Tuesday, September 8, 2015

aosc670 wk2: Physics/chemistry basics

Note:
1)  There are 2 classes each week.
2) class URL:  http://www.atmos.umd.edu/~carton/aosc670/index.htm


In situ (/ɪn ˈsɪtjuː/ ) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position".
It means "locally", "on site", "on the premises" or "in place" to describe an event where it takes place, and is used in many different contexts.

Eg:
In fields such as physics, chemistry, or biology, in situ may describe the way a measurement is taken, that is, in the same place the phenomenon is occurring without isolating it from other systems or altering the original conditions of the test.

Atoms are basic components of the matter we are familiar with.
Atoms are the smallest part of matter that have chemical properties characteristic of a particular chemical element.
Most of the mass of an atom is due to the atomic nucleus.
The nucleus  /ˈnjuːkliəs/=  protons which have a positive electrical charge
                                            +
                                            neutrons which have no charge.

The atomic number of an atom is the number of protons in the atom
This is important because the number of electrons is related to the chemical properties of the atom.

The atomic mass =  total mass of the electrons, protons, neutrons in the atom.

atom =  nucleus ( protons + neutrons) + electrons

Electrons are small components which are surrounding the nucleus.
Electron have a negative charge.
An atom with no net electrical charge has the same number of electrons as protons.
Electrons are restricted to certain energy levels "shells" and orbitals within those energy levels and these energy levels and orbitals fill in a regular pattern from the lowest energy level outward.
Orbital is in some sense a bad word because electrons tend to behave rather strangely in that its orbit is best described as a probability density. 


OCEANOGRAPHY DEFINED ( branches )

Biological Oceanography
Biological Oceanography is concerned with the interactions of populations of marine organisms with one another and with their physical and chemical environment. Because these interactions are frequently complex, and because the concepts and techniques used are drawn from many fields, biological oceanography is of necessity, interdisciplinary. Knowledge of physical and geological oceanography is pertinent.

Physical Oceanography
Physical Oceanography is the study of the physical processes in the ocean and the interaction of the ocean with the atmosphere. Physical oceanographers study currents, tides, waves, and convection in the deep ocean, along coasts, and in the surf zone. They also study the heat budget of the ocean including solar heating, evaporation, infrared radiation into and out of the sea, and the transport of heat and salt by currents. The goal of their work is to understand and predict the processes including such important processes as El Niño, tsunamis, tides, the role of the ocean in climate and the ice ages, and the influence of the oceans on local climate. In doing their work they often construct elaborate numerical models of the circulation, and they develop instruments used on ships and satellites. The following map depicts global sea surface temperature.

Geological Oceanography
Geological Oceanography is the study of the geology of the lands covered by water, just as geologists have tried to understand the geology of the lands ashore. Marine geologists compile data about the topography or shape of the ocean floors, the distribution and type of bottom sediments, the composition and structure of the underlying rocks, and the geologic processes (plate tectonics theory) that have been at work throughout the seafloor's history. Using this information,marine geologists assess the mineral resources of the seafloor, predict the location of certain hazards, investigate marine geologic processes, and add to our overall scientific understanding of Earth. The following map depicts the geology of the seafloor. Areas in red are the areas of most recent formation

Chemical Oceanography
Chemical Oceanography is the study of chemical processes in the ocean. It includes the study of the salinity of the ocean: the role of the ocean in global chemical balances of carbon, nitrogen, and other important atmospheric gases; the fate of chemicals carried into the ocean by rivers; the carbonate system; chemical processes influencing biological productivity including nutrients, dissolved organic matter, and trace elements; hydrothermal vent chemical systems; and the use of chemical tracers such as tritium and chloroflourocarbons used to study the ocean's circulation; and the use of chemical isotopes for studying oceanic processes and dates.


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