Science Chapter 11

The __ is a broad area covered with thick layers of mud and silt.

abyssal plain

a covered broad area covered with thick layers of mud and silt

abyssal plain

the pattern of temperature and precipitation typical of an area over a long period of time

climate

__ is a climate event that occurs every two to seven years in the Pacific Ocean. El Nino begins when ___. This causes a vast sheet of __ to move east toward the South American coast. This warm water prevents the cold deep water from moving to the surface.

1. El Nino 2. an unusual pattern of winds forms over the western Pacific 3. warm water

When surface waters in the eastern Pacific are colder than normal, a climate event known as __ occurs. La Nina event is the opposite of an El Nino event. La Nina events typically bring ____ and__ to the Pacific Northwest and the north central United States.

1. La Nina 2. colder than normal winters, greater precipitation

After a water molecule evaporates or sublimes, warm air can __. Air tends to become __ as it rises. Water vapor __ more easily at lower temperatures, so some water vapor cools and condenses into liquid water. Droplets of liquid water clump around solid particles in the air, forming clouds.

1. carry the water molecule upward 2. colder 3. condenses

As ice forms near the poles, the salinity of water __ from the salt left behind during freezing. As the water's temperature decreases and its salinity increase, the water becomes __ and sinks. Then, the cold water flows back along the ocean floor as a deep current. ___ are affected by the Coriolis effect, which causes them to curve.

1. increases 2. denser 3. deep currents

Salinity affects ocean water in different ways. The salt acts as a kind of antifreeze by __. __ water has a higher density than _ water. Because density is greater, seawater lifts, or buoys up, less dense objects floating in it.

1. interfering with the formation of ice 2. salt water, fresh water

Deep currents ___ and __ water around the world. They carry cold water from the poles toward the equator. Deep currents flow slowly. They may take as long as 1,000 years to circulate between the oceans back to where they started.

1. move and mix

Currents affect climate by __. Currents generally move warm water from the tropics toward the poles and bring the cold water back toward the equator.

1. moving cold and warm water around the globe

A __ warms of cools the air above it. This affects __. Winds pick up __ as they blow across warm-water currents. Cold air holds __ moisture than warm air. So cold currents tend to bring ___ to land areas in their path.

1.surface current 2. the climate of land near the coast 3. moisture 4. less 5. cool, dry weather

The Gulf Stream has a warming effect on the climate of nearby land areas. __ is the pattern of temperature and precipitation typical of an area over a long period of time. The __ region of the United States, including North Carolina and Virginia, has a more moderate climate because of the Gulf Stream. _ are very mild and __ are humid.

Climate mid-Atlantic winter, summer

the effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents

Coriolis effect

This effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents is called the __. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes the currents to curve __. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes the currents to curve __.

Coriolis effect clockwise counterclockwise

a climate event that occurs every two to seven years in the Pacific Ocean

El Nino

The __ is the largest and most powerful surface current in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Gulf Stream moves warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to the Caribbean Sea. It then continues northward along the east coast of the United States.

Gulf Stream

when surface waters in the eastern Pacific are colder than normal

La Nina

The __ is the largest, covering an area greater than all the land on Earth. The __ is next largest, though the __ is deeper. The __ surrounds the North Pole.

Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean Arctic Ocean

_,_,_, and _ are the names used for the different parts of the ocean.

Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic

Without water, neither you nor an apple could survive. Water allows organisms to __, __, __, and ___

break down food, grow, reproduce, and get and use materials they need from their environments

The __ is a gently sloping, shallow area that extends outward from the edge of each continent.

continental shelf

a gently sloping, shallow area that extends outward from the edge of each continents

continental shelf

At 130 meters down, the slope of the ocean floor gets steeper. The steep edge of the continental shelf is called the __.

continental slope

the steep edge of the continental shelf

continental slope

A __ is a large stream of moving water that flows through the oceans. Unlike waves, currents carry water from one place to another. Some currents move water at the surface of the ocean. Other currents move water deep in the ocean.

current

a large stream of moving water that flows through the oceans

current

As you descend through the ocean, the water temperature __.

decreases

__ are caused by differences in the density of ocean water.

deep currents

Most precipitation falls directly into the ocean. Of the precipitation that falls on land, most __. A small amount of the remaining water runs off the surface into streams and lakes in a process called __. After a long time, this groundwater may __.

evaporates infiltration flow down to the ocean and evaporate again

the process by which molecules at the surface of a liquid enough energy to change to a gaseous state

evaporation

__ is the process by which molecules at the surface of a liquid absorb enough energy to change to a gaseous state. __ constantly evaporates from bodies of water.

evaporation water

Much of Earth's __ is frozen into sheets of ice. Massive ice sheets cover most of __ and __. You could also find icebergs in __ and in the __.

