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oceans packet review
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62
Science
12th Grade
01/09/2014

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Term
oceanography
Definition
the branch of science that deals with the physical and biological properties and phenomena of the sea
Term
marine science
Definition
Oceanography, also known as oceanology and marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean. ...
Term
geological oceanography
Definition
Marine geology or geological oceanography involves geophysical, geochemical, sedimentological and paleontological investigations of the ocean floor and coastal margins. Marine geology has strong ties to physical oceanography. .
Term
biological oceanography
Definition
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. ...
Term
physical oceanography
Definition
Physical oceanography is the study of physical conditions and physical processes within the ocean, especially the motions and physical properties of ocean waters. Physical oceanography is one of several sub-domains into which oceanography is divided. ...
Term
chemical oceanography
Definition
Chemical oceanography is the study of ocean chemistry: the behavior of the chemical elements within the Earth's oceans. The ocean is unique in that it contains - in greater or lesser quantities - nearly every element in the periodic table. ..
Term
oceanographer
Definition
a scientist who studies physical and biological aspects of the seas
Term
ferdinad magellan
Definition
Magellan: Portuguese navigator in the service of Spain; he commanded an expedition that was the first to circumnavigate the world (1480-1521)
Term
benjamin franklin
Definition
Franklin: printer whose success as an author led him to take up politics; he helped draw up the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; he played a major role in the American Revolution and negotiated French support for the colonists; as a scientist he is remembered particularly for
Term
Charles darwin
Definition
Darwin: English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection
Term
challenger expedition
Definition
The Challenger expedition of 1872–76 was a scientific exercise that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of oceanography. The expedition was named after the mother vessel
Term
nansen
Definition
Norwegian explorer of the Arctic and director of the League of Nations relief program for refugees of World War I
Term
ocean topography
Definition
The difference between the sea-surface height and the ocean geoid.
Term
continental margin
Definition
The continental margin is the zone of the ocean floor that separates the thin oceanic crust from thick continental crust. Together, the continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise are called continental margin. Continental margins constitute about 28% of the oceanic area
Term
continental shelf
Definition
the area of seabed around a large landmass where the sea is relatively shallow compared with the open ocean. The continental shelf is geologically part of the continental crust.
Term
shelf break
Definition
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but it is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods.
Term
contenental slope
Definition
the slope between the outer edge of the continental shelf and the deep ocean floor
Term
continantal rise
Definition
The continental rise is an underwater feature found between the continental slope and the abyssal plain. This feature can be found all around the world, and it represents the final stage in the boundary between continents and the deepest part of the ocean
Term
deep sea
Definition
the deeper parts of the ocean, esp. those beyond the edge of the continental shelf.
Term
abyssal plains
Definition
An abyssal plain is an underwater plain on the deep ocean floor, usually found at depths between 3000 and 6000 m. Lying generally between the foot of a continental rise and a mid-ocean ridge, abyssal plains cover more than 50% of the Earth’s surface
Term
seamount
Definition

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a submarine mountain
Term
mid-ocean ridge
Definition
a long, seismically active submarine ridge system situated in the middle of an ocean basin and marking the site of the upwelling of magma associated with seafloor spreading. An example is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Term
rift valley
Definition
a large elongated depression with steep walls formed by the downward displacement of a block of the earth's surface between nearly parallel faults or fault systems.
Term
trench
Definition
a long, narrow ditch
Term
continental
Definition
forming or belonging to a continent.
Term
zonation in the ocean
Definition
Term
neritic zone
Definition
the ocean waters from the low tide mark to a depth of about 100 fathoms
Term
oceanic zone
Definition
The oceanic zone begins in the area off shore where the water measures 200 metres deep or deeper. It is the region of open sea beyond the edge of the continental shelf and includes 65% of the ocean’s completely open water
Term
photic zone
Definition
The photic zone, euphotic zone, or sunlight zone is the depth of the water in a lake or ocean that is exposed to sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis to occur
Term
aphotic zone
Definition
The aphotic zone is the portion of a lake or ocean where there is little or no sunlight. It is formally defined as the depths beyond which less than 1% of sunlight penetrates. Consequently, bioluminescence is essentially the only light found in this zone
Term
epipelagic zone
Definition
Any water in a sea or lake that is neither close to the bottom nor near the shore can be said to be in the pelagic zone. The word pelagic comes from the Ancient Greek: πέλαγος “open sea”
Term
mesopelagic zone
Definition
The mesopelagic is that part of the pelagic zone that extends from a depth of 200 to 1000 metres below the ocean surface. It lies between the photic epipelagic above and the aphotic bathypelagic below, where there is no light at all.
Term
bathypelagic zone
Definition
The bathyal zone or bathypelagic – from Greek βαθύς, deep – is the part of the pelagic zone that extends from a depth of 1000 to 4000 metres below the ocean surface. It lies between the mesopelagic above, and the abyssopelagic below. The average temperature hovers at about 39 °F.
Term
abyssopelagic zone
Definition
The abyssal zone is the abyssopelagic layer or pelagic zone that contains the very deep benthic communities near the bottom of oceans. "Abyss" derives from the Greek word ἄβυσσος, meaning bottomless
Term
hadopelagic zone
Definition
The hadal zone, also known as the hadopelagic zone and trench zone, is the delineation for the deepest trenches in the ocean. This zone is found from a depth of around 6,000 metres to the bottom of the ocean. The hadal zone has low population and low diversity of marine life.
Term
plate tectonics
Definition
a theory explaining the structure of the earth's crust and many associated phenomena as resulting from the interaction of rigid lithospheric plates that move slowly over the underlying mantle.
Term

