Ocean Enviroment

11 Pages 2813 Words

These reactions result in the formation of small particles, which are deposited
on the sea floor. Currents move these particles and cause them to collide with
the other particles. If many of these collisions occur they may form nodules.
Nodules are found on some portions of the deep-sea floor. The sediment type
frequently determines the type of organisms that will be found in that specific
area.
"Waves are variable and transitory features of the sea's surface."
(Sandra Smith) All waves, from the smallest ripple to the most destructive
tsunami, have common characteristics. They all have crests, troughs, wave
heights, lengths, and periods. Also, water particles that make up the waves all
move in identical orbital patterns. The orbital pattern is up and forward in
the crest and down and back in the trough. It is only when the wave becomes
unstable that the orbital motion is destroyed. The water particles then begin
to move at the same speed as the moving wave form.
Breaking waves release a tremendous amount of stored energy on a beach
face. This energy moves the sand about and changes the configuration of the
bottom. As the bottom configuration is changed by the waves, it changes the
characteristics of incoming waves. This interaction between the waves and the
bottom results in the beach face having an everlasting wave pattern.
Everything in the universe is composed of extremely small paritcles
called atoms, which are often bonded together to form molecules. Molecules are
formed as the result fo the transfer of electrons between atoms. The complete
loss and gain of electrons results in the formation of ionic molecules, which
have completely positive and negative vegions. Unequal sharing of electrons, on
the other hand, characterizes the polar covalent molecules, which have only
partially positive and negative regions. The equal sharing of electrons result
in the formation of nonpolar covalent ...