AICE Marine Unit 2 Eart Processes Vocab List

*Also study the continents and oceans*

Estuary

Partially enclosed, tidal coastal body of water where fresh water from a river meets the saltwater from the ocean.

Littoral zone

The benthic, or bottom zone between the highest and lowest spring tide water marks on a shoreline; aka the intertidal zone

Earthquake

Sudden release in energy inside the earth that creates seismic waves; usually caused by movement of tectonic plates or volcanic activity.

Crust

The outermost layer of rock on earth.

Mantle

Region of molten rock within the interior of the earth, between the core and the crust.

Core

Dense, central region in the earth.

Seismic

…having to do with vibrations of the earths crust; earthquakes

Oceanic crust

The less (more?) denser(?), thinner, basaltic layer of crust that makes up the foundation of the continents.

Continental drift

A theory that supports the continents being able to move over the Earth’s surface.

Continental crust(

Thicker(?), less dense(?) crust that makes up the foundation of the continents.

Plate tectonics

Process where plates of the earth’s crust are in constant movement of the fluid-like mantle.

Lithosphere

Outermost layer of the Earth’s crust

Mid-Ocean ridge

Mountain range with a central valley on an ocean floor between 2 diverging tectonic plates; new crust forms from upwelling magma.

Paleomagnetic stripes

Patten of magnetic stripes on the ocean floor due to reversals in the Earth’s magnetic field & seafloor spreading.

Polarity

2 opposite states of being on either end(like the positive and negative sides of a magnet.)

Convergent boundary

When two or more convergent plates come together.

Divergent boundary

2 tectonic plates which are moving away from eachother.

Convection current*

Movement of fluids or air based on density different caused by differing temperature.

Subduction

Process where a lithospheric plate slides below another at a convergent plate boundary.

Trench

A long, narrow, and deep depression on the ocean floor with relatively steep sides. Caused by convergent plate boundaries.

Tsunami

Seismic wave created by an underwater earthquake.

Hydrothermal vent

Area of cold water which seeped into the earth’s crust and is superheated by underlying magma and forced through vents in the ocean floor.

Transform boundary

Two plates that horizontally pass each other, moving in an antiparallel direction creating friction between them.

Volcano

Mountain or hill with a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapour, and gas are being forced from the earth’s crust.

Abyssal Plain

A plat, sandy region of the ocean floor found between trenches and the continental rise (around 3000-6000 meter below surface).