obit positions. Know , generally where Semidurnal and diurnal tide patterns occur. Know how geography influences tide depths.
7. Know how water layering occurs in Ocean basins occurs due to temperature and densities. Know how thermoclines form, both permanent and seasonal. Know how seasonal thermoclines form adn break up. Know where and when they occur.
8. Know how low pressure cells can form Typhoons, Cyclones and Hurricanes.