Ocean water and salinity
what is the word for how salty ocean water is?
salinity
what is the highest part of a wave called?
crest
What do we call the movement of sand along a beach?
longshore drift
what is the shallow part of the ocean near the land called?
continental shelf
which zone is most affected by weather?
surface zone
what is a current?
a large stream of moving ocean water
what is the most common salt in seawater?
sodium chloride
what is the lowest part of a wave called?
trough
what are sand dunes?
hills of sand formed by wind
what is a deep canyon in the ocean floor called?
trench
what zone is above the continental shelf?
Neritic Zone
what causes cold, salty water near the poles to sink?
it becomes more dense
what happens to salinity when water evaporates?
salinity increases
as waves get closer to shore, what happens to wave height?
it increases
how do dunes help reduce beach erosion?
plant roots hold the sand in place
what is the flat, deep part of the ocean floor called?
abyssal plain
what are the organisms that live on the ocean floor called?
benthos
what causes ocean currents to curve?
the Coriolis Effect (Earth's rotation)
why does salinity increase when water evaporates?
the water leaves, but the salt stays behind
why are tsunamis so dangerous near shore?
they grow very tall and carry lots of energy
what is a groin?
a structure build into the water to trap sand
what do we call an underwater mountain?
seamount
why must intertidal animals survive air and water?
the tides change the water level
How does the North Atlantic Drift affect Europe?
it makes northwestern Europe warmer
what two properties of water help cause deep currents?
temperature and salinity
name two factors that affect the size of waves
wind speed, wind duration
how does a groin change the movement of sand?
it traps sand on one side and slows longshore drift
what is the long underwater mountain chain called?
mid-ocean ridge
why is the deep ocean cold and dark?
little sunlight reaches it
What is El Nino?
when warm water moves east across the pacific and changes weather