CHAPTER 13: ocean and seas

• Ocean Basin


  A large, low-lying area of the Earth's crust that is filled with water and surrounded by land
• Continental Shelf


  • The gently sloping submerged portion of the continental margin, extending from the shoreline to the continental slope
• Continental Slope


  • The steeply inclined region of the continental margin located between the continental shelf and the continental rise
• Abyssal Plain


  • A flat or gently sloping area of the ocean floor that extends across the deepest parts of the ocean basins
• Mid-Ocean Ridge

  • A continuous mountainous ridge in the middle of the ocean, formed by volcanic activity and rift zones
• Ocean Trench

  • A long, narrow, and deep depression in the ocean floor, typically formed by the subduction of tectonic plates
• Submarine Canyon


  • A steep-sided valley cut into the sea floor of the continental slope, often formed by erosion from turbidity currents
• Seamount


  • An underwater mountain rising from the ocean floor, typically having a peaked or flat-topped summit
• Salinity


  A measure of the amount of dissolved salts and other solids in seawater, typically expressed in parts per thousand (ppt)
• Density

  The mass of a substance per unit volume, often used to describe the compactness of seawater
• Temperature

  The degree of hotness or coldness of seawater, which influences its density and circulation patterns
• Ocean Circulation

  The movement of seawater, driven by factors such as temperature, salinity, wind, and Earth's rotation
• Thermohaline Circulation


  Deep ocean currents are driven by differences in temperature and salinity, playing a crucial role in global climate
• Surface Currents


  Ocean currents that occur at or near the ocean's surface, driven primarily by wind patterns
• Intertidal Zone


  • Area between high and low tide marks, organisms here must adapt to both wet and dry conditions
• Neritic Zone


  • Shallow ocean zone over the continental shelf, rich in nutrients and sunlight, home to diverse marine life
• Oceanic Zone


  • Open ocean beyond the continental shelf, characterized by deeper waters and less sunlight penetration
• Benthic Zone


  • Ocean floor, including both shallow coastal areas and deep ocean trenches
• Pelagic Zone


  • Open ocean water, including both the surface layer (epipelagic) and deeper layers (mesopelagic, bathypelagic, abyssopelagic)
• Photic Zone


  • Sunlit upper layer of the ocean where photosynthesis occurs, extends to about 200 meters deep
• Aphotic Zone


  • Deep ocean areas where sunlight cannot penetrate, no photosynthesis occurs, and organisms rely on other energy sources
• Estuary


  • Partially enclosed coastal body of water where freshwater from rivers and streams meets and mixes with saltwater from the ocean
• Mangrove Forests


  • Coastal wetlands dominated by salt-tolerant trees and shrubs, provide habitat for diverse marine life and protect coastlines from erosion
• Coral Reefs


  • Diverse underwater ecosystems built by colonies of coral polyps, found in warm, shallow waters with clear sunlight
• Kelp Forests


  • Underwater ecosystems dominated by large brown algae known as kelp, provide habitat and food for many marine species
• Deep Sea Vents


  • Hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, where hot, mineral-rich water supports unique ecosystems of chemosynthetic organisms
• Guyot


  Flat-topped seamount eroded by waves and currents
• Oceanic Plateau


  Large, flat area of ocean floor formed by volcanic activity
• Thermocline


  Zone of rapid temperature change in the ocean
• Coriolis Effect


  Deflection of moving objects caused by Earth's rotation
• Gyres


  Large, circular ocean currents driven by global wind patterns
• Upwelling


  Process by which cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface
• Downwelling


  Process by which surface water sinks and moves downward
• Tides


  Daily rise and fall of sea level caused by gravitational forces of the moon and sun
• Spring Tide


  High tides are higher, and low tides are lower than usual
• Neap Tide


  High tides are lower, and low tides are higher than usual