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22 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Define salinity
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salinity is the measure of how much salt is dissolved in seawater
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Define Estuaries.
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Estuaries are where large rivers empty into oceans, creating areas of water where the lowest salinity occurs.
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Define temperature profiles.
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temperature profiles are plot changing water temperatures against depth. The profiles vary depending on location and season.
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What is the thermocline?
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The thermocline is the transitional layer under the surface layer which is characterized by rapidly decreasing temperatures with depth.
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Oceans have distinct layers of water masses that are characterized by what two factors?
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Oceans have distinct layers of water masses that are characterized by temperature and salinity.
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What do waves and currents distribute from one region of the ocean to another?
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Nutrients, heat and salt.
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What is a wave?
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A wave is a rhythmic movement that carries energy through space or matter, in this case, ocean water.
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What is a crest?
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The crest is the highest point of a wave.
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What is a trough?
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The trough is the lowest point of a wave.
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What is wave height?
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Wave height is the vertical distance between a wave's crest and the next trough.
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What is wavelength?
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The horizontal crest-to-crest distance.
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Breakers are what?
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Collapsing waves
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What are tides?
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Tides are periodic rise and fall of the sea level
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What are spring tides?
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Spring tides happen when the tidal range is the highest
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What are neap tides?
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Neap tides are when the tidal range is the lowest.
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What are three factors that affect the amount of substance in an area of ocean water?
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Wave Action, biological activity, and vertical movement of the water.
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what is the most abundant salt in seawater?
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sodium chloride
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what is upwelling ?
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Upwelling is the upward motion of ocean water.
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What is density current?
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density current is the horizontal flow in a gravitational field that is driven by a density difference
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What is a surface current?
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A surfact current is the part odf the ocean which can move at a velocity of about 100km per day.
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What are neap tides?
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Neap tides are tides in which the tidal range is the lowest
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What are spring tides?
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spring tide is the tidal range that is highest.
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