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march 7th
layers of earth in order
crust, lithosphere,asthenosphere, mantle, core
describe a convergent plate
This occurs when plates move towards each other and collide
what is a divergent plate
plates separate, often releasing magma onto the earth’s crust
describe a transform plate
plates rub, or even just brush together, or against eachother
what is an oceanic ridge
a mountain chain. typically created by divergent plate boundaries. the plates diverge, releasing magma, making new crust.
oceanic trench
a deep underwater valley formed at convergent plate boundaries where one plate is subducted beneath another.
Continental Shelf
the submerged border of a continent, extending from the shoreline to the continental slope.
continental slope
the steeply sloping area between the continental shelf and the ocean floor, where the ocean depth increases significantly.
Continental Rise
the gently sloping area located between the continental slope and the deep ocean floor, formed by the accumulation of sediments.
Seamount
a submerged mountain that rises from the ocean floor but does not reach the water's surface.
Canyon
a deep, narrow valley in the ocean floor, often formed by erosion or tectonic activity.
Abyssal Plain
a flat, deep-sea floor that lies at depths between 3,000 and 6,000 meters,
what is polarity
the orientation of magnetic or electric fields, or the distribution of charge in a molecule.
cohesion+adhesion
Cohesion means that water likes to stick to itself. and adhesion means that water likes to stick to other things.
Surface Tension
the result of cohesive forces between liquid molecules at the surface, creating a "skin" that resists external force.
density
a measure of how compact the mass in a substance or object is.
heat capacity
ratio of heat absorbed by a material to the temperature change
universal solvent
capable of dissolving more substances than any other liquid. a prime example is water.
how are ocean currents formed
wind, density differences in water masses caused by temperature
why are currents important?
regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface.
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