word document

Task - Marine Sediments

Introduction

Today the Captain was busy trying to teach his parrot, Avast, to speak. Oscar "Dishrag" Lugg made a recording of the Avast's attempt to say, "Good Morning!" We found it quite amusing:

With the Captain busy, the crew has been taking turns steering the ship. All was going well until Toothless Frownin' Marie Bellamy took the helm. The ship was almost to 13.17°N, 59.56°W when it ran into a sandbar. Email the Captain the name of the landmass of these coordinates to leave a good impression! This will no doubt set our return back to Florida by at least a week! While Marie is getting a personal tour of the plank, the Captain left you the following task to complete.

The Captain's Orders

To help you understand the oceanic world, you'll need to refresh your mapping and navigational skills.  There is a computer on the Captain's desk. You'll need to use it to get the bearings for the Captain. Answer the following questions using your survival skills and the internet.

Objective

• Analyze the sediments of the World Ocean
• Explore the controlling factors on the lithogenous, biogenous, chemical and cosmogenous sediment distribution in the world’s oceans, and link to the biologic, chemical, and physical ocean processes that contribute to these factors.

Task Questions

1. What are sediments? How are sediments formed?
2. What are sources of sediments? Make a list and give a brief description in your own words.
3. Examine the diagram above. Where do terrigenous sediments accumulate? Why do they accumulate here?
4. What happens to the size of sediment as you get farther away from the shoreline? Explain what is happening.
5. What are turbidites?
6. What is grading bedding?
7. How do turbidites produce grading bedding?
8. You are to collect a handful of the oldest biogenous sediment in the Atlantic Ocean. Where would you get it from? Explain why you selected these locations. (Hint: The mid-ocean ridge is a divergent boundary, which of which direction the plates would be moving.)
9. How might cores be obtained from below the seafloor? What types of technology might be necessary to accomplish this scientific task?
10. How would you go about finding and identifying cosmogenous sediment?
11. [Optional: Extra Credit] What was the name and latitude and longitude of the island you were stranded on at the beginning of the course? Would you expect there to be more biogenous sediment or abyssal clays on the ocean floor? Why?

Quiz Questions

1. What is the most abundant sediment by volume in oceans? A. Lithogenous B. Cosmogenous C. Biogenous D. Hydrogenous
2. What is the most abundant sediment by surface area in oceans? (Hint: Consider how big the oceans are) A. Lithogenous B. Cosmogenous C. Biogenous D. Hydrogenous
3. Which of the following choices is least abundant in oceans? A. Lithogenous B. Cosmogenous C. Biogenous D. Hydrogenous
4. Which of the following choices includes calcareous and siliceous oozes? A. Lithogenous B. Cosmogenous C. Biogenous D. Hydrogenous
5. Which of the following choices includes manganese nodules? A. Lithogenous B. Cosmogenous C. Biogenous D. Hydrogenous
6. What are the most abundant sediment size deposits at Fort Lauderdale, FL Beach?A. Gravel B. Sand C. Silt D. Mud
7. What are the most abundant sediment size deposits on the continental shelf?A. Gravel B. Sand C. Silt D. Mud
8. What are the most abundant sediment size deposits in the great abyssal plains?A. Gravel B. Sand C. Silt D. Mud