Ch 13 Vocab

the measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid

• salinity

• water cycle

• water vapot

the movement of water from the oceans, to the atmosphere, to land, and back to the ocean

• water cycle

• water vapor

• ocean

the large, flat almost level area of the deep ocean basin

• mid-ocean trench

• abyssal plain

• ocean trench

an area of mountain chains that form where tectonic plates are pulled apart

• abyssal plain

• ocean trench

• mid-ocean ridge

a steep, long depression in the deep ocean basin that form at a subduction zone

• ocean trench

• seamount

• abyssal plain

a submerged mountain on ocean floor that is volcanic origin

• seamount

• abyssal plain

• trench

a region near the bottom of ocean- most organisms in this environment live on the floor

• benthic environment

• pelagic environment

all organisms that live at the bottom of the ocean

• plankton

• nekton

• benthos

a mass of microscopic organisms that float at top of ocean

• plankton

• nekton

• benthos

all organisms that swim freely in open ocean

• plankton

• nekton

• benthos