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sci chapter 2 ocean
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| salinity | the total amount of dissolved salts in a water sample |
| sonar | A system that uses reflected sound waves to locate and determine the distance to objects under the water |
| seamount | A steep sided volcanic mountain rising from the deep ocean floor |
| trench | A deep, steep sided canyon in the ocean floor |
| continental slope | A steep incline of the ocean floor leading down from the edge of the continental shelf |
| continental shelf | A gently sloping shallow area of the ocean floor that extends outward from the edge of a continent. |
| abyssal plain | A smooth, nearly flat region of the deep ocean floor |
| mid-ocean ridge | An undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced; a divergent plate boundary under the ocean |
| wave | the movement of energy through a body of water |
| wavelength | the distance between two corresponding parts of a wave, such as the distance between two crests |
| frequency | the number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time |
| wave height | the vertical distance from the crest of the wave to the trough |
| tsunami | a giant wave usually caused by an earthquake beneath the ocean floor |
| longshore drift | the movement of water and sediment down a beach caused by waves coming in to shore at an angle |
| rip current | a strong, narrow current that flows briefly from the shore back toward the ocean through a narrow opening |
| groin | A wall made of rocks or concrete that is built outward from a beach to reduce erosion |
| current | a large stream of moving water that flows through the oceans |
| Coriolis effect | the effect of earths rotation on the direction of winds and currents |
| climate | the average annual conditions of temperature, precipitation, winds, and clouds in an area |
| El Nino | an abnormal climate event that occurs every two to seven years in the pacific ocean, causing changes in winds, currents, and weather patterns for one to two years |
| La Nina | A climate event in the eastern pacific ocean in which surface waters are colder than normal |