I. What is Ocean Water?

 

·        It is a part of the WATER CYCLE. It is formed when some of the precipitation collects in the rivers that feed into the oceans. Some precipitation falls directly back into the oceans.

 

·        Ocean water is a mixture of water and many dissolved solids. Most of these solids are SALTS.

OCEAN ZONES

 

 

Ocean zones:  Oceanographers divide the ocean into 5 broad zones according to how far down sunlight penetrates.

 

·        Sunlit Zone:  the top layer of the ocean where enough sunlight penetrates for plants to carry on photosynthesis.

 

·        Twilight Zone:  dim zone where some light penetrates, but not enough for plants to grow

 

·        Midnight Zone:  the deep ocean layer where no light penetrates

 

·        Abyssal Zone:  the pitch-black bottom layer of the ocean; the water here is almost freezing and its pressure is immense

 

·        Hadal Zone:  the waters found in the ocean’s deepest trenches

 

 

II.  How does Ocean Water Move?

 

·        CURRENTS:  water that moves in a certain direction; the river-like flow of water in the oceans.

 

1. SURFACE CURRENTS: currents at the top layer of the ocean caused by winds.

 

2. DEEP CURRENTS: currents near the ocean bottom caused by differences in water temperature. Warm water from the equator moves towards the poles, while the cold water from the poles moves towards the equator.

 

a. The GULF STREAM affects weather and climate in the Eastern United States and Europe.

 

b. El NINO affects warm water current in the Pacific and changes weather around the world, but especially the Western United States.

 

·        TIDES: The regular rise and fall of the water at the ocean shore.

 

1. Tides are caused by either the gravitational attraction between the earth and the moon,

or

2. The gravitational attraction between the earth and the sun as the earth rotates.

 

·        WAVES: the up and down movement of ocean water caused by the wind.

 

1. Height of wave depends on:

 

a. The strength of the wind

b. The amount of time the wind blows

c. The size of the area over which the wind blows

 

2. During a hurricane the strong gusty winds can create a STORM SURGE which can cause damage along the shore.

 

 

WRITING: Compare and contrast high and low tides of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Trenton.

 

III. What are the features on the Ocean Floor?

 

A.  SHORE ZONE: The place where the land and the ocean meet.

 

1. The CONTINENTAL SHELF is the part of a continent that extends under the ocean from the shoreline.

 

2. The CONTINENTAL SLOPE is farther from the shore; the ocean floor drops sharply at the continental slope.

 

B. OPEN OCEAN ZONE: INCLUDES

 

1. The OCEAN BASIN (ABYSSAL PLAIN) is the floor at the deep part of the ocean.  It is covered with sediments of clay, silt, sand, and rock carried into the ocean from the continents.

 

2. An OCEAN TRENCH is a deep, narrow valley in the ocean floor.

 

3. A MID-OCEAN RIDGE is the highest part of a long chain of mountains found in some parts of the ocean basin.

 

4. The ocean also contains underwater volcanoes.

 

C. EXPLORING THE OCEAN FLOOR

 

1. In the 1950s scientist used SONAR, or sound waves, to map the ocean floor.

2. Today, they also use SATELLITES to map the oceans’ features.

3. Scientists also use special underwater vehicles to explore the ocean floor, including the JASON Project and the Deep Flight Project.