SYLLABUS

INTRO TO OCEANOGRAPHY 226

Prof. A. Frankic

Syllabus important dates:

• HW#1 – Th Feb 7 – Tu Feb 12 • Labwork – pH and CaCO3 buffering – Tu Feb 26• HW#2 – Th Feb 28 – Tu Mar 4• Tide chart assignment – Th Feb 7 – Th Mar 6• Midterm Exam - Th Mar 6 – Tu Mar 11• HW#3 – Th Apr 10 – Tu Apr 15• Quiz - Tu April 15 • HW#4 – Th May 1 – Th May 8• Filed trip – boat – Tu May 6 11 am -1 pm• Final Exam – Tu May 13 – take home exam

Oceanography is an observationally driven field!

What do we measure, monitor and why?

Geology: coastlines, bathymetry, movement of tectonic plates

Chemistry: salinity, Carbon, Nitrogen, Iron, Oxygen…

Physics: Temp, pressure, currents, tides, waves, light

Biology: Chl-a, Productivity, Zooplankton, Phytoplankton, Fish and Egg counts, etc…

INTRO CLASS – Chapter 1

Ocean EcosystemChapters 12-13-14-15-16

Learning Objective

To understand the factors (both biotic and abiotic) that control the distribution, abundance and interconnectedness of life in the oceans;

Class exercise – “Speed dating in the ocean”

Water and Ocean StructureChapters 6-7

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the nature of the water molecule and its unique properties (polarity, density and thermal properties) and how these are altered by the presence of salt in solution.

2. Know the types of materials that are dissolved in sea water, their importance and how they vary with time.

3. Explain variations in salinity, temperature, and pressure within the sea and how they alter the chemical and physical properties of the ocean.

Labwork exercise: pH buffering – What’s the Climate for dinner? Shellfish or shell-less fish?

1. Understand the origin and classification of marine sediments.

2. Explain the factors controlling origin and deposition of sediment on the continental shelf and in the deep ocean.

Questions:

1. Why don't the oceans have more sediment in them? Where does it all go? Earth is 4.6 billion years old and the oceans should have more sediment in them.

2. Salt composition of the oceans has not changed for the last 1.5 billion years. Explain why?

Ocean SedimentsChapter 5

Learning Objectives:

Earth structure, Plate tectonics and Ocean floor Chapters 2-3-4

Learning Objectives:

 Difference between oceanic and continental crust.

Understand the processes that are continuously changing Earth’s surface as lithospheric plates move relative to one another. Identify the role of oceanic ridges, transform faults and deep-sea trenches in defining the edges of lithospheric plates. Understand the importance of asthenospheric thermal convection in plate tectonics and the resulting compression or tensional forces at the plate boundaries. Explain the distribution of magnetic anomaly stripes, seismicity, and volcanism in terms of the concept of global plate tectonics. Spreading rates of ocean basins.

Ocean Ecosystem cont.

Chapters 12-13-14-15-16

Learning Objective

To understand the factors (both biotic and abiotic) that control the distribution, abundance and interconnectedness of life in the oceans;

Guest speaker – deep ocean life; hydrothermal vents;

The Ocean General Circulation (satellite)Chapters 8-9-10-11

Ocean Circulation

Learning objectives:Mass flow of ocean water is driven by two

forces - wind (10%) and gravity (90%)Surface currents are driven by wind –

Coriolis effect; Ekman transportDeep ocean, slow and density driven

currents - Thermohaline circulation;Waves (transmit energy not water mass)

and Tides (the longest of all ocean waves)

Ocean Ecosystem cont.

Chapters 12-13-14-15-16

Learning Objective

To understand the factors (both biotic and abiotic) that control the distribution, abundance and interconnectedness of life in the oceans;

Field trip – Boston Harbor – what lives here and why?

Humans & oceansChapters 17-18

Learning Objectives:

• Changing the natural cycles and types of pollution

• Fisheries and aquaculture (Fisheries games ; At the current rate, how long do you think that the oceans fish stock will last?)

• Integrated ocean and coastal management

• Conservation of oceans and coasts (MPAs)