planet earth
continental slope
Directly seaward of the continental shelf is a more steeply sloping region called the _________
downwelling zones
The movement of warm surface waters towards the coast;causes a thickening of the surface waters which causes them to sink
continental shelf
a gently sloping platform with a variable landscape
upwelling zones
deeper water rises; winds blow surface water away from shore so deficit causes water to rise (happens near equator)
tide generating force
gravitational pull of sun and moon
bathymetry
is the topography (shape of the land) of the ocean floor; variation in depth
active continental margin
margin that coincides with a plate boundary and thus hosts many earthquakes
coriolis effect
phenomenon generated by the earth's rotation that causes surface currents in northern hemisphere to veer toward the right and southern currents to veer towards the left
thermocline
rapid change in temperature; warmer surface waters, rapid change in temperature to cold deep waters; Middle depth interval where temperatures sharply decline 300m
submarine canyons
relatively narrow and deep valleys that cut into continental shelf and slope
continental shelf
relatively shallow part of the ocean that fringes the continent 0-500 meters
thermohaline circulation
rising and sinking of water due to density contrasts; denser (colder, saltier) water sinks and less dense (warmer, less salty) rises
bathymetry is determined by
the way the tectonic plates are moving or aligned.
tide
twice a day rise and fall of water
abyssal plain
•Vast expanse of deep ocean floor with relatively slow-moving waters (flat & featureless); not common in the Pacific deeper than 4.5km
continental rise
4-4.5km in depth; formed by many deep sea fans
continental slope
500m-4km in depth; at eastern edge continental shelf merges to form__
d. (shelf, slope, rise, abyssal plain)
The correct order of marine provinces from the coast to the mid-ocean ridge is __________.
continental rise
The great heaps of unconsolidated sediment at the base of the continental slope are known as __________.
a. broad continental shelf
Characteristics of active continental margins include all of the following except __________. (a) broad continental shelf (b) chains of islands (c) deep-sea trenches (d) thin sediment accumulation (e) volcanic and earthquake activity
d. all of the above
Global circulation of ocean water is influenced by ___________. a. surface winds b. coastal upwelling and downwelling c. sinking of cold and saline water d. All of the above
downwelling
If currents are largely directed toward shore, the area is likely to experience
gyre
Nearly closed current system in the open ocean
e. all of these
Submarine canyons are __________. (a) found worldwide, on all kinds of shelves (b) steep-walled and narrow (c) cut into firm rock (d) cut into the shelf and may extend almost to the shore (e) all of these
