Quest for Merfolk Enchantment Day 1

September 7, 2008	
==Description==
Welcome to the VFK Merfolk Enchantment Epic Quest, Day 1!<BR><BR>
This is the first day of your epic quest for merfolk enchantment!
Throughout history man has studied the oceans of the world, and over time made many exciting discoveries relating to the science of the seas. In today's quest, we will explore a few of the interesting facts of how the oceans work and some of the history of man's exploration of the sea.<BR><BR>
Your reward for completing this first stage of this Epic Quest will be 1,000 credits and your first Merfolk Pin, the Ocean Pin!<BR><BR><BR>
===Prizes===
===Questions===
1. Oceanography, or the study of the oceans and seas was first originated by Matthew Fontaine Maury in 1855. Maury had been appointed superintendent of the Depot of Charts and Instruments of the Navy Department in 1842. He developed a system which was used world wide for recording the oceanographic data of merchant marine ships and naval ships. He wrote and had published the "first textbook of modern oceanography" based on his meteorological research, his charts and his sailing directions. What was the name of his textbook?
* The Seas and Oceans
* Ocean Navigation
* Physical Geography of the Sea
* Oceanographic Data Collection and Analysis
* Oceanography of the Sea<BR><BR>
2. Maury lived in one of the most difficult time periods that our country has ever endured. On April 20th, 1861, Maury resigned from the navy only three days after Virginia (the state where Maury was born in 1806) withdrew from the Union. His sympathies were with the south and he became a Commander in the Confederate States Navy. During his career in the War Between the States, Maury "acquired" war vessels and experimented with electrical mines for harbor defense. Go to the Waterfall room in the Australian Outback and say "I wonder if there are any mines in there?"<BR><BR>
3. Oceanography is a wide ranging field of study. It encompasses all of the major scientific disciplines including physical, chemical, biological, geological, and geophysical studies of the oceans. One of the major scientific disciplines affected heavily by the oceans is: 
* Meteorology
* Astronomy
* Sociology
* Cosmology<BR><BR>
4. The oceans of the earth are influenced by many factors. The heat of the sun and the rotation of the earth cause massive movement on the earth's oceans and atmosphere. This interaction between the sun and the earth causes the major weather patterns and systems of the world. The heat of the sun causes evaporation from the oceans and develops clouds and such precipitation as rain and storms. Also the sun's heat creates convective currents in the oceans. In light of how important understanding the sun is to the science of Oceanography and our climate, go to the Waterfall room in the Audubon's Wildlife Adventure game and say "The sun makes all the difference."<BR><BR>
5. For many centuries, mariners have known that the ocean has currents that move in relatively consistent directions. Ancient Spanish Galleons which carried treasures such as gold and silver to Spain from Mexico used the Gulf Stream to enable them to go back home. In 1772, what American founding father utilized log books from ships to craft a map of this current?
* Thomas Jefferson
* John Adams
* George Washington
* Benjamin Franklin<BR><BR>
6. The Gulf Stream is a very strong ocean current. It brings warm water to the higher latitudes from the tropics. Very early maps of the Gulf Stream were produced using low-tech methods. In today's world, remote sensing technology on satellites above the earth enable scientists to see the Gulf Stream's features and map the changes in its location. Go to Ned Kelly's Hideout where there is a smaller current and stream and say "This current is fast!"<BR><BR>
7. Ocean currents occur at all depths of the oceans. In many parts of the ocean, more than one current exists and flows in different directions at varying depths. This complex current system is driven by the sun and the rotation of the planet.<BR>
 
The sun can affect the ocean in two primary ways. The first way is by heating the atmosphere and causing winds. The winds move the sea by friction. They blow along the surface of the water and heavily effect the top layer of the water. How deep does the influence of the wind affect the ocean waters?
* 185 feet deep
* 325 feet deep
* 10 feet deep
* 550 feet deep<BR><BR>
8. The second way the sun affects the ocean is to alter the "density" of the surface water by heating the water and thus changing its "salinity", which is the amount of salt found in the water.<BR>
 
When water cools or evaporates, it becomes saltier and thus denser. This difference in density can make a column of water unstable and cause what is referred to as density-dependent currents. This movement is also referred to as "thermohaline circulation". Go to the livery stable in the Wild West Age and say "There is a lot of evaporation going on here!"<BR><BR>
9. The rotation of the earth plays a very large roll in the currents of the oceans. The way that the rotation of the earth affects ocean currents is by what is known as the "Coriolis Force". In the Northern Hemisphere, the "Coriolis Force" makes water swirl to the right, and swirl to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This force occurs because the motion of the ocean water is acted on by friction with the ocean floor. Water at the equator moves at the same speed as the earth. If the water begins to move to the north, without friction it would go faster than the Earth under it. In order to conserve momentum, the water goes in a more easterly direction the further it gets from the equator. What does the "Coriolis Force" do as you move away from the equator?
* The force increases
* The force decreases
* The force becomes unstable
* The force experiences large fluctuations in speed<BR><BR>
10. The pattern of surface currents in the ocean shows a circular eddie in each ocean basin. On the western side of the basin, strong narrow currents are found in the large currents, the Gulf Stream, Kuroshio, Brazil and East Australian currents, to name a few that flow up to 6 miles an hour. The speed of the current moving away from the western side of the basins are slower and wider. Due to the Coriolius Force, in the Northern hemisphere, the currents rotate clockwise and in the Southern Hemisphere, they rotate counterclockwise. Go to the Victorian Park and say "Go clockwise my friend."<BR><BR>
===Answers===
1. Physical Geography of the Sea
2. Go to the Australian Waterfall room in the Australian Outback and say "I wonder if there are any mines in there?"
3. Meteorology
4. Go to the Tranquil Waterfall room in the Audubon's Wildlife Adventure game and say "The sun makes all the difference."
5. Benjamin Franklin
6. Go to Ned Kelly's Hideout where there is a smaller current and stream and say "This current is fast!"
7. 325 feet deep
8. Go to inside of the Livery Stable in the Wild West Age and say "There is a lot of evaporation going on here!"
9. The force increases
10. Go to the Victorian Summer Park and say "Go clockwise my friend."
Category:Quests Category:Epic Quests