| A | B |
|---|
| wave | the movement of energy through a body of water |
| nodules | lumps of metal that form around pieces of shell |
| wave height | the vertical distance between crest and trough |
| frequency | the number of waves that pass a point in a given time |
| longshore drift | the movement of sand along the shore |
| neap tide | a tide with the least difference betwwen high and low tides |
| rip current | a rush of water thar flows rapidly back to sea from the shore |
| groin | a wall that is used to slow beach erosion |
| tide | the daily rise and fall of the earth's water along coastlines |
| spring tide | twice a month the greatest distance between high and low tides |
| tsunami | a giant wave usually caused by an earthquake |
| salinity | the total amount of disolved salts in a sample of water |
| submersible | an underwater vehicle that resists ocean pressure |
| current | a stream of moving water that flows through the ocean |
| climate | the pattern of temp. and precipitation over a long period of time for a given area. |
| El nino | an unusual climate event that changes weather patterns and prevents upwelling |
| upwelling | the movement of cold water towards the shore that brings nutrients to sea life. |
| sonar | Sound Navigation And Ranging |
| continental shelf | Begins at the shore and reaches to the edge of the continental slope |
| continental slope | the steep edge of the continental shelf that drastically drops to the bottom of the ocean floor |
| abyssal plain | the long flat bottom of the deep ocean floor |
| mid-ocean ridge | a continuous range of underwater mountains that surrounds the earth. |
| divergent boundaries | where plates spread apart |
| convergent boundaries | where plates come together |
| trench | the deepest part of the ocean found at a convergent boundary |
| seafloor spreading | where plates spread apart at divergent boundaries |
| neritic zone | the zone from low tide to the edge of the continental shelf |
| open-ocean zone | beyond the edge of the continental shelf |
| Plankton | tiny plants and animals that float |
| nekton | free swiiming animals |
| benthos | animals that live on the ocean floor |
| food web | the feeding relationships that exist in a habitat |
| intertidal zone | the zone between high and low tides |
| estuaries | coastal inlets or bays where river water and ocean water mix |
| atoll | a ring shaped reef |
| bioluminescence | light produced by living things |
| hydrothermal vent | hot water that rises from cracks in the deep ocean floor |
| aquaculture | the farming of organisms that live in water |
| wave length | the horizontal distance between crests |
