Ocean VocabularyOcean Vocabulary

Make a flip book or notecards with the Make a flip book or notecards with the words and definitions.words and definitions.

You WILL need to keep these and study You WILL need to keep these and study them for the unit and EOG.them for the unit and EOG.

WaveWave

• The movement of energy through a The movement of energy through a body of water.body of water.

• Most waves form when winds Most waves form when winds blowing across the water’s surface blowing across the water’s surface transmit their energy to the water.transmit their energy to the water.

BreakersBreakers

• A white-capped wave that is near shore A white-capped wave that is near shore that crashes onto the shore. that crashes onto the shore.

• They have increased height and decreased They have increased height and decreased wavelength.wavelength.

Rip CurrentRip Current

• A rush of water that flows rapidly back to A rush of water that flows rapidly back to sea through a narrow opening in a sea through a narrow opening in a sandbar.sandbar.

Tides Tides

• The daily rise and fall of Earth’s The daily rise and fall of Earth’s waters on its coastlines.waters on its coastlines.

• Caused by interaction of Earth, moon Caused by interaction of Earth, moon and sunand sun

Spring Tide and Neap TideSpring Tide and Neap Tide• Spring Tide - A tide with the greatest Spring Tide - A tide with the greatest

difference between high and low tide difference between high and low tide that occurs when the sun and moon that occurs when the sun and moon are aligned with Earth at the new are aligned with Earth at the new moon and the full moon.moon and the full moon.

• Neap Tide – A tide with the least Neap Tide – A tide with the least difference between high and low tide difference between high and low tide that occurs when the sun and moon that occurs when the sun and moon pull at right angles to each other at pull at right angles to each other at the first and third quarters of the the first and third quarters of the moon.moon.

SalinitySalinity - The - The total amount total amount of dissolved of dissolved salts in a salts in a water water sample.sample.

CurrentCurrent – A – A large stream large stream of moving of moving water that water that flows through flows through the oceans.the oceans.

Coriolis Effect The effect of The effect of

Earth’s Earth’s rotation on the rotation on the direction of direction of winds and winds and current.current.

El NinoAn abnormal An abnormal

climate event that climate event that occurs every two occurs every two to seven years in to seven years in the Pacific Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, causing changes causing changes in winds, currents, in winds, currents, and weather and weather patterns for one patterns for one to two years.to two years.

ClimateClimate• The pattern of temperature and The pattern of temperature and

precipitation typical of an area over a precipitation typical of an area over a long period of time.long period of time.

TsunamiTsunami• A giant wave usually caused by an A giant wave usually caused by an

earthquake beneath the ocean floor.earthquake beneath the ocean floor.

UpwellingUpwelling

• The movement of cold water upward The movement of cold water upward from the deep ocean that is caused by from the deep ocean that is caused by wind.wind.

• Upwelling brings up tiny ocean Upwelling brings up tiny ocean organisms, minerals, and other nutrients organisms, minerals, and other nutrients from the deeper layers of the water.from the deeper layers of the water.

• Without upwelling, the surface waters of Without upwelling, the surface waters of the open ocean would not have many the open ocean would not have many nutrients.nutrients.

SubmersibleSubmersible

An underwater An underwater vehicle built of vehicle built of strong materials strong materials to resist to resist pressure.pressure.

SonarSonar

A system that uses A system that uses sound waves to sound waves to calculate the calculate the distance to an distance to an object, and that object, and that gets its name gets its name from sound from sound navigation and navigation and ranging.ranging.

Continental ShelfContinental Shelf

• A gently sloping, shallow area of the ocean A gently sloping, shallow area of the ocean floor that extends outward from the edge floor that extends outward from the edge of a continent.of a continent.

Continental SlopeContinental Slope

• A steep incline of the ocean floor leading A steep incline of the ocean floor leading down from the edge of the continental down from the edge of the continental shelf.shelf.

Abyssal PlainAbyssal Plain

• A smooth, nearly A smooth, nearly flat region of the flat region of the deep ocean floor.deep ocean floor.

