Flashcards › Science › Earth Science
Water Cycle and Oceans
How water moves around Earth and basic facts about oceans.
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60 cards
- Water cycleQuestionThe continuous movement of water between Earth and the air
- EvaporationQuestionLiquid water heated by the Sun turns into vapor
- TranspirationQuestionPlants releasing water vapor from their leaves
- CondensationQuestionWater vapor cools and forms tiny droplets, making clouds
- PrecipitationQuestionWater falling as rain, snow, sleet or hail
- CollectionQuestionWater gathering in oceans, lakes, rivers and underground
- RunoffQuestionWater flowing over the land into streams and rivers
- GroundwaterQuestionWater stored underground in soil and rock
- AquiferQuestionAn underground layer of rock that holds water
- Water tableQuestionThe top of the groundwater
- InfiltrationQuestionWater soaking into the ground
- Surface waterQuestionWater in rivers, lakes and streams
- What gives energy to the water cycle?QuestionThe Sun
- FreshwaterQuestionWater with very little salt
- SaltwaterQuestionWater with lots of dissolved salt
- Percent of Earth's water that is fresh, aboutQuestion3 percent
- Where is most of Earth's fresh water stored?QuestionIn glaciers and ice caps
- Five oceansQuestionPacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic
- Largest oceanQuestionPacific
- Smallest oceanQuestionArctic
- Deepest known point in the oceanQuestionChallenger Deep in the Mariana Trench
- SalinityQuestionHow salty water is
- Average salinity of seawaterQuestionAbout 3.5 percent
- TideQuestionThe daily rise and fall of sea level
- What causes tides?QuestionThe pull of the Moon's and Sun's gravity
- High tideQuestionWhen the water reaches its highest level
- Low tideQuestionWhen the water reaches its lowest level
- Spring tideQuestionA tide with the biggest range, at new and full moon
- Neap tideQuestionA tide with the smallest range, at quarter moons
- WaveQuestionEnergy moving through water
- What makes most ocean waves?QuestionWind
- CurrentQuestionA steady flow of water in the ocean
- Gulf StreamQuestionA warm current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico up the US coast
- UpwellingQuestionCold, nutrient-rich water rising to the surface
- Continental shelfQuestionThe shallow part of the seafloor near a continent
- Continental slopeQuestionThe steep drop from the shelf to the deep ocean
- Abyssal plainQuestionThe flat deep ocean floor
- SeamountQuestionAn underwater mountain
- Sunlight zoneQuestionThe top layer of the ocean where light reaches
- Twilight zoneQuestionThe ocean layer with dim light, about 200 to 1,000 meters deep
- Midnight zoneQuestionThe deep ocean layer with no sunlight
- Hadal zoneQuestionThe deepest ocean zone, in trenches
- OceanographyQuestionThe study of the ocean
- SonarQuestionUses sound to map the seafloor
- SubmersibleQuestionA small underwater vehicle for deep dives
- Hydrothermal ventQuestionA crack in the seafloor that spews hot water
- Coral reefQuestionAn ocean ecosystem built by tiny coral animals
- MangroveQuestionA tree that grows in salty coastal water
- PlanktonQuestionTiny life that drifts in the ocean
- Kelp forestQuestionA large underwater forest of giant seaweed
- Why is seawater not good to drink?QuestionIt has too much salt for our bodies
- DesalinationQuestionRemoving salt from seawater
- Water pollutionQuestionHarmful substances in water
- Oil spillQuestionOil leaking into the sea, hurting wildlife
- Ocean acidificationQuestionThe ocean becoming more acidic as it absorbs carbon dioxide
- Coastal erosionQuestionWaves wearing away the shoreline
- WetlandQuestionLand soaked with water, like a marsh or swamp
- Why are wetlands important?QuestionThey filter water and shelter many animals
- ReservoirQuestionA man-made lake that stores water
- DamQuestionA wall built across a river to hold water
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