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SCIENCE - Oceans Vocabulary
5th Grade Science
31
Science
5th Grade
05/04/2010

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Term
oceans
Definition
bodies of salt water surrounding great land masses that cover about seventy-one percent of the surface of Earth
Term
continental shelf
Definition
the border of the continent that is below the water and slopes gradually away from the shore
Term
continental slope
Definition
the steep slope down to the ocean floor
Term
continental rise
Definition
the transition area where the continent ends and the ocean floor begins
Term
abyssal plain
Definition
the true ocean floor; flat smooth surface made of sediment from runoff of the continents and the surface of the water
Term
ocean trenches
Definition
deep cuts in the ocean floor
Term
matter
Definition
anything that has mass and takes up space
Term
atom
Definition
the smallest piece of a pure substance with the same properties as the larger pieces of that pure substance
Term
element
Definition
a substance made of atoms of all the same type
Term
compound
Definition
a substance made of more than one type of atom
Term
molecule
Definition
two or more atoms combined together
Term
mixture
Definition
a combination of two or more compounds or element s without a chemical reaction
Term
solution
Definition
a mixture where the particles of two or more pure substances are mixed evenly
Term
H2O
Definition
water
Term
NaCl
Definition
salt
Term
density
Definition
the amount of mass in a given unit of volume
Term
salinity
Definition
the measure of the amount of dissolved salts in ocean water
Term
surface currents
Definition
horizontal currents caused by winds
Term
Gulf Stream
Definition
a surface current in the Atlantic Ocean
Term
deep ocean currents
Definition
vertical ocean currents
Term
current
Definition
continuous movement of ocean water in a specific direction; caused by wind, temperature, and salinity
Term
wave
Definition
up and down motions in ocean water caused by wind
Term
tide
Definition
bulging of Earth’s ocean waters due to the gravitational pull of the moon and sun
Term
sunlight zone
Definition
the zone with the most sunlight and warmth; the zone on top
Term
twilight zone
Definition
the zone with very little sunlight and has moderate temperatures; little life exists in this zone
Term
midnight zone
Definition
the zone with no sunlight, high pressure, and is very cold; very little life exists in this zone
Term
ecosystem
Definition
a natural system in which living and nonliving things interact
Term
plankton
Definition
organisms that are incapable of swimming against the movements of the water
Term
phytoplankton
Definition
one-celled plant-like organisms that are the base of the ocean’s energy pyramid and food web
Term
nekton
Definition
organisms that are strong swimmers and are capable of movement at will
Term
benthos
Definition
organisms that dwell on the sea floor
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