Ocean Movement & Shoreline Vocab

Front

What is a Tide?

Back

The alternate rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in each lunar day at a particular place, due to the attraction of the moon and sun.

Front

What is a Beach?

Back

An area in which sediment is deposited along the shore.

Front

What is the Mid Ocean Ridge?

Back

The most prominent feature of an ocean basin.

Front

What is a Continental Shelf?

Back

The shallowest part of a continental margin extending seaward from the shore.

Front

What is a Guyot?

Back

Large, extinct, basaltic volcanoes with flat, submerged tops.

Front

What is an Ocean Current?

Back

A continuous, directed movement of seawater generated by various forces acting upon the water, such as wind and the Coriolis effect.

Front

What is an Estuary?

Back

A coastal area where freshwater from rivers meets and mixes with saltwater from the ocean.

Front

What is an Abyssal Plain?

Back

A flat or gently sloping area of the deep ocean floor, typically found at depths of 3,000 to 6,000 meters.

Front

What is a Seamount?

Back

An underwater mountain formed by volcanic activity, rising from the ocean floor but not reaching the water's surface.

Front

What is a Submarine Canyon?

Back

A steep-sided valley cut into the sea floor of the continental slope, often formed by erosion.