Principles of Marine Science
a broad field that covers the link between oceanography and marine biology
Marine Science
A systematic way of testing ideas in science. A flexible framework guiding the study of nature.
Scientific Method
outermost layer; thinnest portion of the Earth
Crust
The process by which the sea floor moves away from the mid-ocean ridges to create new sea floor
Sea-floor spreading
Makes up about 8% of the ocean’s surface area. It’s the richest area of the ocean in terms of the number of species.
Continental Shelf
study of the physical (non-living) aspects of the ocean, including tides, currents, waves, and the chemical make-up of seawater.
Oceanography
The change that is measured.
Dependent Variable
innermost layer; solid inner core and liquid outer core; iron-rich
Core
Can contain continental crust, oceanic crust, or both.
lithospheric plates or tectonic plates
The “edge” of a continent. Begins at the shelf break and extends to the deep sea floor.
Continental Slope
study of the organisms that inhabit the sea
Marine Biology
The change that the experimenter controls.
Independent Variable
middle layer; semi-plastic composition
Mantle
Location where lithosphere is destroyed when two plates collide and one plate dips below the other plate
Trench
formed by sediments that have been pushed down from higher levels of the continental margin.
Continental Rise
Sailed on the HMS Beagle, his observations led him to formulate the principle of natural selection.
Charles Darwin
a testable explanation by scientific means.
Hypothesis
This type of crust is made up of dark-colored minerals, denser materials, and basalt
Oceanic Crust
when two plates slide past each other and they do not create or destroy lithosphere
Shear Boundaries
derived from the skeletons and shells of marine organisms. Can be used to determine the age or ocean temperature of the past.
Biogenous sediments
Used for the study of the marine environment for longer periods and at depths otherwise unavailable to humans. Its name is made up of an acronym.
SCUBA
a hypothesis that has been tested repetitively over time by many people and has not been disproven.
Theory
This type of crust is light-colored, mostly granite, less dense, and some crust is as old as 3.8 billion years old
Continental Crust
Can reverse itself at random intervals. Leads to alternating 'Stripes' parallel to mid-oceanic ridges.
Earth's Magnetic Field
Location of more intense geologic activity including earthquakes, volcanoes, and trenches. Characterized by steep, rocky shorelines, narrow continental shelves, and steep continental slopes
Active Margin