Chapter 13 - Exploring The Oceans Flashcards
Water cycle
The continuous movement of water from the ocean to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean.
Continental shelf
The gently sloping section of the continental margin located between the shoreline and the continental slope
Continental slope
The steeply inclined section of the continental margin located between the continental rise and the continental shelf
Continental rise
The gently sloping section of the continental margin
Salinity
A measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid.
Abyssal Plane
A large flat almost level area of the deep ocean basin
Mid ocean ridge
A long under sea Montaigne chain that forms along the floor of the major oceans
Rift Valley
A long narrow valley that forms as tectonic plates separate
Seamount
A submerged mountain on the ocean floor that is at least 1,000 m high and that has a volcanic origin
Ocean trench
A steep long depression in the deep sea floor that runs parallel to a chain of volcanic islands or a continental margin
Plankton
The mass of mostly microscopic organisms that float or drift freely in freshwater and marine environments.
Nekton
All organisms that swim actively In open water, independent of currents
Benthos
The organisms that live at the bottom of the sea or ocean
Benthic environment
The region near the bottom of a pond lake or ocean
Pelagic environment
In the ocean the zone near the surface or at middle depths beyond the sublittoral zone and above the abyssal zone
