Week 5 Quiz: The Sea Floor & Drain the Oceans

Hydrothermal vents

Underwater openings releasing mineral-rich water.

Sulfides

Chemical compounds discharged at hydrothermal vents.

Global sea level rise

Increase in ocean water levels globally.

Increased spreading rates

Faster tectonic plate movement raising sea levels.

Monterrey Canyon

Not a submarine trench formed by subduction.

Bahamas Banks origin

Result of calcium carbonate accumulation over time.

Passive continental margin

Area with no subduction, broad continental shelf.

Mid ocean ridge

Underwater mountain range formed by tectonic activity.

Abyssal Plains

Flat, deep ocean floor covering large areas.

Continental shelf

Shallow seabed extending from land to ocean.

Mud volcanoes

Tall structures due to lack of erosion.

Abyssal hills

Small, rolling hills on abyssal plains.

Seamounts

Underwater mountains formed by volcanic activity.

Guyots

Flat-topped seamounts eroded by waves.

Atolls

Ring-shaped coral reefs surrounding lagoons.

Glacial periods

Times of extensive ice coverage on Earth.

Chemosynthesis

Process using chemical energy to produce food.

Oxidation of sulfides

Chemical reaction releasing energy in chemosynthesis.

Turbidites

Sediments deposited by underwater landslides.

Trenches

Deep oceanic depressions formed by subduction.

Salt domes

Underground formations of salt rising through rock.

Volcanic rocks in atolls

Atoll centers consist of ancient volcanic material.

Ice Age sea level

Sea level was 130 meters lower previously.

Black smokers

Hydrothermal vents located near spreading centers.

Active continental margin

Region with tectonic activity and narrow shelf.

Subduction zones

Areas where one tectonic plate moves under another.

Transform faults

Boundaries where tectonic plates slide past each other.

Dissolution of limestone

Chemical process creating features in ocean floors.

Sealevel changes

Variations in ocean levels due to climate.

Oceanic trenches location

Found at subduction zones due to slab-pull.

Erosion by waves

Process shaping coastal and underwater landforms.

Spreading centers

Locations where tectonic plates are moving apart.

Gas release at spreading centers

Contributes to mud volcano growth.

Flat-topped seamounts

Guyots formed by erosion of volcanic islands.

Narrow continental shelves

Occur at active continental margins.