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Apologia Marine Bio
Apologia Marine Biology Module 1 Vocabulary
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Oceanic Crust | The portion of the earth's crust that primarily contains basalt, is relatively dense, and is about 5 kilometers thick |
Continental crust | The portion of the earth's crust that primarily contains granite, is less dense than oceanic crust, and is 20 to 50 kilometers thick |
Plate tectonics | A process involving the movement of large plates on the earth's mantle |
Mid-ocean ridge | A continuous chain of underwater volcanic mountains encompassing the earth |
Seafloor spreading | The process that creates new sea floor as an area moves away from the mid-ocean ridges |
Subduction | The downward movement of one plate into the earth's mantle when two plates collide |
Continental shelf | The gently sloped, shallow section of the edge of a continent, extending from the shore to the point where the slope gets steeper. |
Continental slope | The steeper section of a continental edge, extending seaward from the continental shelf |
Continental rise | The gently sloping area at the base of the continental slope |
Specific heat | The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by 1.00 degree Celsius |
Salinity | The total amount of salt dissolved in a solvent |
Coriolis effect | The way in which the rotation of the earth bends the path of winds and resulting sea currents |
Gyres | Large, mostly circular systems of surface currents driven by the wind |
Spring tide | A time of largest tidal range due to the gravitational pull of the aligned sun and moon (during full moon and new moon) |
Neap tide | A time of smallest tidal range due to the gravitational pull of the aligned sun and moon (during quarter moons) |