Climate Change (ATMO 1020) Chapter 5 - ODP Highlights [CQ-5] Questions and Answers Graded A+
After scientists, technicians, and engineers extract a core and bring it on deck they split the core in half.
Why do they do this? - Answers To retain one half as an "archive" that remains pristine and is not
sampled.
Approximately how much of the total biomass of earth is estimated to occur in the marine subsurface
(or underneath the ocean floor)? - Answers 10%
What are gas hydrates? - Answers Crystallized gas and water that form under high pressure and low
temperatures in the deep sea.
Why can ratios of Oxygen 18 and 16 be used to determine global ice volume in the past? - Answers
When ice volume is high, the oceans are enriched in Oxygen 18.
How are the effects of 21,000 year orbital variations seen in sediment from cores from the
Mediterranean? - Answers The chemical composition tracks changes in Saharan dust vs. Nile derived
material.
What are diatoms? - Answers single celled algae
In the Antarctic Palmer Deep core record what evidence does it contain that there was increased
glaciation starting 3200 years ago? - Answers Less biological sedimentation and increased iceberg debris.
What hypothesis do scientists have for the connection between solar variability and the marine
sediment record in Antarctica? - Answers They are related to changes in the strength of westerly winds.
After scientists, technicians, and engineers extract a core and bring it on deck they split the core in half.
Why do they do this? - Answers To retain one half as an "archive" that remains pristine and is not
sampled.
Approximately how much of the total biomass of earth is estimated to occur in the marine subsurface
(or underneath the ocean floor)? - Answers 10%
What are gas hydrates? - Answers Crystallized gas and water that form under high pressure and low
temperatures in the deep sea.
Why can ratios of Oxygen 18 and 16 be used to determine global ice volume in the past? - Answers
When ice volume is high, the oceans are enriched in Oxygen 18.
How are the effects of 21,000 year orbital variations seen in sediment from cores from the
Mediterranean? - Answers The chemical composition tracks changes in Saharan dust vs. Nile derived
material.
What are diatoms? - Answers single celled algae
In the Antarctic Palmer Deep core record what evidence does it contain that there was increased
glaciation starting 3200 years ago? - Answers Less biological sedimentation and increased iceberg debris.
What hypothesis do scientists have for the connection between solar variability and the marine
sediment record in Antarctica? - Answers They are related to changes in the strength of westerly winds.
