Chapter 12 Earth's Ocean Flashcards
To remember the vocabulary in Science
the amount of salt in water
salinity
the downward push of water
water pressure
small submarines that scientist use to study the ocean
submersibles
ocean floor : the part of the ocean floor that drops gently near the land»_space;» it extends from the edge of the continent into the ocean»» the depth increases gradually
continental shelf
depth : 140 m
width : 1.6 km - 1,200 km
ocean floor : the part of the ocean floor that slopes steeply
continental slope
drops steeply : 3000 m
ocean floor : the part of the ocean floor that slopes steeply»_space;» it comes after the continental slope
continental rise
drops down below the ocean floor : 4000m
ocean floor : the largest area of the ocean floor»_space;» flat»_space;» covered by thick layers of sediment
abyssal plains
depth : 4500 m
not completely flat : can have mountain ridges, volcanoes, and deep trenches
coral island
atoll
an area of shallow water
lagoon
the up-and-down movement of surface water
wave
the bottom of the wave slows the most, so the top moves ahead of the bottom. when the top gets far enough ahead, the wave falls over or ______
breaks
the great energy of an earthquake or a volcanic eruption can produce a wave called _______
tsunami
the mound of water that pushes onto shore in a hurricane is called a _____ _____.
storm surge
a stream of water that flows like a river through the ocean
current
large currents in the open ocean
surface currents
a current that flows along the shore»» it carries swimmers away from the place where they entered the water
longshore current
a kind of current that carry water away from the beach»» water on either side of them flows toward the shore»_space;»it can flow faster than 2.4 m/sec
rip currents
a change in the weather patterns over the Pacific Ocean
El Niño
the rise and fall in the water level of the ocean
tide
the area where the ocean and the land meet and interact
shore
when soft rock is worn away, the hard rock left behind may form a point of land called ________
headland
the waves may cut all the way through the rock, making a hole in the rockcalled a ___ ____
sea arch
a temporary pool of ocean water
tide pool
when a river flows into the ocean, an _______ forms»»it is rich in plant and animal life»» many kinds of fish breed in this
estuary