| A | B |
|---|
| Layering | Sometimes the surface of the ocean is very different from the waters below. There can be layers of temperature, salinity, and light penetration. |
| Light | The deeper you go in the oceans, the darker it gets. The color of light that goes deepest, is blue. |
| Thermocline | The deeper you go, the colder it gets in the oceans. The layer in the ocean where temperature gets much colder as you get deeper. |
| Halocline | The deeper you go in the oceans, the saltier the water gets. The layer in the ocean where salinity increases as you go deeper. |
| Bentic | A life zone of living things at the bottom of the sea, usually touching the bottom. |
| Pelagic | A life zone of things floating in the water column. |
| Density | The density of pure water is 1g/milliliter. Salt water is denser and will usually sink below fresh water. |
| Wedge | When a freshwater river flows into the salt water of the ocean, the freshwater floats above the salt water before it mixes causing a wedge shape. |
| Salinity | The amount of salt in water. Some parts of the ocean are saltier than others. |
| Salt Water | Ocean water contains 3.5% salt. |
| Freshwater | Most water contains a little bit of salt but the term freshwater refers to very tiny amounts of salt. |
| Brackish | Areas of mixed fresh water and salt water. Estuaries are one place where this happens. |
| Mixture | A combination of 2 substances that can be easily separated. Such as sand and water. |
| Solution | When you put salt into water, it dissolves and becomes part of a salt water solution. You can not easily get the salt back out of the water. |
| Dissolved | When a solute like salt goes into a solvent like water and becomes invisible. |
| Concentration | How much of something is in something else. Usually measured as a % or parts per thousand. |