current

 

 

 

Definition
a body of water or air moving in a definite direction, esp. through a surrounding body of water or air in which there is less movement
Term
ocean current
Definition
An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of ocean water generated by the forces acting upon this mean flow, such as breaking waves, wind, Coriolis effect, cabbeling, temperature and salinity differences and tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun.
Term
tides
Definition
the alternate rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in each lunar day at a particular place, due to the attraction of the moon and sun
Term
spring tides
Definition
the rate at which a vibration occurs that constitutes a wave, either in a material (as in sound waves), or in an electromagnetic field (as in radio waves and light), usually measured per second
Term
neap tides
Definition
a tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon when there is the least difference between high and low water.
Term
el nino
Definition
an irregularly occurring and complex series of climatic changes affecting the equatorial Pacific region and beyond every few years, characterized by the appearance of unusually warm, nutrient-poor water off northern Peru and Ecuador, typically in late December.
Term
wavelenght
Definition
the distance between successive crests of a wave, esp. points in a sound wave or electromagnetic wave
Term
wave height
Definition
n fluid dynamics, the wave height of a surface wave is the difference between the elevations of a crest and a neighbouring trough. Wave height is a term used by mariners, as well as in coastal, ocean and naval engineering
Term
plankton
Definition
the small and microscopic organisms drifting or floating in the sea or fresh water, consisting chiefly of diatoms, protozoans, small crustaceans, and the eggs and larval stages of larger animals. Many animals are adapted to feed on plankton, esp. by filtering the water.
Term
phytoplankton
Definition
plankton consisting of microscopic plants
Term
zooplankton
Definition
plankton consisting of small animals and the immature stages of larger animals
Term
nekton
Definition
aquatic animals that are able to swim and move independently of water currents
Term
benthic
Definition
of or relating to or happening on the bottom under a body of water
Term
anatomy
Definition
the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living organisms, esp. as revealed by dissection and the separation of parts.
Term
osculum
Definition
a large aperture in a sponge through which water is expelled.
Term
medusa
Definition
a free-swimming sexual form of a coelenterate such as a jellyfish, typically having an umbrella-shaped body with stinging tentacles around the edge. In some species, medusae are a phase in the life cycle that alternates with a polypoid phase.
Term
polyp
Definition
a solitary or colonial sedentary form of a coelenterate such as a sea anemone, typically having a columnar body with the mouth uppermost surrounded by a ring of tentacles. In some species, polyps are a phase in the life cycle that alternates with a medusoid phase
Term
nematocyst
Definition
a specialized cell in the tentacles of a jellyfish or other coelenterate, containing a barbed or venomous coiled thread that can be projected in self-defense or to capture prey.
Term
zooxanthellae
Definition
a yellowish-brown symbiotic dinoflagellate present in large numbers in the cytoplasm of many marine invertebrates.
Term

freering reef

 

Definition
a coral reef that lies close to the shore.
Term
barrier reef
Definition
a coral reef running parallel to the shore but separated from it by a channel of deep water.
Term
atoll
Definition
a ring-shaped reef, island, or chain of islands formed of coral.
Term
suspension feeders
Definition
Filter feeders are animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feeding are clams, krill, sponges, baleen whales, and many fish.
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