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40 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
salinity
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a measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid
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continental margin
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includes the continental shelf, slope, and rise (all zones of the ocean)
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turbidity current
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a current of salty water that flows from a smaller body of water
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submarine canyon
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a steep sided valley developed on the sea floor of the continental slope
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abyssal plain
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large flat area on the ocean floor
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seamounts
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steep, narrow volcanic mountains risen from the ocean floor
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guyot
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flat topped seamounts eroded from wave action
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trench
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long narrow crevices
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midocean ridge
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underwater mountains that extend across the worlds' oceans
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plankton
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largest group of plants/animals in the ocean, float near surface, microscopic
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nekton
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all organisms that swim actively in ocean water, independent of currents
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benthos
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organisms that live at the bottom of the ocean
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crest
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highest point of a wave
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trough
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lowest point of a wave
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wavelength
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horizontal distance between two crests or troughs
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tsunami
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underwater earthquake
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upwelling
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the movement of deep, cold, and nutrient rich water to the surface
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what are the three major oceans of the earth?
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atlantic, pacific, and indian
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What is the difference between an ocean and a sea?
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a sea is part of an ocean nearly surrounded by land and an ocean is open water
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how is ocean a source of fresh water?
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evaporation occurs over the ocean but the salt doesn't evaporate
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how did the ocean get salty?
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rocks that dissolved to put sodium chloride in the ocean
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how much of the ocean is salt?
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3% or 35 ppt on average
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what are the two most abundant elements in the ocean?
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oxygen and hydrogen
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what is a thermocline?
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an area in the ocean where the temperature changes durastically.
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what are the three ocean zones?
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continental shelf, continental slope, continental rise
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how are coral reefs formed?
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from organisms called polyps that make limestone skeletons in warm, shallow water
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What are the three ocean life zones? describe what organisms would live in each one.
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intertidal zone- starfish, sea anemones, clams
neritic zone- dolphins, plankton, and fish bathyal zone- sponges, octopi, sea stars |
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how do oceanographers find out about the ocean floor?
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submersibles, ROV's, AUV's, corers, ect.
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what was the challenger?
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first vessel to record observations of the ocean (england, 1872) read ocean depth and collected animals.
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what does ROV stand for? AUV? what do they help us do and what is the difference?
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remotley operated vehicle, autonomous underwater vehicle.
AUV's aren't tethered to anything. they help us explore the ocean using cameras and other sensors to go deeper than humans can. |
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What are the three basic motions of the ocean?
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waves, currents, and tides
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What are the three ways waves are formed?
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winds, earthquakes, and the gravitational pull of the moon
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what are surface currents?
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currents on the surface of the ocean caused mainly by wind patterns
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what are deep currents?
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currents caused by differences in density
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how are tides formed?
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the sun and moon's gravitational pull
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intertidal zone
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zone where organisms live where high and low tides change daily
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what are the two types of plankton?
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phytoplankton- plants
zooplankton- animals |
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waves
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pulses of energy that move throught the ocean
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What current effects the west coast?
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california current
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nodules
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on the ocean floor, formed from dissolved substances that stick to solid objects
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