Activity3part2-2

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University of California, Santa Barbara *

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Geography

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Jan 9, 2024

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Geography 3 - Ocean and Atmosphere - Fall 2023 - Prof. Tim DeVries Activity 3: Salinity, waves, and tides (Part 2: Analysis) Purpose In this activity you will analyze your observations from last week, to learn more about the variations in salinity, waves, and tides along our coastline, and what factors affect them. Materials • Optical refractometer • 1 seawater sample (obtained last week) • Computer with internet connection Part A: Salinity and density 1. Obtain an optical refractometer, and instructions on its use, from your TA. Note that the refractometer measures specific gravity, rather than density. To obtain density, multiply the specific gravity by the density of pure water (1000 kg/m 3 ). Measure the salinity and density of your water sample(s). Record the values below for your samples. (Salinity in ppt, density in kg/m 3 ). 33 ppt 1025 kg/m ^3 2. Why might the density value that you measured be different from the density value of your sample when you took it (i.e. what factors might have caused a change in the density of your water sample). List 2 potential causes. The water was a lot cooler than when we initially sampled it. Another factor could also be the wrong instruments used to measure the total density of the water. 3. What was your sampling location (lagoon, campus point across from lagoon, or campus point across from Anacapa housing)? Write down your group’s average salinity and density at your sampling location on the board at the front of the class. My sampling location was Campus Point across the lagoon 4. After everyone has written down their average salinity and density for their group’s sampling location on the board, compare the salinity for all three locations. Which
location had the highest salinity? Which had the lowest? Is there any variability in salinity from one location to another and if so what might be causing that? The samples from all three locations were all the same, making there to be no variability in any of the locations. 5. Which location had the highest density? Which had the lowest? What might be causing variability in density from one location to another? Geography 3 - Ocean and Atmosphere - Fall 2023 - Prof. Tim DeVries The lagoon has the highest density because the water has more evaporation leaving the water to become more dense. Part B: Tides 1. Go to the NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) tide predictions website for Santa Barbara at https:// tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=9411340 . Navigate to the date of your observations. What was the tide height at the time of your observations last week? Was the tide coming in or going out? Were your observations accurate? 2. What was the time and water height of the highest tide on the day of your observations? What was the time and water height of the lowest tide? What was the range (high minus low)? The highest was 5.25 feet at 7:48 pm. The lowest is -0.07 ft at 1:29 am. 3. Go to the website https://moon.nasa.gov/moon-in-motion/tides/ and view the animations and explanations. Explain why there are two low tides and two high tides per day (for most places on Earth, including Santa Barbara). There are two low tides and two high tides because tides are primarily caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun on Earth's oceans. The interaction between these gravitational forces and the Earth's rotation leads to the formation of two high tides and two low tides each day in most coastal areas. The combination of the Moon's gravitational pull, the Sun's gravitational pull, and the
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