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Chapter 3-Geology of the Ocean
Chapter 3-Geology of the Ocean
68
Biology
Undergraduate 3
02/14/2012

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Term
abyssal hills
Definition
hills dotting the ocean floor which may rise as high as 1,000 m
Term
abyssal plain
Definition
a flat expanse at the bottom of many ocean basins
Term
Antarctic Circle
Definition
parallel at 66.5 degrees S latitude
Term
Artic Circle
Definition
parallel at 66.5 degrees N latitude
Term
asthenosphere (as-THEN-uh-sfeer)
Definition
the lower region of the mantle below the crust, thought to be liquid
Term
bathygraphic features
Definition
physical features of the ocean bottom such as mountain ranges, canyons, valleys, and great expanses
Term
bathymetric charts
Definition
charts of the ocean that show lines connecting points of similar depth
Term
biogenous sediments
Definition
sediments formed from the hard parts of dead organisms
Term
calcareous ooze
Definition
deposits made up of a variety of small organisms such as foraminiferans, coccolithophores and molluscs
Term
chronometer
Definition
a seagoing clock that can keep accurate time
Term
continental drift
Definition
movement of continents resulting from seafloor spreading
Term
continental margin
Definition
the region of the ocean bottom that lies beneath the neritic zone
Term
continental rise
Definition
a gentle slope at the base of a steep continental slope produced by processes such as landslides
Term
continental shelves
Definition
the shallow, submerged extensions of continents
Term
continental slope
Definition
the transition between the continental shelf and the deep floor of the ocean
Term
convergent plate boundaries
Definition
boundaries at trenches, where plates move toward each other and old lithosphere is destroyed
Term
cosmogenous sediments
Definition
sediments formed from dust and debris from outer space
Term
crust
Definition
the thinnest, coolest and outermost layer of the earth
Term
diatomaceous ooze
Definition
siliceous deposits beneath cold water made up primarily of the remains of sinlge-celled organisms called diatoms
Term
divergent plate boundaries
Definition
boundaries at midocean ridges, where plates move apart as new lithosphere is formed
Term
equator
Definition
a circle drawn around the center of the earth perpendicular to its axis of rotation
Term
escarpments
Definition
cliffs with sharp vertical drops
Term
faults
Definition
regions which represent breaks in the earth's crust where one plate can move past the other
Term
fracture zones
Definition
linear regions of unusually irregular ocean bottom which may occur running perpendicular to the ridges and rises and separating sections of a ridge system
Term
Global Positioning System
Definition
navigational device which utilizes a system of satellites that can be used to find an exact position
Term
Gondwanaland
Definition
southern portion of Pangaea composed of Africa, India, South America, Australia and Antarctica
Term
gulf
Definition
a smaller body of water that is more or less cut off from the larger ocean or sea by land formations
Term
hydrogenous sediments
Definition
sediments formed by the precipitation of dissolved minerals from sea water
Term
international date line
Definition
line of longitude directly opposite the prime meridian at 180 degrees
Term
island arcs
Definition
chains of volcanic islands
Term
latitude
Definition
lines on a map or globe which are parallel to the equator
Term
Laurasia
Definition
northern portion of Pangaea composed of Europe, Asia and North America
Term
lithosphere
Definition
the region of the crust and upper mantle
Term
longitude
Definition
lines on a map or globe which are perendicular to the equator
Term
magma
Definition
molten material located deep in the earth's mantle
Term
mantle
Definition
the thickest layer of the earth with the greatest mass of material
Term
map
Definition
a two-dimensional representation of the earth's three-dimensional surface
Term
Mercator projection
Definition
a cylindrical type of map upon which the most familiar maps are modeled
Term
meridians
Definition
another name for lines of longitude
Term
midocean ridge
Definition
a long mountain range which forms along a crack produced by erupting magma on the ocean bottom
Term
mud
Definition
sediment composed of clay and salt
Term
nautical mile
Definition
unit of distance equal to one minute of latitude
Term
ocean
Definition
the body of water in each of the major ocean basins: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic
Term
ocean basin
Definition
the region of the ocean bottom beyond the continental margin
Term
oceanic basaltic crust
Definition
new crust formed from cooling magma along a midocean ridge
Term
ooze
Definition
a sediment in an area where more than 30% of the sediment is made up of fine biogenous particles
Term
oxides
Definition
compounds formed when free oxygen combines with other elements
Term
Pangaea
Definition
single supercontinent from which other continents developed, according to Alfred Wegener
Term
parallels
Definition
another name for lines of latitude
Term
physiographic chart
Definition
a chart that uses perspective drawing, coloring, or shading, instead of lines, to show th evarying depths of the oceans
Term
prime meridian
Definition
line of longitude extending from the North Pole to the South Pole, passing through the Royal Naval Observatory in Greenwich, England
Term
rift communities
Definition
thriving communities of marine organisms that depend on the specialized environments fuond at divergence zones in the ocean floor
Term
rift valley
Definition
an area of high volcanic activity running along the length of a portion of the mountain crests of a ridge system
Term
sea
Definition
a body of salt water that is smaller than an ocean an dis more or less landlocked
Term
seafloor spreading
Definition
a lateral movement of the crust beneath the ocean
Term
seamount
Definition
a steep-sided formation that rises sharply from the ocean bottom, formed by an underwater volcano
Term
sediment
Definition
seafloor coating composed of loose particles of both inorganic and organic material
Term
sextant
Definition
an instrument used to determine latitude by measuring the angle of the North Star with respect to the horizon
Term
shelf break
Definition
an abrupt change in the landscape at the point where the continental shelf ends and the continental slope begins
Term
siliceous ooze
Definition
deposits beneath tropical waters made up of single-celled organisms called radiolarians
Term
submarine canyons
Definition
features similar to canyons on land found on some continental slopes
Term
terrigenous sediments
Definition
sediments that come from land and are washed into the sea
Term
theory of plate tectonics
Definition
theory combining all of the information concerning the movement of the earth's crust
Term
transform fault
Definition
a special kind of fault that is found in section sof the midocean ridge, in which each side is formed by a different plate, and these plates are moving away from each other
Term
Tropic of Cancer
Definition
parallel at 23.5 degrees N latitude
Term
Tropic of Capricorn
Definition
parallel at 23.5 degrees S latitude
Term
turbidity currents
Definition
swift avalanches of sediment and water that erode a slope as they sweep down and pick up speed
Term
world ocean
Definition
a continous mass of water that covers most of the planet
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