Why are some land masses distorted on a map compared with their size/ shape on a globe?
the world is a sphere --> information lost in translation when flattened from 3D to 2D
How does the size of Greenland on a map compare to the size of Africa??
greenland appears to be the same size as africa but in reality its much smaller
why is scale information essential
...
convergent
a boundary in which two plates converge or push into each other creating features like ridges
divergent
a boundary in which two plates diverge or separate creating features like trenches
transform
a boundary in which to plates slide along each other in opposite directions fracture zones
why do plates move
Plates at our planet's surface move because of the intense heat in the Earth's core that causes molten rock in the mantle layer to move. It moves in a pattern called a convection cell that forms when warm material rises, cools, and eventually sink down
how are convection cells related to tectonic activity
convection currents occurs because the very hot material at the deepest part of the mantle rises, then cools, sinking again and heating, rising and repeating the cycle over and over again. Thus, all the motion caused by these actions causes plate tectonic
passive margins
o Passive margins are those at least 200 miles away from nearest plate boundary
? Frequently greater than 50 miles wide
active margins
o Active margins are within 200 miles from the nearest plate boundary
? Frequently less than 50 miles wide
low energy
Sediment size - fine
sorting - well sorted
shell thickness - thin
high energy
Sediment size - coarse
sorting - poorly sorted
shell thickness - thick
Where does beach sediment come from? How does it get there?
erosion of the land, waves/currents bring them onto shore
How was Alamitos Bay water circulated?
the power plant drains water into the bay after it circulates through it
How might the bay differ if the water was not circulated in this manner?
tidal wetland - it would have less water movement
--> more stagnant if it was tidal circulation
Why was the salinity in the bay virtually identical to salinity in the harbor?
it's the same water
Which environment was more impacted by human activity? Why?
Alamitos bay - the water is artificially circulated by the plant, the bay is manmade
How might we, as a community, mitigate the effects of beach erosion nearest the jetty?
removing the Long Beach Breakwater
- increase circulation
-LA river is connected including its pollution --> breakwater traps it in the beach, removing this can dilute pollutant chemicals
-breakwater impedes the transportation of more sand
What is a Red Tide/ Harmful algal bloom?
Red tide = a rapid growth of phytoplankton and they die off quickly
Why is it important that we reduce this as much as possible?
it releases chemicals into the water that pollute the ocean
What is a submarine fan?
form where sediment is deposited at the low end of a submarine canyon
How does it form? Where does the sediment come from?
sediment comes from the mountains that are eroded and carried by rivers into the ocean
What is a continental rise?
formed from sediment deposited onto submarine fans by turbidity currents
What is an abyssal plain?
a flat and featureless region on the ocean floor formed as tiny sediment grains gradually blanket original ocean features
how do you calculate the size of a submarine fan
surface area = length x width