BCS8 Chapter 11 Flashcards
abyssal plain
the wide, flat part of the ocean lying between the continental margins and mid-ocean ridges
continental shelf
the shallowest part of a continental margin that extends out into the ocean from the shore
continental slope
an area that drops off rapidly to the ocean basin from the edge of the continental shelf
continental rise
an area at the foot of the continental slope, created from the accumulation of sediments deposited by turbidity currents
submarine canyon
a deep gully carved in the continental shelf and continental slope by turbidity currents
tectonic processes
the movements of Earth’s tectonic plates (the crust and upper mantle broken into large rock slabs) as they float over Earth’s molten layers
turbidity current
a fast-moving underwater landslide caused by the sudden collapse of sediment built up along the continental slope
ocean current
a large amount of ocean water that moves, almost like a river, in a particular direction
plankton
microscopic plants and animals that are an essential food source for all other organisms in the ocean
swells
large, rolling ocean waves
tide
the daily cycle of the rise and fall of ocean water
tsunami
a great ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake
wind action
one of the forces that cause ocean currents to move
climate
the weather characteristics for a specific region averaged over a long period of time
convection
the process of heat transfer through the flow of a heated substance such as air or water
