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.
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
the small and microscopic organisms drifting or floating in the sea or fresh water, consisting chiefly of diatoms, protozoans, small crustaceans, and the eggs and larval stages of larger animals. Many animals are adapted to feed on plankton, especially by filtering the water.
Nekton
living organisms that are able to swim and move independently of 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
