ocean Flashcards
Pacific ocean
it is the largest ocean
Atlantic ocean
it is the sea of atlas
Indian ocean
an ocean bordered by Africa in the west, Asia in the north, and Australia in the east and merging with the Antarctic Ocean in the south.
Arctic ocean
the ocean surrounding the North Pole, north of the Arctic Circle.
Southern ocean
body of salt water covering approximately one-sixteenth of Earth’s total ocean area.
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
the cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration.
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
the action or process of precipitating a substance from a solution.
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.
