Ocean Flashcards
Pacific Ocean
covers more than 30% of the Earths surface.
Atlantic Ocean
The Average Depth: 11,961 feet.
Indian Ocean
The highest point is at sea level.
Arctic Ocean
Total Volume of Water: 160.7 million mi3
Southern Ocean
On average, the Southern Ocean is approximately 11,000 feet deep.
Salinity
the concentrations of salts in water or soils
Surface zone
the uppermost level of the land or sea.
Thermocline
a steep temperature gradient in a body of water such as a lake, marked by a layer above and below which the water is at different temperatures.
deep zone
extending or situated relatively far down from a surface.
water cycle
shows the continuous movement of water within the Earth and atmosphere
Evaporation
the process of turning from liquid into vapor.
Condensation
water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it.
Precipitation
rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground.
continental shelf
a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water known as a shelf sea.
continental slope
the slope between the outer edge of the continental shelf and the deep ocean floor.
continental rise
a wide, gentle incline from a deep ocean plain (abyssal plain) to a continental slope
abyssal plain
a flat region of the ocean floor, usually at the base of a continental rise, where slope is less than 1:1000.
mid-ocean ridge
a seafloor mountain system formed by plate tectonics
rift valley
a lowland region that forms where Earth’s tectonic plates move apart, or rift.
Seamount
an underwater mountain formed by volcanic activity.
ocean trench
a long, narrow ditch.
Plankton
marine drifters — organisms carried along by tides and currents.
Nekton
aquatic animals that are able to swim and move independently of water currents.
Benthos
the assemblage of organisms inhabiting the seafloor
desalination
the process of removing salts or other minerals and contaminants from seawater, brackish water, and wastewater effluent