freshwater Greenland and Antarctica Arctic Ocean and in the North Atlantic

All the rivers and lakes marked on the map contain __. North America's __ contain about 20 percent of all the water in the world's freshwater lakes.

freshwater five Great Lakes

Near the ocean's surface, rain, snow, and melting ice add __, lowering the salinity. __ is left behind as the water evaporates. Salinity can also be higher near the poles. As the surface water freezes into ice, the salt is __.

freshwater salt left behind in the remaining water

water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers

groundwater

To find some of the freshwater on Earth, you have to look underground. Water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers called __. Far more fresh water is located __ than in all of Earth's rivers and lakes.

groundwater underground

Water provides habitats for many living things. An organism's __ is the place where it lives and obtains all the living things it needs to survive. Some organisms cannot live out of water. In fact, aquatic, or water, habitats contain more types of organisms than land habitats do.

habitat

the place where an organism lives and obtains all the things it needs to survive

habitat

the process by which rainwater seeps through soil into groundwater

infiltration

long chains of mountains on the ocean floors

mid-ocean ridge

__ are long chains of mountains on the ocean floors.

mid-ocean ridges

Most animals cannot survive more than a few days without water. Algae and plants use water, along with carbon dioxide and energy from the sun, to make their own food in a process called __.

photosynthesis

As more water vapor condenses, the water droplets grow larger. Eventually, they become so heavy that they fall back to Earth. Water that falls back to Earth as rain, snow, hail, or sleet is called __.

precipitation

water that falls to Earth as rain, snow, hail, or sleet

precipitation

__ is the total amount of dissolved salts in a sample of water. In most parts of the ocean, the salinity is between 34 and 37 parts per thousand.

salinity

the total amount of dissolved salts in a sample of water

salinity

The water in Earth's oceans varies in __, ___, and __.

salinity, temperature, and depth

Most of Earth's surface water--roughly 97 percent-- is __ found in oceans. Only 3 percent is __. Of that 3 percent, about __ is frozen in huge masses of ice near the North and South poles. About a __ of the fresh water is underground. A tiny fraction of fresh water occurs in __. A even tinier fraction is found in the __.

salt water fresh water two thirds a third lakes and rivers atmosphere

A _ is a volcanic mountain rising from the ocean floor that doesn't reach the surface.

seamount

a volcanic mountain rising from the ocean floor that doesn't reach the surface

seamount

El Nino conditions can last for one to two years. El Nino causes __. This leads to unusual and often severe conditions in different areas. It caused an especially warm winter in the northeastern United States. It was responsible for heavy rains, flooding, and mudslides in California, as well as a string of deadly tornadoes in Florida.

shifts in weather patterns

a system that uses reflected sound waves to locate and determine the distance to objects under water

sonar

So scientists have developed technology to study the ocean floor. A major advance in ocean-floor mapping was __, SOund NAvigation and Ranging. This system uses sound waves to __. A ship's sonar system sends out pulses of sound that bounce off the ocean floor. The equipment then measures how quickly the sound waves return to the ship.

sonar calculate the distance to an object

occurs when the surface particles of a solid gain enough energy that they form a gas

sublimation

__ affect water to a depth of several hundred meters. They are driven mainly by winds. Surface currents follow __. They move in circular patterns in the five major oceans. Most of the currents flow east or west.

surface currents Earth's major wind patterns

Like temperatures on land, temperature at the __ vary with location and the seasons. Near the equator, surface ocean temperatures often reach 25 degrees Celsius, about room temperature. Warm water is __ than cold water, so it doesn't sink. Warm water forms on a thin layer on the ocean surface.

surface of the ocean less dense

the water that is given off through the leaves as water vapor

transpiration

Eventually, the water given off through leaves as water vapor in a process called __. __ occurs when the surface particles of a solid gain enough energy that they form a gas.

transpiration sublimation

A __ is a long, deep valley on the ocean floor through which old ocean floor sinks back toward the mantle. The Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean is 11 kilometers deep( 36, 089 ft or about 7 miles deep).

trench

a long, deep valley on the ocean floor through which old ocean floor sinks back toward the mantle

trench

Major ocean floor features include _, _,_,_, and _. These features have all been formed by the interaction of Earth's plates.

trenches, the continental shelf, the continental slope, the abyssal plain, and the mid-ocean ridge

All living things need ___ in order to carry out their body processes.

water

the process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back, driven by energy from the sun and gravity

water cycle

The __ is the process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back, driven by energy from the sun and gravity. In the water cycle, water moves between __, __, __, and __.

water cycle land, living things, bodies of water on Earth's surface, and the atmosphere

__, the force exerted by the weight of water, also changes with depth. Due to high pressure in the deep ocean, divers can descend safely only to about 40 meters without specialized equipment. To observe the deep ocean, scientists can use a __, an underwater vehicle built of materials that resist pressure.

water pressure submersible