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Oceans Vocabulary
Brooke ArdGriggs Road Elementary
continental shelf: shallow, underwater edge of Earth’s land mass
continental slope: steep slope where the continental
shelf drops to the bottom of the ocean floor ocean basin: located on either side of the mid-ocean
ridge; made up of low hills and flat plains beach: a shoreline where the ocean meets the land barrier island: naturally occurring islands that protect
the mainland from wave erosion estuaries: the area where a river meets the ocean
Vocabulary
wave: the repeated movement of water
current: flowing streams of water that move continually through the ocean in a specific direction
longshore current: currents that flow along the shoreline and carry sand from one location to another
tide: the regular rise and fall of the ocean water as a result of the moon’s gravitational pull on Earth
conservation: the wise use of Earth’s natural resources
pollution: anything that harms the natural environment
Vocabulary Continued
Continental and Oceanic Landforms
Description Continental Oceanic
Low land between hills or mountains
Valley Rift
Deep valley with high, steep sides
Canyon Trench
An opening in the surface from which lava flows
Volcano Seamount and Volcanic Islands- example: Hawaiian Islands
Land which rises high above the ground
Mountain Range Mid-ocean ridge
Wide, flat areas of land
Plains Abyssal Plain
Continental vs. Oceanic Landforms
Effects of tides, waves, currents, and storms on the Ocean Shore Zone
Beaches Barrier Islands
Estuaries Inlets
Tides
Bring in sand, shells, sediments and leave them behind
Bring in sand, shells, sediments and leave them behind
Brings in sediments and sea life that feed life in estuary
Amount of water changes
Waves
Weather and erode shoreline; can deposit sand
Changes shape of BI by deposition
Deposit sand in estuaries X
Currents
Move sand from one place to another
Move sand from one place to another
XChange shape of opening
Storms
Cause wave action that removes sand
Cause wave action that removes sand
Cause wave action that removes sand
Change shape of opening
Effect on Ocean Shore Zone
Comparison of Water Movement
Waves