Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Oceanography
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Salinity | The amount of salt dissolved in water. |
| Sodium Chloride (NaCl) | The most common salt in the ocean. |
| Density | Mass divided by volume. Salt water is more dense than freshwater. Cold water is more dense than warm water. |
| Temperature and Salinity | The density of ocean water depends on these two properties. |
| continental shelf | flat underwater extension of the continent |
| continental slope | Begins at the end of the continental shelf, where the ocean floor drops off steeply |
| abyssal plain | the large, flat, almost level area of the ocean floor |
| seamount | underwater volcano |
| volcanic island | if a seamount rises above sea level, it becomes a volcanic island |
| mid-ocean ridge | a long undersea mountain chain that forms along the ocean floor when plates move apart |
| trench | a long, narrow, deep crack in the ocean floor |
| wave | created when the wind transfers its energy to the water |
| tsunami | huge wave that can be caused by an earthquake that happens on or near the ocean floor |
| current | large streams of water flowing through the ocean |
| surface currents | caused by wind |
| deep currents | caused by differences in density due to the temperature and salinity of ocean water |
| tides | the rise and fall of Earth's waters on the coastlines. tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon (and sun). |
Created by:
user-1713485
Popular Earth Science sets