ocean Flashcards
Pacific ocean
he Pacific makes up half of the Earth’s Ocean
Atlantic ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is connected to all the other oceans
Indian ocean
The name originates from the location around the Indian penisula.
Arctic ocean
It spans an area of approximately 14,060,000 km²
Southern ocean
The Southern Ocean is the ‘newest’ named ocean.
Salinity
the concentrations of salts in water or soils.
surface zone
sunlight zone
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
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
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds.
continental shelf
A continental shelf is 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
the largest habitat on earth.
mid-ocean ridge
A mid-ocean ridge is a seafloor mountain system formed by plate tectonics. It typically has a depth of about 2,600
rift valley
A rift valley is a linear shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic rift.
Seamount
underwater mountains that rise hundreds or thousands of feet from the seafloor
ocean trench
steep depressions in the deepest parts of the ocean
Plankton
usually microscopic, often less than one inch in length, but they also include larger species like some crustaceans and jellyfish.
Nekton
living organisms that are able to swim and move independently of currents.
Benthos
Clams, worms, oysters, shrimp-like crustaceans, and mussels are all examples of benthic organisms.
desalination
the process by which the dissolved mineral salts in water are removed.
