Oceans and Seas Flash Cards

Front

ocean

Back

A vast body of salt water that separates the continents

Front

sea

Back

A large section of ocean that is mostly surrounded by land or islands

Front

sea level

Back

The level of the sea's surface at a particular place and time. It can change with the tides.

Front

mean sea level (MSL)

Back

Is the computed average height of high and low tides at a location

Front

shore

Back

a strip of land that separates the coastal region from the ocean.

Front

beach

Back

The portion of the coast that is shaped by sea level and wave action. Includes: berm, shore, longshore bars

Front

continental shelf

Back

The shallow, submerged edge of continents extending from the beach

Front

continental slope

Back

The steeper incline from the lip of the continental shelf into the deep ocean basin

Front

continental rise

Back

A thick deposit of loose sediments that creates a transition form the continental slope to the deep, relatively flat ocean floor.

Front

abyssal plain

Back

The relatively flat, deep sea floor