Mid-ocean RidgeMid-ocean Ridge

A continuous A continuous range of range of mountains on mountains on the ocean floor the ocean floor that winds that winds around Earth.around Earth.

TrenchTrench

A deep, steep-A deep, steep-sided canyon sided canyon in the ocean in the ocean floor.floor.

PlatePlate

• One of the major One of the major pieces of solid rock pieces of solid rock that make up that make up Earth’s upper layers.Earth’s upper layers.

• Divergent plates - Divergent plates - two plates move two plates move apart from each apart from each other. The space other. The space that this creates is that this creates is filled with new filled with new crustal material crustal material sourced from molten sourced from molten magma that forms that forms below.below.

Sea-floor Sea-floor SpreadingSpreading

A process by A process by which new rock which new rock is added to the is added to the ocean floor ocean floor along the along the boundary boundary between between diverging plates.diverging plates.

Intertidal ZoneIntertidal Zone

• An area that stretches from the highest An area that stretches from the highest high-tide line on land out to the point on high-tide line on land out to the point on the continental shelf exposed by the the continental shelf exposed by the lowest low tide.lowest low tide.

Neritic ZoneNeritic Zone

• The area of the The area of the ocean that ocean that extends from the extends from the low-tide line out low-tide line out to the edge of to the edge of the continental the continental shelf.shelf.

Open-ocean ZoneOpen-ocean Zone

• The deepest, The deepest, darkest area of darkest area of the ocean the ocean beyond the edge beyond the edge of the of the continental continental shelf.shelf.

PlanktonPlankton

• Tiny algae and animals that float in Tiny algae and animals that float in water and are carried by waves and water and are carried by waves and currents.currents.

NektonNekton

• Free-swimming animals that can Free-swimming animals that can move throughout the water column.move throughout the water column.

BenthosBenthos

• Organisms that live on the bottom of Organisms that live on the bottom of the ocean or other body of water.the ocean or other body of water.

Food WebFood Web• The feeding relationships in a habitat.The feeding relationships in a habitat.

• Who eats who!Who eats who!

EstuaryEstuary• A coastal inlet or bay where fresh water A coastal inlet or bay where fresh water

from rivers mixes with salty ocean water.from rivers mixes with salty ocean water.

Coral ReefCoral Reef

• Created by colonies of tiny coral animals that Created by colonies of tiny coral animals that produce a hard structure that surrounds its soft produce a hard structure that surrounds its soft body. body.

• Reefs form when the empty structure stays after Reefs form when the empty structure stays after the animal dies and new animals build on top of the the animal dies and new animals build on top of the old structure.old structure.

BioluminescenceBioluminescence

•The production of light by living The production of light by living things.things.

•Happens through chemical Happens through chemical reactions in the cells of the reactions in the cells of the organismsorganisms

Hydrothermal VentsHydrothermal Vents

• Where hot water rises out of cracks Where hot water rises out of cracks in the ocean floor.in the ocean floor.

• Water coming from these vents Water coming from these vents carries gases and minerals coming carries gases and minerals coming from Earth’s interior. Bacteria feed from Earth’s interior. Bacteria feed on the gases and minerals and begin on the gases and minerals and begin the food web.the food web.

Submarine Hot Submarine Hot SpringSpring

A spring of water A spring of water issuing from the issuing from the bottom of the bottom of the sea.sea.

Methane Cold Methane Cold SeepsSeeps

An area of the An area of the ocean floor ocean floor where hydrogen where hydrogen sulfide, methane sulfide, methane and other and other hydrocarbon-rich hydrocarbon-rich fluid seepage fluid seepage occurs.occurs.

STOP!!STOP!!

We are sorry that your hand is We are sorry that your hand is going to fall off and that you going to fall off and that you are bored, but you have to are bored, but you have to learn these terms!! learn these terms!!

YOU ARE DONE!YOU ARE DONE!