Evaporation

water changing from liquid to gas

transpiration

water released from plants

runoff

water soaking into the ground

narrow (v shaped) stream valley

v shaped, downcutting toward base level

ex: rapids, waterfalls

wide (u shaped) valley

near base level, side to side erosion

ex: floodplain, meanders, cutoffs, oxbow lakes

oxbow

a curved lake formed when a meander is cut off from the main river

pointbar

area of deposition on the inside of curve

cutbank

area of erosion on the outside of curve

natural levee

raised banks formed during floods

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Precipitation

water falling from the atmosphere

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head

beginning of a stream

mouth

end of a stream

delta

sediment deposited at the mouth

gradient

steepness of a stream

profile

shape of the stream from start to finish

base level

lowest level a stream can erode to

aquifer

underground water storage layer

water table

top of groundwater level

saturated zone

all spaces filled with water

unsaturated zone

spaces contain air and water

artesian wall

water rises due to pressure

caves

underground openings formed by dissolved rocks

karst

land formed by dissolving limestone

where erosion and deposition occur in a stream channel

erosion occurs:

outside of bends, faster water, steeper areas

deposition occurs:

inside of bends, slower water, flatter areas

percent ocean and land

71% ocean

29% land

land hemisphere

contains most land

water hemisphere

contains most water

4 main oceans

Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic

bathymetry

study of ocean depth and underwater features

continental margins (passive and active)

passive margin: little tectonic activity

active margin: earthquakes and volcanoes common

continental shelf

shallow area near land

continental slope

steep drop-off

continental rise

sediment buildup at bottom

turbidity currents

underwater landslides carrying sediment

trenches

deepest parts of ocean

abyssal plains

flat ocean floor

seamounts

underwater volcanoes

terrignous sediment

from land

biogenous sediment

from living organisms

salinity

amount of salt in seawater

sodium chloride (NaC1)

main salt in ocean water

Sources of sea salt

weathering rocks, rivers, volcanic activity, hydrothermal vents

how salinity changes in sea water

increases: evaporation, freezing

decreases: rain, melting ice, river water

thermocline

layer where temperature drops quickly

density

heavier water sinks

plankton

drift in water

nekton

swim freely

benthos

live on the ocean floor

phytoplankton

plant like plankton

zooplankton

animal like plankton

photic

sunlight present

euphotic

enough light for photosynthesis

aphotic

no sunlight

interdital

between high and low tide

neritic

shallow water over shelf

oceanic

deep ocean

pelagic

open ocean water

benthic

ocean floor

abyssal

deep ocean floor

hydrothermal vents

hot water openings on ocean floor

chemosynthesis

using chemicals to make food

photosynthesis

using sunlight to make food

productivity

rate food is produced

food chain

one path of energy flow

food web

many connected food chains

trophic level

position in a food chain