Glossary
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abyssopelagic
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bathymetric map: a map of the bottom of the ocean, with water depths indicated by contours that join points of equal water depth
biogeographic
buoyancy: the tendency of a body or fluid to rise when it is less dense than its surroundings.
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carbohydrates: compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, including sugars and starches.
chemosynthesis: the process by which bacteria use energy from chemicals, such as hydrogen sulfide, to combine water and carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates
climate: the accumulation of daily and seasonal weather events over a long period of time. The sum of all statistical weather information that helps describe a place or region.
consumer: organisms that get their energy from eating other plants and animals.
convection: the circulatory motion that occurs in fluids due to differences in temperature, which cause variations in density.
converging plate boundary: boundary along which two lithospheric plates are moving towards each other; e.g. the Himalayas are forming as two plates collide.
coral: colonial animal that secretes a hard outer calcareous (calcium carbonate) skeleton.
crust: the outermost shell of the Earth, made of different materials depending on whether it is oceanic or continental crust.
CTD (conductivity/temperature/depth): One of the most commonly used electronic instruments in oceanography, which is lowered on a conducting cable from a ship to measure the temperature, pressure and electrical conductivity of ocean water and the height above the seafloor. From these measurements, scientists can calculate water depth, salinity, and density. By letting cable out or pulling it in, scientists can measure water properties at different depths. Some CTDs have batteries and computers that allow them to be self-recording so they can be moored in one spot to make measurements for days or months.
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diverging plate boundary: a boundary between two plates that are moving apart, where volcanic activity is creating new oceanic crust - the mid-oceaen ridge is an example.
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ecology: the study of the relations between organisms and their environment.
ecosystem: a unit in ecology consisting of the community of organisms and the environment in which it lives.
epipelagic
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food chain: a sequence of feeding relationships by which energy is transferred from primary producers to consumers.
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geophysics: a field of geology using the principles of physics to explore the structure and physical characteristics of the Earth
geyser: a type of hot spring seen on land that episodically erupts jets of hot water and steam. It results from ground water being heated by coming in contact with hot rock deep in the Earth's crust, and then rising to the surface.
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holozooplankton
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igneous rock: a rock that solidified from molten or partly molten material, i.e. magma.
island arc: series of volcanic islands that are built above a subduction zone.
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krill: shrimp-like planktonic crustaceans; an abundant and major food source for Antarctic animals such as whales, fish, and penguins.
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latitude: The angular distance north or south from the Earth’s equator, measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds. One degree equals 60 nautical miles. A combination of latitude and longitude can be used to locate any spot on the earth’s surface.
lava: Melted, or molten, rock is called magma if it is below the earth's surface, and lava if it reaches the earth's surface.
lithosphere: a strong layer of the Earth, about 100 km in thickness, consisting of the Earth's crust and a portion of the underlying upper mantle. This layer lies on top of the weaker asthenosphere.
longitude: The angular distance east or west from a meridian drawn between the North Pole to the South Pole and passing through Greenwich, England, measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds. A combination of latitude and longitude can be used to locate any spot on the Earth’s surface.
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mesopelagic
mid-ocean ridge system: The volcanic mountain chain that is formed by volcanic activity at the boundary between two tectonic plates that are drifting apart. Molten rock from the mantle below rises to the surface and solidifies to form new oceanic crust.
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photosynthesis: The process by which green plants use energy from the sun to combine water and carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates and oxygen.
phytoplankton: small or microscopic photosynthetic organisms that float or drift in great numbers in fresh or salt water near the surface and are the base of the ocean food chain
pillow lava: lava that erupts under water and forms rocks that display a typical rounded, pillow shape.
plate: a rigid piece of the Earth's lithosphere that moves horizontally and interacts with other plates along its boundaries.
plate boundary: zones of seismic and tectonic activity along the edges of lithospheric plates.
plate tectonics: the idea that the Earth's lithosphere can be divided into a number of plates that move and interact with each other along their boundaries.
primary producers: living things that produce their own food (e.g., bacteria and plants).
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radiocarbon dating: a method of dating material that contains the element carbon. The method uses isotopes of carbon, and can determine the age of materials as old as 70,000 years.
remote sensing: way of getting information about an object without having the measuring device in direct contact with it. Examples include radar’s use of radio waves and sonar’s use of sound waves to detect objects.
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Salps: transparent, barrel-shaped planktonic marine animals found singly or in chains that sometimes reach 20 feet in length
seafloor speading: area where two tectonic plates are moving apart (diverging), opening the seafloor and allowing magma to rise and form new oceanic crust.
seamount: an extinct, underwater volcano that rises more than 1 km above the seafloor but whose peak is below the sea surface.
sedimentary rock: a rock formed from the consolidation of sediment that has accumulated in layers.
seep: A small area where water – that may be of a different temperature and density flows from below the seafloor and rises slowly into the ocean.
seismic wave: waves generated either by an earthquake or artificially.
sonar: acronym for sound navigation and ranging. A device that is used primarily for the detection and location of underwater objects by reflecting acoustic (sound) waves from them.
subduction zone: the region where one lithospheric plate descends beneath another as the two plates are moving towards each other. It is characterized by a line of earthquakes that demarcate the upper edge of the descending plate.
symbiosis: The living together of two interacting organisms or populations; sometimes restricted to those associations that are mutually beneficial.
symbiotic algae: algae (a simple type of plant that can photosynthesize) that live together with another organism in a mutually beneficial relationship.
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tectonics: a field of geology dealing with processes that shape the Earth's surface.
transform fault: a type of plate boundary where two plates slide past each other.
Transponder: An acoustic device that scientists place above the seafloor, usually in groups of two or more, to help them navigate deep submergence vehicles. To locate a transponder, a ping is broadcast from a ship to the seafloor. If the transponder hears the ping, it sends a reply ping, letting researchers know they’re in the right place. The transponder and its batteries are protected inside a plastic case the size of a beach ball, and can operate from the seafloor for up to five years.
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uranium-series dating: a method of dating material that contains elements that have been formed by radioactive decay of uranium.
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volcanic eruption: ejection of hot steam, molten rock, and/or rock fragments through openings in the earth's surface.
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water mass: a body of seawater that shares the same origin. Each water mass has characteristic temperatures and salinities.
Credit: Tasa Graphic Arts, Inc.
Tasa Graphic Arts, Inc. has been illustrating college textbooks since 1978, specializing in the area of geology and geography. In 1993 they began producing earth science educational computer software on CD-ROM.