Oceans Flashcards
Salinity
A measure of the amount of dissolved slats in a given amount of liquid.
Water Cycle
The continuous movement of water from the ocean to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean.
Evaporation
When water heats up and turns to gas.
Condensation
The change from a gas to a liquid.
Precipitation
Any form of water that falls to the earth’s surface.
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 located between the continental slope and the abyssal plain.
Abyssal Plain
A large, flat, almost level area of the deep-ocean basin.
Mid-Ocean Ridge
A long, undersea mountain chain that forms along the floor of the major oceans.
Rift Valley
A long, narrow valley that forms between two 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 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 on freshwater and marine environments.
Nekton
All organisms that swim actively in open water, independent of currents.
